Marketing: Decision Making Unit (DMU)

The Decision Making Unit (DMU)

• A DMU is a group of people within an organization responsible for making buying decisions.
• A DMU typically consists of:
  • Gatekeepers who control the flow of information in and out of the organization.
  • Initiators who start the decision-making process by requesting a purchase.
  • Deciders who make the actual purchase decision.
  • Buyers who select suppliers and manage the buying process.
  • Influencers who evaluate and recommend suppliers.
  • Users who actually use the product or service.

Types of B2B Purchases

• There are three types of B2B purchases:
  • New Task: where the organization is seeking to buy a product for the first time.
  • Modified Rebuy: where the organization seeks to reorder a previously purchased product with some modifications.
  • Straight Rebuy: where the organization seeks to reorder a previously purchased product without any modifications.

Lead Generation

• Lead Generation is the development of an initial contact between vendors and potential customers.
• A lead is not a sale, only an opportunity to deliver a pitch that might lead to a sale.
• The better the lead, the greater the chance of converting a prospect to a sale.
• The primary objective of most B2B websites is lead generation rather than online sales.

The B2B Buying Process

• The B2B buying process involves:
  • Problem recognition
  • Specification development
  • Search for products (if off-the-shelf) or search for supplier (if bespoke)
  • Evaluate products and suppliers
  • Make purchase
  • After-sales service

Issues in Developing a B2B Website

• A B2B buyer often starts with no knowledge of the market, so the website must present a professional brand that inspires trust.
• Risk avoidance is a significant issue in B2B purchases, and website copy should reflect this concern.
• Relevant information must be presented appropriately, with language that appeals to the various members of the DMU.

Key User Experience Differences between B2B and B2C Websites

• Content must support long purchase decisions.
• Integration, compatibility, and regulatory information needs to be clear.
• Content should speak to both choosers and users.
• Complex pricing requires realistic scenarios.
• Content should speak to different customer segments and scales of businesses without alienating audiences.