Q. Explain Search stage in organisational buying?
Search stage: This stage comprises information search regarding vendors their credibility their compatibility with the requirements of the buying organisation a study of the offerings of different companies and the selection of a supplier. Companies that have open up the consultative selling approach in the early new buy phase will have a reasonable edge over other companies in the search stage.
Though it mayn't be possible to state that firms entering the initiation stage will end up with the order there is a probability that these companies may be considered more favourably than companies which enter only during the search stage. In complex new purchase circumstances such as electrical projects the company which may have entered the initiation stage might have even formulated the broad specifications of the project.
The search stage is uniformly important for organisations that are currently not in business with buying organisations. In industrial mechanization where there are frequent changes in hardware and software the buying organisation and the respective buying centres need to be apprised of the latest in the field. An 'out-supplier' taking this approach particularly where the 'in-supplier' isn't active on this front will benefit when the buying organisation formulates an extension programme.
In certain cases the purchasing organisation may have different plants at different locations and an 'out-supplier' perhaps able to dislodge the 'in-supplier' for a new bid in a specific location. This as well means that the 'in-supplier' has to be associated with the search stage by providing current information even consequent to the product is sold or project is executed. The 'in-supplier' has to preserve a preferred position every time the buyer organisation gets involved in the analysis of suggestions to cater to an emerging need such as expansion and updated offerings and so on.