Question 1

The Northwoods University IT department is planning to buy additional computers for the computer lab.Pedro Bechara,manager of the lab,is asked for a recommendation,and he suggests buying Macintosh computers instead of Windows PCs.What role does Pedro play in the buying center?

Accepted Answer

Pedro Bechara is an influencer in the buying center, as he is providing a recommendation for the type of computers to be purchased. However, without knowing the other members in the buying center and their roles, it is difficult to determine the best choice for the purchasing decision.

Question 2

Bob Roberts founded Robertico,an equipment leasing company,three decades ago.Although he is now in his seventies,he still has a "hands on" management style.His employees have learned that there isn't much point in making purchase recommendations for new equipment,because Bob is going to choose whatever he thinks is best regardless of their views.Robertico has a(n)__________ buying center culture.

Accepted Answer

The passage clearly states that Bob has a "hands on" management style and that he disregards the opinions of his employees when making purchasing decisions. This type of behavior is indicative of an autocratic buying center culture, where decisions are made by one person with little input or consultation with others.

Question 3

Firms typically repurchase office supplies (paper,ink cartridges,pens,etc.)through straight rebuys on their supplier's website.Should an office supplies sales rep stay in close touch with his or her current customers? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

Although straight rebuys are straightforward and easy to handle, a sales rep should still stay in close touch with current customers since they might learn about a new opportunity in the need recognition stage. It is important to maintain a good relationship with current customers to retain their loyalty and potentially gain new business. However, it may not require a lot of the sales rep's assistance since the orders are usually made online.

Question 4

CA Technologies,a firm providing software and services to information technology departments,maintains a corporate blog.How can this blog help CA Technologies with B2B marketing?

Accepted Answer

CA Technologies' corporate blog can help build brand awareness among potential customers by conveying thought leadership, providing valuable insights and best practices, and establishing a more personal connection with its audience. The blog can also be leveraged to showcase the company's products and services, industry expertise, and customer success stories, which can help establish trust and credibility with potential buyers. While the blog may indirectly support other aspects of B2B marketing, such as vendor performance assessment or purchasing and distribution, these are not the primary benefits that a corporate blog provides. Additionally, the blog is not designed to match buyers' requests and sellers' offers, as this is typically done through other channels such as marketplaces or procurement platforms.

Question 5

Normally,BC bottling company attaches plastic labels to its bottles.However,a new regulation requires that the company now use fabric labels.To use this latest innovation,BC bottling company must now source these fabric labels from another company.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

The answer of Normally,BC bottling company attaches plastic labels to...

Question 6

LinkedIn is mainly used for ________ in the B2B marketplace.

Accepted Answer

LinkedIn is primarily used for professional networking, allowing individuals and businesses to connect with each other in a B2B (business-to-business) context. While it can be useful for requests for proposals or vendor evaluation, those are not the main purposes of the platform. Communication with customers and competitive analysis may occur on LinkedIn, but again, those are not the primary uses of the platform.

Question 7

Hinsdale High School has recently decided to sponsor a rugby team.It is in the process of considering where to buy the uniforms.This is a ________ situation.

Accepted Answer

Since Hinsdale High School has not previously had a rugby team, this is a new purchase and not a rebuy. Therefore, the best choice is a new buy (Option B).

Question 8

A wholesaler is an example of a

Accepted Answer

A wholesaler is a reseller, as they buy goods in bulk from manufacturers and then resell them to retailers or other businesses at a markup.

Question 9

Which step in the buying process is most likely to happen in a straight rebuy situation?

Accepted Answer

In a straight rebuy situation, the need recognition step is most likely to happen as it involves identifying the need to repurchase an item that the company has previously bought. This step is crucial for initiating the rebuy process.

Question 10

Because they do so much driving while visiting doctors' offices and hospitals,pharmaceutical sales representatives are often given company cars to drive.When a pharmaceutical company like Merck is preparing to purchase new company cars,sales reps' feedback will be sought on car models and features,but the final decision will be made by higher levels of management.What role(s)do the sales reps play in the buying center?

Accepted Answer

Sales reps use the cars for their work and influence the decision by providing feedback on car models and features, but they do not make the final decision.

Question 11

The local skydiving team is buying new parachutes.The team's coach has invited all team members to make recommendations,after which he will select the successful vendor.The skydiving team's buying center has a(n)__________ organizational culture.

Accepted Answer

A consultative organizational culture is one where the leader seeks input and advice from team members before making a decision, but still retains the ultimate decision-making authority. In this case, the coach invited all team members to make recommendations for the new parachutes, indicating a consultative culture.

Question 12

The president of the Northwoods University student body made a formal request to the IT department for additional computers in the main computer lab.The student body president is the __________ in the buying center.

Accepted Answer

The student body president is the person who initiated the request for additional computers, making them the initiator in the buying center. The gatekeeper would be the IT department who controls access to the computer lab, the decider would be the person or group who ultimately approves the purchase, and the buyer would be the person who physically makes the purchase. The term "gateway" is not typically used in the context of a buying center.

Question 13

A buying center that makes its decisions by majority vote is a(n)__________ buying center.

Accepted Answer

A buying center that makes its decisions by majority vote is a democratic buying center. The decision-making process involves discussion and voting, with the majority opinion ultimately determining the decision. Other types of buying centers include autocratic, in which a single person makes the decision; consultative, in which one person makes the final decision after seeking input from others; consensus, in which everyone in the group must agree on the decision; and bureaucratic, in which the decision is made based on organizational rules and procedures.

Question 14

Kimberly has just learned that Caribou Coffee is looking for a new source of commercial-grade coffee makers,one of the products she sells.She knows Caribou has been in business for many years,but she has not been able to get any business from them.When developing her marketing strategy,Kimberly will probably assume that this represents a(n)__________ situation for Caribou Coffee,and she will want to find out why Caribou is considering alternatives.

Accepted Answer

A modified rebuy situation occurs when the buyer has purchased a similar product in the past but is now considering alternatives due to changes in their needs or the market. In this case, Kimberly knows that Caribou has been in business for many years and has not purchased from her before, suggesting that they have likely already purchased commercial-grade coffee makers from another supplier. However, because Caribou is now considering alternatives, it indicates that their needs or the market may have changed, leading to a modified rebuy situation. Therefore, Kimberly will need to find out why Caribou is considering alternatives in order to tailor her marketing strategy to their specific needs.

Question 15

To maximize efficiency,farmers send their eggs to a __________ who handles sales and shipments to supermarkets.

Accepted Answer

A distributor is a company or individual that receives and stores goods from a producer and then sells them to various retailers or other businesses for a profit. In the case of eggs, a distributor would handle the sales and shipment to supermarkets, allowing the farmer to focus on producing the eggs and leaving the logistics of distribution to a specialized company.

Question 16

What type of B2B organization is a retail store such as T.J.Maxx?

Accepted Answer

T.J.Maxx is a reseller, as they purchase products from manufacturers and sell them to customers in their retail stores.

Question 17

Which of the following details is(are)included in the order specification stage of the B2B buying process?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following details is(are)included in...

Question 18

B2B partners often connect to each other on the Internet through special __________ designed to facilitate information exchanges and transactions.

Accepted Answer

Web portals are specifically designed to facilitate information exchanges and transactions, making them the best choice in this scenario. Search engines are not specific to B2B partnerships and web masters are individuals, not tools. Web routes and gatekeepers are not commonly used terms in this context.

Question 19

The chair of the board of the local Humane Society chose the bank where the organization keeps its money; however,the office manager is the primary person who makes deposits,writes checks,and balances the account every month.The office manager is the __________ in the buying center for the bank account.

Accepted Answer

The office manager, who makes deposits, writes checks, and balances the account, directly interacts with the bank account and is therefore considered the user in the buying center.

Question 20

Suppose that Volkswagen is preparing an RFP for a hands-free phone connection for a new car model.All of the following would be included in the RFP except

Accepted Answer

A vendor analysis would not be included in the RFP, as that is a task for the company to conduct internally and does not need to be communicated to potential vendors in the RFP. The RFP would include a description of required features, time frame, specifications for connection, and instructions for preparing proposals.

Quiz 7: Business-To-Business Marketing