What are buying motives?
Buying motives are about customer needs. In other words, a customer buys because there is a need for a product or service. The reason for the need is what we call the buying motive.
Whether you work in B2C or B2B-In the world of sales, buying types and buying motives are a good idea to keep track of, as they can help both sales and marketing departments generate more sales.
Overall, buying motives can be divided into 2 groups:
- Rational motives
- Social motives
Let's take a closer look at both below.
The rational buying motives
The rational buying motives are the customer's reason behind the purchase. Let's pretend that Mr. Larsen is buying a new house, and today he is out looking at one.
He asks the real estate agent what the price of the house is, what condition the house is in, how much money he should expect to spend on heating the house, how much the house costs in land tax, how much the house will be worth in 4 years and what energy class the house is in?
The above questions are all rational and functional - but it would be a lie to say that our buying motives and buying behavior is always rational.
The social buying motives - the four buying motives
Social purchase motives are not as much about rationality and functionality. Rather, these are social motives where the customer thinks a lot about how the purchase might be perceived by others. Whether Mr. Larsen chooses to buy the house depends not only on the rational motives but also on how the house matches Mr. Larsen's social motives.
The social buying motives can be divided into 4 groups:
- The Bandwagon motif
- The Snob motif
- The Veblen motif
- The Thrifty motif
For this reason, the social buying motives are also called the four buying motives.
Let's look at the different buying motives below.
Bandwagon
If Mr. Larsen buys the new house because it's a popular house and there are many others who also want to get their hands on it. Then Mr. Larsen buys based on the Bandwagon motive. When you choose to buy based on the Bandwagon motif, you buy the same as many others.
Snob
If Mr. Larsen buys the new house because it is very rare and unique. Then Mr. Larsen buys based on the Snob motif. The Snob motif is the opposite of the Bandwagon motif. When you choose to buy based on the Snob motif, you want to stand out and own something special.
Veblen
Does Mr. Larsen buy the new house because it is more expensive than the houses his friends or neighbors have. Then Mr. Larsen is buying based on the Veblen motive. When you choose to buy based on the Veblen motive, you want to exude a certain kind of status so that friends, neighbors or others might look up to you.
Thrifty
Is Mr. Larsen buying the new house because it really is a bargain, where he gets a lot for his money. Then Mr. Larsen buys based on the Thrifty motive. The Thrifty motive is the opposite of the Veblen motive. When you choose to buy based on the Thrifty motive, you want to get a good deal and aren't afraid to tell your friends and family how good a dealer you are.
