Understanding buyer behaviour in software services: strategies for Indian firms

Abstract

Buying behaviour in a business market is characterised by long cycle times, group decision making, participants from different functional areas and levels and sometimes divergent objectives, and changing roles of the participants during the buying cycle. The high levels of market and technological uncertainty of software services add to the complexity in the buying process. This paper draws upon extant literature on Organisation Buying Behaviour (OBB) to help understand the factors influencing the behaviour of the buyers of software services. It also recommends strategies for managers in software firms to market their services.