To develop compelling value propositions, business marketers need to better understand how business buyers arrive at their valuations Researchers studying how business marketers assess customer value found eight different customer value assessment (CV) methods Companies tended to use the simpler methods, although the more sophisticated ones promise to produce a more accurate picture of CPV (see "Marketing Memo: Developing Compelling Customer Value Propositions The choice of attributes and their relative importance varies with the buying situation. Delivery reliability, price, and supplier reputation are important for routine-order products. For procedural problem products, such as a copying machine, the three most important attributes are technical service, supplier flexibility, and product reliability. For political-problem products that stir rivalries in the organization (such as the choice of a computer system), the most important attributes are price, supplier reputation, product reliability, service reliability, and supplier flexibility.
OVERCOMING PRICE PRESSURES. The buying center may attempt to negotiate with preferred suppliers for better prices and terms before making the final selection. Despite moves toward strategic sourcing, partnering, and participation in cross-functional teams, buyers still spend a large chunk of their time haggling with suppliers on price. The number of price-oriented can vary by country, depending on customer preferences for different service configurations and characteristics of the customer's organization.