Q.What are buying motives? Explain the classification of buying motives with suitable examples. (5 marks)

After defining a buying motive, the answer must lay out the full classification — product motives (emotional and rational) and patronage motives — each with an example.

Use a clear example for each category.

Meaning. A buying motive is the inner urge, desire, feeling, or reason that drives a person to buy a particular product — the need or want the purchase is meant to satisfy. The salesman's task is to discover each customer's real motive and appeal to it.

Classification of buying motives:

1. Product (inherent) buying motives — reasons connected with the product itself, i.e. why a customer chooses a particular kind of product. These are sub-divided into:

• Emotional buying motives — buying prompted by feeling rather than reasoning, such as pride, vanity, love and affection, imitation of others, fashion, or desire for social status. Example: a person buying expensive jewellery or a luxury phone chiefly for prestige.
• Rational buying motives — buying based on careful thought and judgement, such as economy, durability, safety, utility, suitability, or convenience. Example: a person buying a pressure cooker to save fuel and time, or an insurance policy for security.

2. Patronage buying motives — reasons connected with the shop or seller the customer prefers to buy from, rather than the product itself: the seller's reputation and honest dealing, courteous service, convenient location, wide variety, fair and fixed prices, credit facilities, or a long personal relationship. Example: a customer who keeps returning to the same trusted store because of its fair prices and good service.

Together these explain both why a customer chooses a product (product motives) and why he chooses a particular seller (patronage motives).