Scenario 8.2 Use the following to answer the questions.
Precision Brake Company is a supplier of brake components to the manufacturers of lawn tractors and 4-wheel ATVs. It also sells its products to independent repair centers, dealers, and other wholesalers in the Northeastern and Southern regions. Precision Brake has done research on the demand for lawn tractors and found that most manufacturers are in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. Research also shows that most of the dealers who sell directly to individual consumers are in the Midwestern region, while dealers who sell to small business landscaping companies tend to be located in the Northeastern region. Company executives are considering expansion of its distribution to markets in the Midwest.
Refer to Scenario 8.2. When Precision Brake's sales team calls on tractor manufacturing companies, the meetings typically include the engineers who design the tractors. In this situation, the engineers would most likely be considered to be ____, part of the buying center.
A) gatekeepers
B) influencers
C) users
D) buyers
E) controllers

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Engineers who design the tractors would be part of the buying center as they have the ability to influence the decision-making process of the manufacturers. As they are involved in the design process, they can recommend suppliers such as Precision Brake Company for brake components. However, they are not the final decision-makers or buyers, hence they would not be classified as buyers or controllers of the buying center. They also may not have the ability to control access to the decision-makers, so they would not be classified as gatekeepers.