An outward-looking approach focused on making products that customers want, rather than selling products the firm can make.

• A. Sales orientation
• B. Product orientation
• C. Market orientation
• D. Research orientation

Answer: (C)

Market orientation is an outward-looking approach that centers on understanding what customers want and then organizing the business around delivering that value. It relies on market research, customer feedback, and competitive insight to guide product development and offerings. The description here fits this mindset because the focus is on making products that customers want rather than pushing whatever the firm happens to produce. In contrast, a sales orientation prioritizes pushing existing products through promotion, often with less regard to customer needs, while a product orientation centers on the firm’s own capabilities and assumes demand will follow. Therefore, this approach best aligns with market orientation.