Examining Today’s Modern B2B Buyer

Did you hear that? That was the sound of the B2B landscape forever changing.

Gone are the days of catering solely to C-level executives who wield all the purchasing power. The modern B2B buyer is often the ultimate end-user - ready, willing, and capable of making their own purchasing decisions.

Today’s B2B buyer can be almost anyone within the organization. Recent Pew Research found that digital-native Millennials are the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. And TrustRadius reported that almost half of B2B technology buyers were 25- to 34-year-olds, followed closely by 35- to 44-year-olds. These younger generations have been immersed in technology from birth, and because of it, their buyer’s journey looks remarkably different.

Here are three ways you can cater to today’s modern B2B buyer:

Recognize the New Landscape

The B2B buying journey has been completely flipped on its head. Today’s purchasing decisions rely little on analog contact and are instead driven primarily by digital interactions.

In addition, your buyers expect hyper-personalized messaging that not only speaks to their pain points but also educates them in an entirely engaging way. This means your content is not only competing against your competitors’, it’s also up against media giants like Amazon and Netflix.

To break through the digital noise and get a thoughtfully tailored message in front of buyers, you’ll need to have a clear and comprehensive understanding of their distinct needs. Translation: Leverage the data at your disposal to create bespoke and compelling engagements that target them as a market of one.

Prioritize the Buyer’s Time Human beings now have the attention spans of goldfish. Today’s B2B buyers are inundated with messages, offers and promotions. From emails to pop-up ads and social media notifications, buyers are astute and accustomed to blocking out these constant interruptions.

Your window of opportunity to hook a prospect and engage with them is less than a minute and steadily diminishing. Your task is to deliver a compelling, succinct messages through the right channel at the right time, prioritizing the buyer’s time.

Educate and Curate

Today’s B2B buyer is far more skeptical and has less trust in vendor sales representatives. McKinsey found that 70%-80% of prospects prefer remote interaction or digital self-service. This means your buyer wants to be left alone to read blog posts, scan social media reviews and watch videos before they ever agree to get on the phone with you.

You can best serve this new type of digital-first buyer by curating content that educates and addresses any questions or concerns he might have. Lead with media-rich content that appeals to younger audiences.

Delivering the Customer Journey Today’s B2B Buyer Desires

Today’s modern B2B buyer is typically always connected, and far more tech savvy. Adjusting your sales tactics to meet these changes is no longer an option; it is a requirement if you want to survive. By recognizing this new B2B landscape, prioritizing the buyer’s time, and educating through curated and media-rich content, you can deliver tangible value while achieving your own overall revenue objectives.

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