B2B Buyers’ Behavior May Influence Marketers’ Initiative to Drive Sales

Although B2B marketers are constantly reaching out to buyers, new research shows that it may be the behavior of their target audience that keeps them from ultimately closing deals.

A new study published by Aberdeen titled “Why Do B2B Buyers Struggle?” took a closer look at why B2B marketers fail to drive sales, despite utilizing effective marketing tactics. As it turns out, the behavior of B2B customers may be to blame, as indicated by the new research.

About 50 percent of B2B buyers say that they have an incomplete, unclear, or poorly defined criteria when they are involved in a purchase. Furthermore, 53 percent claim that they postpone decisions on at least half of purchases.

As it turns out, B2B marketers can potentially help with these pain points. About 72 percent of B2B buyers claim that they reach out to vendors early in the process, meaning that being receptive can potentially help. Approximately 38 percent said that they are willing to speak to a vendor earlier than usual in the consideration period if they provide them with objective information to help them frame a decision.

The Emotional Factor During the Buying Process

Taking B2B buyers’ emotions into consideration may help during the purchasing process, according to previous research.

Ipsos published the “GBI USA Launch Presentation” to measure some of the factors that B2B buyers weigh during the customer journey. Global Business Influencers (GBIs) make up less than 1 percent of the population, but they are significant to B2B marketers. Research showed that 74 percent of GBIs score highly on willingness to embrace emotion in their lives, and 16 percent “strongly agree” that they rely on gut feelings to make work decisions.

Most GBIs (42 percent) “somewhat agree” that they rely on gut feelings to make work decisions, and this could apply to buying decisions as well.