57% of IT Buyers Prefer Email Pitches from Marketers

Marketers use a wide range of channels to reach out to buyers, but which methods resonate most with IT professionals?

Spiceworks recently conducted a survey among 500 IT buyers in the U.S. and U.K. to gauge which methods work best when attempting to reach out to industry professionals. According to the data, 57 percent of IT buyers prefer to be contacted via email. Approximately 36 percent claim that they prefer to seek out information only when they need it, and 19 percent stated that they like to connect at trade shows.

When it comes to replying to marketers, the majority (77 percent) said that they only do so when they are being presented with a relevant product/service. About 61 percent stated that they do when they receive detailed pricing information, and 55 percent do so when they get detailed product specs.

IT buyers are more willing to show loyalty to a brand when they receive great customer service (97 percent). This is followed by consistently fair pricing (96 percent), and a history of reliable products/services (96 percent).

A Closer Look at B2B Buyer Preferences

Previous research indicates that unlike IT buyers, B2B buyers are more focused on gaining a competitive advantage through the products/services sold by marketers.

The Aberdeen Group recently conducted the “What Do B2B Buyers Want?” report with PJA Advertising and Marketing, and found that most B2B buyers (42.3 percent) have been willing to pay premium for a product/solution in the past because it’s given them a competitive advantage.

When it comes to working with marketers and their companies, B2B buyers are interested in whether the business can support their company goals (77.1 percent) or sharpen their competitive differentiation (68.2 percent).