How is the modern B2B buyer revolutionizing the sales profession?
Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2025 10:23 am
The Impact of the Modern Buyer on the Sales Profession in Podcast
Do you prefer listening to reading?
This is the latest issue of our Podcast in which we discuss changes in B2B buyer behavior and expectations .
In this Podcast, we also discuss the impact of these changes on the sales profession and some tips for modernizing your sales prospecting strategy .
Statistics that send shivers down the salesperson's spine
▸ The B2B buyer carries out between 65 and 90% of his purchasing considerations alone
This is the major consequence of the Internet and social networks.
The buyer has at his disposal all the information he needs to conduct his purchasing considerations alone, morocco email list at his own pace. You must adapt by exploiting new strategies and tools such as Inbound Marketing or Marketing Automation .
As a result, the buyer no longer agrees to contact a salesperson before having a more or less precise idea of the solution he needs .
▸ 59% of B2B buyers prefer to do without contact with a salesperson
If you are a salesperson or manage salespeople, you have inevitably noticed that B2B decision-makers are increasingly difficult to reach .
This trend will naturally not improve since with new services linked to artificial intelligence, the famous chatbots and other new technologies, B2B decision-makers will be increasingly autonomous.
▸ 90% of B2B decision-makers never respond to a sales prospecting call
This is the final blow. This statistic alone explains why salespeople are finding it increasingly difficult to connect with new prospects.
It also underlines the importance of modernizing your B2B sales prospecting strategy.
Traditional prospecting levers are outdated
In the 90s and early 2000s, cold calling, door-to-door sales and trade shows were extremely effective as they were the only source of information for the B2B buyer.
Now, the buyer can find out about their problem on their own, identify and compare the solutions available to them, by going on the Internet.
The buyer no longer expects you to sell him your offers , he knows at least as much as you do about them and perhaps even more than you do about your market.
The buyer demands to conduct his purchasing considerations at his own pace. He expects you to make his task easier, to guide him in his purchasing considerations .
To do this, as you will have understood, you must do everything possible on the Internet to attract the attention of B2B decision-makers and provide them with the answers to the questions they are asking.
This is how you will bring your prospects to maturity and then they will agree to exchange with you in person.
To attract the modern buyer, you have to attract them to the Internet
The B2B purchasing journey is a 3-step journey:
Buyer journey: the length of the sales cycle - Inbound Marketing
First, the modern buyer realizes that he is facing a problem and seeks to understand whether he must resolve it or whether he can deal with it.
Then, he validated the fact that it was essential to solve his problem and looked for relevant solutions. This is the Consideration phase.
To conclude, he compared all the solutions at his disposal and selected the one that seemed most relevant to him. He sought to validate that his choice was the best.
It is only in this Decision phase that the B2B buyer agrees to contact a salesperson .
Your customers do not ask themselves the same questions and do not have the same expectations depending on whether they are in the Awareness, Consideration or Decision phase.
To attract the modern online buyer, rather than contacting them by phone and being turned away, you need to create content on your website that answers each of their questions .
In this way, you allow him to think about his purchase at his own pace, you bring him to maturity and you can contact him at the best time.
Marketing Generates Leads, Sales Converts
The modern B2B buyer imposes it on you: Marketing must ultimately generate leads and feed their thinking on the Internet, while sales must focus on converting the most qualified and mature leads.
The salesperson thus saves valuable time that he can invest in personalizing and contextualizing his customer approach .
The salesperson does not sell, he takes the time to help his prospects and show them that he is the best person to help them achieve their goals.
Want to Attract the Modern Buyer and Win More Customers? Discover Inbound Marketing by Downloading Our Free Guide:
Do you prefer listening to reading?
This is the latest issue of our Podcast in which we discuss changes in B2B buyer behavior and expectations .
In this Podcast, we also discuss the impact of these changes on the sales profession and some tips for modernizing your sales prospecting strategy .
Statistics that send shivers down the salesperson's spine
▸ The B2B buyer carries out between 65 and 90% of his purchasing considerations alone
This is the major consequence of the Internet and social networks.
The buyer has at his disposal all the information he needs to conduct his purchasing considerations alone, morocco email list at his own pace. You must adapt by exploiting new strategies and tools such as Inbound Marketing or Marketing Automation .
As a result, the buyer no longer agrees to contact a salesperson before having a more or less precise idea of the solution he needs .
▸ 59% of B2B buyers prefer to do without contact with a salesperson
If you are a salesperson or manage salespeople, you have inevitably noticed that B2B decision-makers are increasingly difficult to reach .
This trend will naturally not improve since with new services linked to artificial intelligence, the famous chatbots and other new technologies, B2B decision-makers will be increasingly autonomous.
▸ 90% of B2B decision-makers never respond to a sales prospecting call
This is the final blow. This statistic alone explains why salespeople are finding it increasingly difficult to connect with new prospects.
It also underlines the importance of modernizing your B2B sales prospecting strategy.
Traditional prospecting levers are outdated
In the 90s and early 2000s, cold calling, door-to-door sales and trade shows were extremely effective as they were the only source of information for the B2B buyer.
Now, the buyer can find out about their problem on their own, identify and compare the solutions available to them, by going on the Internet.
The buyer no longer expects you to sell him your offers , he knows at least as much as you do about them and perhaps even more than you do about your market.
The buyer demands to conduct his purchasing considerations at his own pace. He expects you to make his task easier, to guide him in his purchasing considerations .
To do this, as you will have understood, you must do everything possible on the Internet to attract the attention of B2B decision-makers and provide them with the answers to the questions they are asking.
This is how you will bring your prospects to maturity and then they will agree to exchange with you in person.
To attract the modern buyer, you have to attract them to the Internet
The B2B purchasing journey is a 3-step journey:
Buyer journey: the length of the sales cycle - Inbound Marketing
First, the modern buyer realizes that he is facing a problem and seeks to understand whether he must resolve it or whether he can deal with it.
Then, he validated the fact that it was essential to solve his problem and looked for relevant solutions. This is the Consideration phase.
To conclude, he compared all the solutions at his disposal and selected the one that seemed most relevant to him. He sought to validate that his choice was the best.
It is only in this Decision phase that the B2B buyer agrees to contact a salesperson .
Your customers do not ask themselves the same questions and do not have the same expectations depending on whether they are in the Awareness, Consideration or Decision phase.
To attract the modern online buyer, rather than contacting them by phone and being turned away, you need to create content on your website that answers each of their questions .
In this way, you allow him to think about his purchase at his own pace, you bring him to maturity and you can contact him at the best time.
Marketing Generates Leads, Sales Converts
The modern B2B buyer imposes it on you: Marketing must ultimately generate leads and feed their thinking on the Internet, while sales must focus on converting the most qualified and mature leads.
The salesperson thus saves valuable time that he can invest in personalizing and contextualizing his customer approach .
The salesperson does not sell, he takes the time to help his prospects and show them that he is the best person to help them achieve their goals.
Want to Attract the Modern Buyer and Win More Customers? Discover Inbound Marketing by Downloading Our Free Guide: