Back in 2015, Gartner’s Customer Challenger research unearthed valuable insight into deep complexities in modern B2B buying—and importantly how sellers, in our case IT vendors and partners, could more successfully drive engagement.
Key insights from Gartner’s research (2015)
- Complex B2B buying groups are comprised of 7-10 different roles.
- Buyers are likely to be 89% of the way through their purchase journey before they engage with sellers; the challenge for sellers is to break into this journey earlier to provide trusted guidance and differentiate themselves from competitors.
- Teaching prospective customers something new about their own business needs & challenges is the most statistically significant driver in winning high-quality deals.
So, 9 years on and what’s changed? The answer is a lot!
Foundry has released a study into the role and influence of technology decision makers and it very much builds on the earlier Gartner research—but it found that the tech buying process has become even more complex.
Key insights from Foundry’s (IDG) research (2024)
- The average tech buying group is now 28 with 15 IT and 13 Line of Business decision makers.
- The CEO is a key influencer in determining the business needs.
- 48% of tech buyers are open to a new vendor if their product is innovative and/or feature-rich.
- On average, APAC tech buyers consume 7 pieces of content in the early stages of their buying journey. This content must be concise, relevant, credible and appeal to people across both technical and business roles.
- Prospective buyers need the most information during the determination of technical requirements and evaluation of products and services—not having adequate content at these phases, could be a showstopper.
- Video, podcasts and events (virtual and live) are key mediums for sharing knowledge and 91% of tech buyers are interested in custom-tailored content with 50% looking for industry-specific content.
- Buyers are particularly interested in the business value of the technology, product reviews and case studies.
- Sharing knowledge (earlier Gartner research referred to this as ‘teaching’) is valued by 96% of tech buyers. Engagement could then be deepened by responding quickly to enquiries and having a known brand—however there’s a reasonable opportunity for emerging vendors if they show how they stand against their competition and provide detailed product information and proof of success in the industry of interest.
- The top internal barrier to purchase is a lack of skills.
- AI is a key focus, with many customers creating an AI-specific role.
Applying research insights to grow marketing success
This latest research reiterates the need for a well thought-through strategic roadmap so that technology vendors and their partners can be confident that their marketing investment is more likely to resonate with prospective customers across this increasingly complex buying landscape.
Here are some take-aways for technology sellers that bring together the key research insights into one proven approach:
- Work to deeply understand the context surrounding buyers; what macro themes that are likely to be driving their need. Are they internal (existing customers, operational transformation, outdated technology and processes etc.) or external (competition / disrupters, new markets, industry-specific changes, emerging technologies, ESG / sustainability needs, regulatory changes etc.) or a mix.
- Map the drivers and needs of the extensive roles across the IT and line of business decision-makers – including the CEO, and work to identify the most likely shared or common need across the group that has the potential to unite potentially disparate perspectives on the problem and/or solution.
- Articulate the unique attributes of your product or solution that help the audience to take control of their problem or opportunity at the same time as growing engagement with you.
- Plan to create knowledge-rich content to support different phases of the buying journey, with particular focus around the technical requirements and evaluation phases. Ensure content is concise, relevant, accurate / credible and delves into industry-specific insights where needed. Consider ways to utilise preferred mediums including video, podcasts and events.
- Consider how you can support tech buyers to progress through their own internal barrier of not having the skills they need in-house; this provides sellers with the valuable opportunity to become their trusted guide.
Together the Gartner and Foundry research provides highly valuable insights for technology sellers to incorporate into their marketing plans to enhance and optimise buyer experiences, which in turn is proven to lead to market differentiation, new customers and business growth.
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Rocket Science is a strategic marketing consultancy 100% focused on the technology sector with deep experience across the whole IT ecosystem including distributors, vendors, partner networks and independent solution providers. Typical projects include comprehensive go-to-market strategies (value proposition, narrative, content and channel plans), product mapping, content creation and executive support. Get in touch to see case studies or discuss your marketing needs melj@rocketscience.com.au
