The B2B Buyer Journey Isn't What It Used To Be

"The B2B buyer journey has entered a new era, yet many vendors are still playing by the old rules. By the time B2B buyers start reaching out to sales representatives, 81% already have a preferred vendor, according to a survey by 6sense. Another study shows that 69% of B2B software buyers may not engage with a salesperson until they've made a purchasing decision. This iteration of the buyer journey is independent, nonlinear and challenging to measure. It's also a future that companies must prepare for."

"These are spaces where vendors often don't appear at all-either because they're not welcome or because they haven't figured out how to do so. Another complicating factor is that many of the channels constitute what marketers call dark social: channels where content is impossible to track, and companies have no way of knowing whether their name pops up in a conversation."

The B2B buyer journey has become independent, nonlinear, and difficult to measure. By the time buyers contact sales, a majority already favor a vendor and many may not engage sales at all until after deciding. Buyers rely heavily on peer networks, private communities, forums, Slack groups, and invite-only spaces for product evaluation and peer reviews. Vendors are frequently absent from these channels, and many interactions occur in dark social where tracking is impossible. Rising skepticism and a preference for rep-free buying, amplified by generative AI, are forcing companies to change approach and measurement strategies.

Read at Forbes