Introduction
The pandemic transformed the way millions of people lived, worked and communicated. In the B2B sales and marketing landscape, vendors had to find new ways to engage with their customers and employees.
Pushed into remote working, the industry hit the accelerator pedal on digital transformation.
But what role will people play in an increasingly digital buyer journey?
How can organisations gain competitive advantage in a world of similar digital offerings from B2B vendors?
To better understand how customers and sellers are reacting to pandemic induced changes, we brought together B2B sales and marketing leaders from across the industry to share their insights on how the buyer experience has changed, and what still needs to be done to help the industry thrive in a new era.
Our respondents offered insights into one of the biggest challenges of an increasingly remote sales model – building rapport. When so much communication now takes place in virtual meetings and video calls, it has never been more important to demonstrate empathy with customers. Our respondents said they had tried a variety of techniques and initiatives specifically to build rapport with customers who were no longer available or willing to meet face-to-face.
Gartner Group predicts that 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur in digital channels by 2025 (‘Future of Sales 2025: Why B2B Sales Needs a Digital-First Approach’). Our respondents agreed and many saw this as a positive move for customers. Increasingly, B2B buyers want to engage with technology suppliers online, through fast, simple online platforms such as websites, apps and multimedia content where they can research products and learn about new technology products and services. Many B2B suppliers put such content into place during the pandemic, and are now extending and formalising these offerings, allowing customers to access a range of virtual experiences, from roundtables and collaborative meetings to video brochures and demonstrations.
This digital buyer journey equips sellers with a powerful source of insight into buyer behaviour. From tracking what articles the potential customer shares on LinkedIn, to tracking video views and email open rates, our respondents shared a range of ways in which they track buyer activity and use this data to provide intelligent, personalised follow-up.
The vast majority of sales and marketing leaders told us that while engagement that kicks off in a digital format may be the future, speaking to people directly is still a compelling source of advantage in B2B. This is especially true when buyers are spending large amounts on complex platforms and systems. These customers value expert guidance and advice when comparing different vendors and understanding how they might fit into their existing infrastructure.
This Market View publication brings together insight from 13 executives at some of the UK’s most well-known B2B enterprises. If you’re just starting to make a shift towards a more digital buyer journey, or want to learn more about how to better engage with customers in a post-pandemic market, we hope the experiences and insights of our featured contributors will be helpful.
We have condensed their insights into three key takeaways that you can read at the back of this report.
