Deep Diving into Understanding B2B Buyer Journey

The B2B buyer journey is a process where prospects go through three different stages beginning with the first Awareness stage where consumers identify they have a business need. Then their journey progresses to the second Consideration stage where they research solutions. During this stage, buyers gather information and evaluate options available to resolve their challenges. Then comes the third and final Decision stage where they identify, compare and shortlist and ultimately, make a final purchasing decision.

Today buyers are doing more research online and this appears to be getting shorter and more efficient. Therefore, marketers have to adjust their strategies to cope with these changing consumer practices. B2B buyer’s journeys are complex today, as we have witnessed drastic changes due to Covid-19 in the 2020 and 2021 marketplace.

Earlier sellers controlled all of the information and had all the experience and power in the buying process. Today, buyers are deciding what they want and how they want to connect with brands and be engaged in the process. They want to first want to experience the product and see how convenient and effective it is for them before buying it.

So, what exactly is the Buyer’s Journey?

Given below are the three-step process of a buyers’ journey that has remained the same as always.

#1 Awareness

At the Awareness Stage of the buyer’s journey, the buyer is still not sure of the company and if they really want to purchase the product. A good marketer will grab this opportunity and try to create the best impression of your brand, and its services, and how you can help them. Now the buyer begins their research journey as they turn to Google first to explore what options they have at their disposal.

Buyers first check out customer reviews, and testimonials as this content are readily available on every website. They now begin to understand whether the product meets their criteria or not and now they start narrowing their focus to a few competing brands.

So, make sure you have all the relevant promotional content like analyst reports, white papers, etc. as they will appear to be crucial at this stage. When customers have willingly filled out their contact information on the form you can now send subtle lead nurturing campaigns to build trust with your prospect and also establish your company as a dependable source of information.

#2 Consideration

Once buyers have narrowed down their choices they again return to Google at least 2-3 times and continue their research to know more about what more the company has to offer. During this time marketer can keep track of the buyers’ growing interest. Now the buyer will start comparing the product and at this stage, they will reach out to sales representatives to know more about the features of the product. Marketers can use this information to personalize their communication with their buyers.

Before making the final decision the buyer will have to seek approval from the C-level management. Now the buyer will focus their attention on the content to check if it has relevant information like ROI and pricing to justify their expenditure.

#3 Decision

When your buyer has the support of the senior management they are now ready to buy the product from the selected vendor. At this stage of your B2B buyer’s journey, they will think about costs, implementation, customer support, and what fits their needs and budget.

So, now ensure you have enough testimonials and case studies from your current customers to show your prospects how other customers have benefitted from your products and about their experience.

Now after buying the product the buyer will continue with their research to understand its best practices and user guides before they start using their new tool.

Marketers now should implement a drip nurturing marketing campaign to help the buyer understand the features and offer tips to effectively use the product.  If you take them through this, they are likely to remain your loyal customers and they can become a valuable marketing resource.

Customer reviews and testimonials with positive feedback about your company are a powerful resource and word-of-mouth marketing can be convincing. So, make sure your buyers are happy and satisfied as they come across as the best marketing investments companies can make.

Conclusion

In today’s volatile market B2B’s decision-making process is reshaping itself to fit our new reality. it is important for marketers and sales representatives to understand the buyer’s journey and how it will impact your sales processes. They can accordingly modify their sales and marketing strategies to meet the needs of today’s buyers. It is important for marketers to get effective insights to address these critical issues. If marketers take the effort to understand the buyer’s journey they can generate qualified leads and close profitable deals.

b2b buyers

Amy John is a marketing executive with over 12 years of experience in the execution of marketing and lead generation strategies.