Sales organizations in the technology space have gotten much better at formalizing, measuring, and sales and operations execution process. But buyers don’t think in terms of sales processes. They think about solving problems.
Although usually (hopefully) sales processes and buying processes are tightly aligned, they are not identical. Over the last several quarters, we have conducted “snapshot” surveys with over 700 executives who purchase technology solutions to better understand the buying process from the inside.
Win more business by helping buyers buy at each phase of the sales and execution process.
The overwhelming sentiment is that it is hard to buy. Each phase of the sales and operations execution process is fraught with challenges for buyers. Some are caused by off-target sales approaches. Others are born of the same complexities that frustrate sellers—layers of admin, unexpected delays, and internal politics. When asked to reflect on the biggest challenge from their most recent major IT purchase ($250,000 or greater), buyers noted significant challenges in each phase as well as the management of the process overall.
All B2B organizations have business issues—usually an infinite number of them. Therefore, a buying process doesn’t start when a problem is recognized. It starts when the organization decides that a particular problem is significant enough that it is worth investing resources in solving.
In this paper, we will provide clarity on the biggest challenges buyers face throughout the five major stages of the buying process and ways marketers and sellers might help their buyers overcome them—earning a significant edge over the competition.
Want More Buyer Insights?
Each quarter, we examine the IT buyer’s perspective and current trends to provide sellers and marketers with valuable insights to sell tech solutions:
