2019年B2B买家报告（英文）-Demand-201909_23页_5mb

2019 B2B Buyers Survey Report Summary

Core Content

The 2019 B2B Buyers Survey Report highlights the evolving dynamics of the B2B purchasing process, emphasizing the increasing importance of agility, early engagement, and relevant content in influencing buying decisions. The survey, conducted among over 250 senior-level B2B executives, reveals that buyers are more proactive in their research and are engaging with sales representatives earlier in the decision-making journey.

Main Findings

• 83% of B2B buyers often accelerate or put purchase decisions on hold based on changing business needs and priorities.
• 39% strongly agree that they accelerate or put purchase decisions on hold due to shifting priorities.
• The sales funnel is no longer linear, with buyers seeking more agility and transparency in the process.

Early Engagement with Sales Reps

• 42% of buyers spoke to and engaged with sales representatives from the selected vendor within the first month, up from 33% in 2018.
• 33% accepted outreach from vendors for calls and demos in the first month, compared to 23% in 2018.
• 25% sought RFP/competitive bids and pricing info from vendors in under a month, up from 20% in 2018.
• 32% brought team members into the research process in the first month, up from 25% in 2018.

Importance of Content and Resources

• 73% of buyers rely on more sources to research and evaluate purchases.
• 75% of buyers spend more time researching purchases, up from 72% in 2018.
• 79% of respondents said the winning vendor's content had a significant impact on their buying decision.

Content Sources

• Web search (57%) and vendor websites (48%) are the top two sources for research.
• Peers and colleagues (33%), prior experience with the vendor (32%), industry experts (28%), and review websites (27%) are also key resources used by buyers.

Vendor Website Expectations

• 97% consider it important that vendor websites have relevant content.
• 96% value industry-specific expertise on vendor websites.
• 97% prioritize easy access to content (i.e., no gates or minimal gates).

ROI Analysis and Vendor Knowledge

• 74% conduct a more detailed ROI analysis before final decisions.
• 95% said it was important that the sales team had insights about their company and needs, with 55% considering this very important.
• 66% of buyers consider the sales rep's knowledge of their needs to be very important.

Stakeholder Involvement

• 56% of companies have four or more people involved in the purchase decision, with 21% having seven or more stakeholders.
• 65% of respondents consider themselves Primary Decision Makers.
• 23% are Technical Buying Influencers.
• 34% are Internal Influencers or Champions.
• 12% are Researchers.
• 11% are End Users.

Role of Advertising and Brand Presence

• 68% of buyers notice ads from the solution provider they selected.
• 37% of those who noticed the ads said they positively impacted their view of the brand.
• 27% said the ads did not change their perception.
• 5% were not sure if they noticed the ads.

Key Influencers in Purchase Decisions

• Features/functionality (82%), deployment time (77%), pricing (76%), reviews (63%), and vendor knowledge of the industry (65%) are the most important factors.
• Sales team's knowledge of the buyer's company (56%) also plays a key role.

Conclusion

The report concludes that B2B buying committees are becoming more complex, with a growing number of stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. To meet the changing expectations of buyers, vendors must be agile, provide relevant content early, and ensure their sales teams are well-informed and responsive. The early engagement with sales reps and the use of digital resources are now central to the buying journey, requiring a more integrated and strategic approach from solution providers.

Methodology

• The survey included responses from over 250 B2B marketing, sales, and IT executives.
• Respondents were primarily involved in software/technology purchases (54%), with smaller percentages in IT hardware (19%), business/consulting services (9%), promotional/advertising/media (6%), and parts and/or materials (5%).
• Respondents held various roles, including C-level (20%), VP-level (10%), Director (33%), and Managerial-level (30%).

Additional Notes

• Buyers are more transparent in their early research stages, moving away from anonymity.
• Peer recommendations and review websites are increasingly influential.
• Industry analysts and reviews are also playing a larger role in the decision-making process.
• Buyers expect clear and concise communication from vendors, as well as a deep understanding of their unique needs.

Key Takeaways

• Early engagement with sales reps is becoming the norm.
• Vendor websites and advertising are critical touchpoints in the buying journey.
• Buyers are conducting more in-depth ROI analysis, relying on multiple sources for information.
• Sales rep knowledge is a major differentiator.
• Buying committees are expanding, with more stakeholders involved in the process.