Demand-2019年B2B买家报告（英文）-2019.9-23页_5mb

2019 B2B Buyers Survey Report Summary

Core Content

The 2019 B2B Buyers Survey Report highlights the evolving nature of B2B purchasing behavior, emphasizing the need for agility, relevance, and early engagement in the buying process. It outlines the changing expectations of buyers, the increasing importance of content and resources, and the role of sales representatives and peer input in decision-making.

Main Findings

1. Agility in Purchase Decisions

• 83% of B2B buyers often accelerate or put purchase decisions on hold based on changing business needs and priorities.
• 39% strongly agree with this statement.
• This shift indicates that the buying journey is no longer a linear funnel but a dynamic process requiring flexibility from vendors.

2. 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 within the first month (up from 23% in 2018).
• 25% sought RFP, competitive bids, and pricing information from vendors within the first month (up from 20% in 2018).
• 70% of buyers engaged with sales reps within the first three months.

3. Role of Peer Input and Review Sites

• 61% of buyers rely more on peer recommendations and review sites.
• 35% sought input from peers and existing users within the first month.
• 37% sought input from peers between one and three months.

4. Importance of Content and Resources

• 73% of buyers rely on more sources to research and evaluate purchases.
• 75% spend more time researching purchases compared to 2018.
• 79% said the winning vendor's content had a significant impact on their decision.
• Web search (57%) and vendor websites (48%) are the top two sources of information for buyers.

5. Vendor Website Expectations

• 97% consider relevant content directly addressing their company’s needs as important.
• 68% consider industry-specific expertise and knowledge as very important.
• 97% value easy access to content on vendor websites, with 56% considering it very important.

6. Sales Rep Knowledge and Relevance

• 97% of buyers consider it important that sales reps demonstrate a stronger knowledge of their needs.
• 66% consider this very important.
• 95% said it was important that sales teams have insights about their company and needs, with 55% considering it very important.

7. Buying Committee Trends

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

8. Pain Points and Decision Factors

• 82% said features/functionality of the solution were very important.
• 77% considered deployment time very important.
• 72% valued the ability to solve pain points.
• 76% still consider pricing as a key factor.
• 63% found reviews important.
• 65% considered vendor knowledge of the industry very important.
• 56% found the sales team's ability to demonstrate knowledge of the buyer's company important.

9. Ad Influence on Perception

• 68% of buyers noticed ads from the solution provider they chose during the research process.
• 37% of them said those ads positively impacted their view of the company.
• 27% said the ads did not change their perception.
• 5% were unsure if they saw the ads.

Key Takeaways

• Early engagement with sales representatives is becoming more common and expected.
• Content quality and relevance are crucial for influencing early-stage decisions.
• Peer input and review sites are increasingly relied upon as decision-making tools.
• Buying committees are expanding, with more stakeholders involved in the decision process.
• ROI analysis is more detailed, requiring vendors to provide consistent and reliable resources.
• Sales rep knowledge remains a key differentiator in the purchase decision.
• Advertising and websites continue to play a significant role in the initial stages of the buying journey.

Conclusion

The report underscores the need for B2B vendors to be agile, responsive, and equipped with the right content and insights to support buyers throughout the decision-making process. Early engagement, peer influence, and a strong online presence are now critical components of the modern B2B buying journey.