In every generation there seems to be a shift in buyers and how they are able to gather and analyze information. In today’s world, technology is a major driver in the making of the sophisticated buyer.
Here are some statistics that should make you stand up and take notice:
- Nearly 70% of the B2B buying process is now done online. The internet has made the permeation of information a reality that one can no longer ignore (from the CEB).
- Nearly half of every phase in the sales cycle for IT decision makers is now influenced by social channels (Forrester).
- 65% of buyers will choose the vendor that is first to add value and help (Forrester).
So, that said, do you understand today’s buyer?
Connected
Today’s buyer is completely connected. Information gathering and retrieval are ubiquitous in everything they do. Need information about the latest tablet device? There are whitepapers for that. Finding it hard to decide what financial leasing solution to choose? There are detailed reviews for this. Wondering about the track record of a certain vendor? Their customers are online and are happy to give you their unbiased opinions on the good, bad and ugly of top vendors.
Informed
Being connected all the time and having access to information makes today’s buyer very informed. The reality is that sales professionals are no longer the sole providers of information. For B2B sales professionals who sell in traditional ways, this is a huge challenge. For Social Sellers, this is a massive opportunity.
If you are able to assist your prospects by adding value in their journey online, you have a greater chance of being engaged as the vendor of choice.
Impatient
I don’t mean this in a bad way, but most buyers today are impatient. By being connected and informed, they’ve got access to so much information and are able to distil it fairly quickly. If you as a sales professional, or as a vendor, are not there with the right tools and guides that assist them, you’ve pretty much lost the opportunity.
I can’t tell you how many times potential buyers come into our pipeline being fully informed. This is a good thing. We’ve made it easier for these buyers to find the necessary information about us and added value with literature, guides, webinars, videos, etc. It’s very much a “learn at your own pace” type of model that we’ve adopted.
The result is that buyers come fully armed with the knowledge necessary to talk to us about value. The calls are not about “why should I work with you?” That decision has already been made. In fact, they’ve likely already talked to a few of our clients as reference checks.
The Bottom Line
Since today’s buyer is connected, informed and impatient, you must become a Social Seller. You and your company can take advantage of this new reality of a new, modern and sophisticated buyer.
If you’d like to learn more, feel free to contact me (click on my below schedule link) for a confidential conversation where you can learn how to start. You can also learn more by downloading our 10 Steps to Building a Social Selling Machine.
