key findings from 2015 b2b buyers survey

Buyers In Context: Key Findings From The 2015 B2B Buyer's Survey

#B2BBuyer

SPONSORED BY

#B2BBuyer

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#B2BBuyerDemand Gen Report: @DG_Report

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#B2BBuyer

Speakers

John DeringDirector of Marketing Programs Demandbase

Andrew GaffneyEditorDemand Gen Report

#B2BBuyer

Breaking Down the Buyer Journey & Behavior By Stage • Awareness• Pre- Hand Raise• Solution Selection Stage• Influencing The Decision Process• Dealing With B2B Complexities

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Industry experts/analysts

Peers/colleagues

Websearch

Early Stage - AwarenessWhat were the first three resources that informed you about the solution in question, in order of importance?

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Why were these sources most informative during your search?

“Websites don't seem to really answer what a buyer is looking for. They tend to be too high level and not dive down into the buyer’s pain.”

“I trust the recommendations of my peers and if the vendor website has enough educational material I can educate myself on the product/solution before I talk to the sales rep. And the sales rep in this particular case was not overly aggressive and took the time to listen to my needs and helped find the best solution to meet those needs.”

#B2BBuyer

Why were these sources most informative during your search?

“They help me sift through the process of the search and narrow the list of options. That way I can be more efficient on honing in on the best solution and finding out if it will support my initiatives.”

“Those sources gave us the best mix of ROI and technology information and case studies to help inform our decisions.”

“We had to collect options first, then learn about them, then get feedback from team of employees.”

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What was your timeline in taking the following steps in your research and buying process? (Conducted anonymous research on potential solutions)

1-3 Months

The Anonymous Shopper

Under 1 Month

3-6 Months

6-12 Months

Over 12 Months

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Consistency pays off in B2B AdvertisingAlways-on B2B advertisers see better results than discrete campaigns

29% increase in companies lifted 20% higher

CTR127% more website engagement

WEBSITE ACTIVITY BY COMPANY EXAMPLE DISCRETE CAMPAIGN

AVG. DROPOFF

-90% target account traffic

CAMPAIGN

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PRE HAND-RAISERank the importance of each of the following when you visit a vendor website to conduct research:

Search and navigation

tools

Thought leadership

content

Easy accessto content

Important No impact Unimportant

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PRE HAND-RAISERank the importance of each of the following when you visit a vendor website to conduct research:

Vendor-focused content

Easy accessto pricing and competitive information

Relevance of their website to

industry


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Pre-Hand Raise: Website Personalization

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ADOBE’S VERTICAL FOCUS WITH TARGETED CONTENT, ACROSS MULTIPLE CHANNELS

Targeted Content by Vertical

1

Chat when it matters2

200% Increase in conversions (white paper downloads)

Increase in visitor-to-lead conversion with Chat

300%

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How many people were involved in the purchase process for recent B2B solutions?

1-3

Continued Complexity

4-6 7-10 10+

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What about your B2B purchasing process, if anything, has changed in the past year?

“Our buying process is more collaborative. The organization is interested in getting a full 360-degree perspective.”

“There is more information and data available to review on websites, which means we are less dependent on sales reps.”

#B2BBuyer


“I don't think it is a change; more of a continued emphasis on the multi-stakeholder purchase. But, what is clear is that there needs to be a catalyst. That one person that will serve as the champion to get the purchase across the finish line.”

“It's easier to go back channel via Linked In to get peer inputs on products or agencies.”

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How has the number of team members usually involved in your B2B purchase process changed over the past year?

Continued Complexity

Increased Somewhat

Increased substantially

Decreased somewhat

Decreased substantially

Stayed the same

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“Our buying committee weighs in on all major purchases.”

“I identify a challenge internally and seek out solutions to resolve them. Often I ask colleagues if they know any solutions, then research them online to see if their value and feature sets would solve my challenges.”

#B2BBuyer


“The number of influencers has grown.”

“We look at how the purchase adds to revenue or reduces costs.”

“The collaboration via social media has magnified the relationship between companies.”

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How has the length of your B2B purchase cycle changed, on average, compared with a year ago?

Increased somewhat

Stretching The Sales Cycle

Stayed the same

Increased significantly

Decreased somewhat

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Did the winning vendor’s content have a significant impact on your buying decision?


Triggers in the Decision Stage

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How many times did the winning vendor contact you with the following types of communications? (Content/Thought Leadership)

The Contact Formula

2-3 4-6 1 7-10 10+

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How many times did the winning vendor contact you with the following types of communications? (Sales Calls)

The Contact Formula

2-3 4-6 1 7-10 10+

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Account-Based RetargetingMake Buying Signals Actionable

Product page18 pageviews 7 unique visitors

About page10 pageviews 4 unique visitors

Home page5 pageviews3 unique visitors

Whitepaper26 pageviews10 unique visitors

Pricing page28 pageviews 6 unique visitors

PROGRAMMATICALLY TRIGGER ADS BASED ON COMPANY ACTIVITY

RETARGETED ADS

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Account-Based Intelligence for Sales

How is website engagement trending?

What content are they most interested in?

Are there any anomalous patterns?

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Results of Addressing B2B Buyer Habits

Sales Team Close Rate ACV Funnel Velocity

Enterprise +285% +35% +2%

Mid Market +166% +40% -20%

Advertising +57% +31% +65%

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If you were on the fence about deciding between two vendors, what pushed you over the edge to select one over the other?

“Feeling that they understood my business needs and were an expert in the field.”

“Reputation in the industry and thought leadership.”

“If both vendors sell the same product I would definitely go with the one that looks more friendly and more willing to answer all my questions. For a great B2B buying experience, it is important to find a person in the other company that is going to be our point of contact if something goes wrong with the product.”

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Q & A // Panelists

John DeringDirector of Marketing Programs Demandbase

Andrew GaffneyEditorDemand Gen Report

Thanks for attending this webinar!View this presentation on-demand at: http://dg-r.co/b2b-buyer-2015