3 of 5 B2B Buyers Prefer a Rep-Free Buying Experience: Gartner

What is the best way to reach B2B buyers? For many, it is one that involves little or no human interaction.

In a survey from Gartner, 61% of B2B buyers said that they prefer an overall rep-free buying experience. In fact, the survey of 632 B2B buyers found most buyers prefer to carry out independent research through digital channels.

Although many organizations have increased investment in outreach to reach hard-to-access buyers, 73% of B2B buyers recommend that they are actively avoiding suppliers who send irrelevant outreach.

Frustrations Explained

Robert Blaisdell, VP Analyst in the Gartner Sales Practice, said the survey reflect that attitudes of B2B buyers who feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the outreach they receive from sellers and the seller’s organization.

“Bad prospecting actively damages relationships with potential customers,” said Blaisdell in a statement. “[Chief sales officers] must rethink their outreach strategy to improve engagement and deliver the experience customers demand.”

The Role of Sellers

That does not mean that a personal touch is removed from the equation. While buyers generally prefer digital self-service, their preferences shift at specific points of engagement. Buyers favor online self-service tools over sellers when searching for general information and learning new things.

For buying tasks requiring contextual intelligence, such as determining whether a product or service fits their company’s needs, buyers seek seller input. When considering all stages together, buyers prefer to:

• Complete an average of 3.0 activities both online and with supplier reps;
• Complete an average of 2.3 activities with supplier reps; and
• Complete an average of 1.8 activities via digital self-service tools.

“Instead of offering generic information that buyers can find elsewhere, sellers should offer unique guidance, acting as a sounding board for buyers,” said Alice Walmesley, Director Analyst in the Gartner Sales Practice. “CSOs must encourage their sellers to create value by understanding what is most important for buyers at every stage of the buying process.”

Inconsistent Information

An important that organization need to address is information in conflict that arises during the sales process— 69% of B2B buyers report inconsistencies between details on the sales organization’s website and that provided by sellers.

“When sellers provide information that doesn’t match the organization’s messaging elsewhere, it can create mistrust, potentially putting the transaction at risk,” said Blaisdell. “CSOs today must ensure synchronized company information across platforms, aligning website content with sales messaging for consistent communication of their organization’s value proposition.”

Gartner clients can read more in “How to Align Sales Engagement Strategies With B2B Buyer Preferences.” Additional information can be found in the associated eBook.