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B2B buyer process
Understanding the B2B buying process is crucial for companies looking to grow.
If you know the needs and problems a decision-maker will face at each stage of the buying process, you can optimize the marketing and sales tactics to better suit business buyers.
Adience has heaps of experience researching the B2B buying process. We’ll analyze every stage of your customers’ journey including:
Recognizing there is a problem or need
Evaluating and comparing available solutions
Defining the requirements for the product or service
Selecting the supplier
Justifying the decision
Why Adience?
Because you can’t get a strong grasp of B2B buying processes using weak information.
Lots of market research agencies aren’t B2B specialists and assume that they can conduct B2B buying process research the same way they do consumer studies. This one-size-fits all approach usually produces very inaccurate data.
In B2B, the buying decision often involves several people in a decision-making unit (DMU) with different roles. Buying process research must identify how to navigate the DMU and its power dynamics, then influence its key members.
We know that research panels rarely have the senior business decision-makers you need insights from to do this. So, we use better recruitment methods to find the right people.
Adience delivers answers you can trust to help you win the buying process. Because one size fits no one.
Want to discuss a B2B buying process project?
GET IN TOUCHWhat is B2B buying process research?
01
Customer journey maps
Measure your performance across the buying journey; understand what customers are thinking at each stage; find ‘make-or-break’ moments to prioritize.
02
Decision-making unit (DMU) maps
Understand DMU power dynamics; see who to target and what role they play; learn how to meet their needs.
03
04Drivers of supplier choice
Discover the hierarchy of purchase criteria by segment; understand the relative weight of each driver.
Channel optimization
Decide which channels to use and which unmet needs to target in messaging; assess and refine channel choice; analyze their impact.
05Win-loss analysis
Explore different purchase triggers; discover the best ways to influence decision-makers; learn when and why you won or lost past sales; discover areas for improvement.
Adience’s B2B buying process research process
B2B buying process research is our bread and butter. We will:
01
Map out the typical purchase process followed in your market
02
Create a map of the DMU, identifying each decision-maker
03
Find out how to influence key decision-makers
04
List decision-making process criteria and their hierarchy in the purchasing decision
05
Identify any key customer segments where the purchasing decision-making process deviates from the norm
06
Conduct a win-loss audit to understand where in the purchase process your prospective customers are won or lost up to the final decision
Why B2B buying process research matters
Buying process research helps your business:
01
See who to target
Gain a better understanding of your customers’ DMU.
Discover the key individuals you need to win over.
02
Understand buying criteria
Find out how customers choose between you and the competition.
Prioritize the purchase criteria that make a difference for buyers.
03
Influence clients’ purchases
Optimize your marcomms to cut through with buyers.
Get insights into which channels and messages work best.
04
Increase sales
Tailor your selling approach to better suit buyers.
Improve your win ratio with existing customers and acquire new ones.
We’re really good at helping B2B brands grow. An Adience B2B buying process research program has three guiding principles:
01
Explore all buyer states
Research must analyze all aspects of buying, including but not limited to:
- Passive buyer states where no purchase is made, but you can still prime decision-makers to prefer your brand
- Internal / external events or triggers preceding buyer journeys, where you must be visible
- Barriers to change that return buyers to the status quo and how you can challenge these
02
Assess channels and criteria
Research must identify key offline and digital channels that buyers use to inform themselves, plus what they’re looking for, so you can shape the agenda from the search engines onward.
It must also pinpoint: which criteria a DMU really assesses your products, services, or sales reps against, what best-in-class looks like, and how to differentiate from potential suppliers.
03
Hidden influences
People often don’t know exactly why they make a buying decision and can over-rationalize the reasons behind their actions. So, what buyers say matters often isn’t the whole truth.
Research must include techniques to probe into the hidden dynamics that even the buyers themselves may be unaware of.