Business leaders dominate buying decisions

Business leaders cast a long shadow over the B2B buying process, according to new research published by B2B Markeitng and Base One.

This year’s Buyersphere Report reveals that business owners, chairmen, CEOs and MDs are the most influential and most involved job functions across the entire buying process.

The boss is the most likely to highlight the need for investment (cited in 21 per cent of cases), the most involved in researching potential solutions (19 per cent), most active when researching potential suppliers (18 per cent) and – unsurprisingly – the person most likely to be responsible for making the final decision (28 per cent).

Alex Aspinall, head of content at B2B Marketing, commented: “That business leaders have a significant role to play in the B2B buying cycle is not a surprise. However, the fact that their infuence isn’t limited to the beginning and ends of the process is perhaps more of a surprise.

“It means that the distinct emphasis marketers often place on ‘targeting the c-suite,’ as if it is some distinct process may be slightly misguided. Whether directly or indirectly, almost all B2B marketing is aimed at influencing the c-suite. It might pay for marketers putting messaging together to remember this.”

The annual Buyersphere Report throws the spotlight on B2B buyers; highlighting the straight-from-the-horse’s-mouth insight B2B marketers need in order to deliver customer-centric campaigns and messaging.

This year over 200 UK-based business buyers with budgetary sign-off for business purchases worth in excess of £20,000 were surveyed. The final report, with a detailed analysis written by Base One’s John Bottom, is available for download now.

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