-
Metric Monday: Are BDR Teams Still Growing?
Last year, nearly 80% of BDRs said their organizations were either hiring or maintaining headcount. I’m interested to see how that number has changed — if at all — over the past year, especially given Gallup’s latest global polling showing the economy remains the top concern worldwide. How many organizations have had to…
-
Metric Monday: BDR AI Adoption
Hey all, In 2024, just over half of BDRs (53%) reported using AI tools in their jobs. That number rose to 62% in 2025—and I’m very curious how it looks this year. We’re currently collecting responses for our annual State of the BDR study and would love to hear from you if you’re a current BDR/SDR. As a thank-you, you’ll…
-
BDRs/SDRs - share your experience + $10 UberEats on us!
Hey BDRs! It’s that time of year again — our annual State of the BDR study is open. Each year, hundreds of BDRs take part to help build an industry benchmark on how the role is evolving, especially as things change with AI and market conditions. If you are actively prospecting and qualifying prospects, we’d love to hear…
-
Wednesday Wisdom: Research on Top Drivers of Final Vendor Choice in B2B
Happy Wednesday, all! Brand familiarity seems to be the baseline requirement for most spots on B2B shortlists, but things like solution features, ease of implementation, and price also move the needle when it comes to the final pick. This deep dive report examines the drivers behind the final “yes” — how buying teams come…
-
Metric Monday: How Many Formal Evaluations Has the Average Buyer Completed?
Happy 2026, y'all! I'm looking forward to the year ahead and all the research we will discuss here in Research Road 🙂 New year, new buying group? Not really. Our Buyer Experience research shows buyers bring extensive experience to the table. The average B2B buyer has been through eight to nine formal purchase journeys in…
-
Metric Monday: Vendor Interactions Remain Steady Despite LLM Adoption
Happy Metric Monday! In our buyer research this year, nearly every buyer (94%) reported using an LLM at some point during their buying journey, with usage peaking in the middle. At the same time, the number of interactions buyers had with vendors—both human and digital—did not change compared to prior years. Statistically,…
-
Wednesday Wisdom: B2B Buying Under Economic Pressure in 2025 (Deep Dive Report)
Persistent macroeconomic uncertainty has found many in a defensive crouch this year -- slowing hiring, tightening budgets, and raising the bar for new investments. The undercurrent was strong enough to merit inclusion in this year’s B2B Buyer Experience research -- and it's had a measurable impact. Contrary to what we…
-
Wednesday Wisdom: “AI Inside” Is Catalyzing an Earlier Point of First Contact (POFC)
For years, buyers waited until 70% of the buying journey to engage sellers. It was so consistent that we dubbed this moment the Point of First Contact Constant. The name was justified; it held true across product categories, price points, and nearly everything in between. This year, however, to our surprise that point…
-
Metric Monday: Longer Validation Phase, More Time to Influence??
Hey all, Happy Monday! Our head of research @Kerry wrote about a really important distinction re: one of the findings in this year's buyer experience research. This year, we found that the Selection Phase (the part of the buying journey where buyers form their shortlist, set their preferences, and identify the vendor…
-
Metric Monday: Just How Experienced Are Your Buyers?
Hi all! Across our years of research on B2B buying, we’ve seen time and again that buyers move well into their journeys and, in 8 out of 10 cases, decide who they’ll buy from before ever speaking to sales. In our first year of studying this, we deduced that this independence is possible for two main reasons. First, much of…
-
Wednesday Wisdom: B2B Buyers Are Even Less of a Blank Slate Than We Thought
Hi all, If you’ve been following along in #ResearchRoad, you’ll know we just released our third year of B2B Buyer Experience Research. We surveyed more recent B2B buyers than ever, asked more questions than ever, and uncovered more findings than we’ve even finished writing about. That said, there’s already a lot to dig…
-
Metric Monday: A Look at B2B Buying by Region
Shall we call this one Metrics Monday? There are so many findings from this year’s research we could talk about endlessly, but a good place to start is another thank-you to the sponsors behind this year’s Buyer Experience Research. We thank our sponsors — 2X, MarketOne, LeadFabric, and Green Hat — for helping shape the…
-
Counting down to this year’s Buyer Experience Research - what do winning vendors have in common?
What do winning vendors almost always have? Prior experience with the buyer. And it goes deeper than brand familiarity. Our third annual Global Buyer Experience Study, based on the experiences of 4,000+ B2B buyers, lays bare just how much past relationships shape vendor selection. The full report comes out next week on…
-
Counting down to this year’s Buyer Experience research - most wins trace back to Day 1
Yes, we're counting down! We’re just two and a bit weeks away from sharing our third year of Buyer Experience research — and this year’s findings add even more dimension to what happens before sellers get involved. In fact, most B2B wins trace back to Day 1 🙊 (let’s be real — even before Day 1). Much of the shortlist is…
-
Wednesday Wisdom: Becoming Connoisseurs of the B2B Signal Gradient (an article)
Kerry never fails to give a good analogy! In his latest article, our head of research @Kerry compares B2B marketing to single-celled organisms. Amoebas sense and respond to their environment — moving toward nutrients, away from toxins, and adjusting constantly. Most marketing teams, by contrast, have operated in “transmit…
-
Metric Monday: Who Replies Most? Email Response Rates by Seniority
Hey all—we recently got our hands on data from ~625,000 emails sent in the first half of 2025. Lots of interesting findings we’re excited to share. If you want an answer, looks like managers are your best bet! @Kerry
-
Metric Monday: Buyers Say They’re Open to Switching—But Are They Really?
Hey all, In early readouts of data we’re collecting now, it appears buyers seem open to considering other vendors after group consensus has been established on a preferred winner. However, the data also tells us (and has for years) that, in actuality, most often (over 80%) they do not. It's fascinating, and it brings me…
-
Wednesday Wisdom: The State of BDR Teams in 2025
Hi all, I wanted to reshare this great post from @Saima recapping our latest BDR research. There’s been plenty of debate about what AI might replace — but this year’s BDR data shows the function remains a vital driver of pipeline and revenue. AI isn’t replacing BDRs (at least not yet); instead, it seems the most effective…
-
Metric Monday: Buying AI or Just Buying with AI?
Hi all, We know that many buyers are using AI as a tool during their buying journey (more on that soon 😉), but what about the solutions they’re actually buying—how often do those come with AI embedded or carry an expectation of AI capabilities? In a study we conducted earlier this year, about half of organizations said…
-
Wednesday Wisdom: Software, Services, or Physical Goods - Do You Measure Marketing Like Your Peers?
Hey all, Last week I shared our Marketing Measurement Benchmark based on the cost of the solution you’re selling. We also have that benchmark by the type of solution you sell - software, services (business, financial, etc.), or physical goods. Across all groups, what reaches the boardroom skews heavily toward MQAs and…