Metric Monday: Buyers Don’t Start Their Journey “From Scratch"

saraboostani

Hi all,

In last week's Metric Monday post, we shared that buyers start their journey with 3.5 of the 4.5 vendors they’ll evaluate already on their shortlist. Buyers also report having previous experience with 3.2 of those vendors. Nearly 90% of buyers, across all roles on the buying team (see chart below), have prior experience with at least one vendor they’re considering.

Buyers knowing the field isn’t the exception—it reflects today’s reality. The buying journey isn’t about learning the basics of a category, brand, or solution anymore.

If you’re in a brand-new category, buyers will need to get up to speed. But for most of us, that’s not the case. Buyers likely already know your company and your competitors.

So, is your content strategy built for this reality? Or are you still creating messaging for a world where buyers start their journey "from scratch"?

@Kerry

Kerry

These numbers may seem odd until you realize that people in the financial ratifier, ultimate decision maker and even purchasing roles are likely experienced business people who've been through a lot of purchasing cycles across numerous companies. They have a good sense what's out there across a lot of categories.