Wednesday Wisdom: The B2B Backchannel – Most Buyers Engage Non-Sellers Before Sellers (New!)

saraboostani

Hi all,

We have a new report to share with you today!

Its no mystery that the B2B buying journey is complex. Over the past few years of research, we’ve been fascinated by what buyers have taught us. And, with each new discovery, more questions tend to emerge.

One question we couldn’t ignore was this: Are buyers backchanneling—connecting with non-selling resources from vendors on their shortlist—before engaging sellers directly?

Here’s why we asked:

• 78% of purchases are in categories where the buyer already has a solution.
• 90% of buyers say they have experience with at least one vendor.
• Buyers shortlist 4 out of the 5 vendors they’ll evaluate on Day 1.
• And 86% of buyers had prior experience with the winning vendor.

In our most recent survey of buyers (600+), an astounding 77% of buyers reported having conversations with non-sales personnel, such as subject-matter experts or C-suite executives, from the vendor they ultimately purchased from. Meanwhile, 70.4% of buyers had these conversations with vendors they did not ultimately choose. Thus, most buyers (70% or more) connect with multiple vendors on their shortlist, if not all, before turning to sellers.

This paints a clear picture of experienced, resourceful professionals leveraging their networks and expertise before sellers even step into the conversation.

In our latest report, we unpack what this looks like for different buying group members, how it varies by industry and solution cost, and—most importantly—what you can do to meet buyers where they are.

https://6sense.com/science-of-b2b/the-b2b-backchannel-most-buyers-find-non-sellers-to-engage-with-before-talking-to-sellers/

@Kerry

Kerry

This is undiscovered country, as far as I"m aware. There's a secret channel our buyers have been using to gather intel, and it's right under our noses. That means it can be managed. 6sense sets up these 'backchannels' so that we can manage them.