Harry Webster

During the last year, it has been well documented that businesses will turn to technology to fast-track their post-COVID recovery. No matter who your analyst of choice is, they are all banging the same drum: ‘the next normal will be digital.’ 

And yet, despite technology being the much-heralded saviour for B2B businesses, it appears technology vendors are underdelivering when it comes to meeting their buyer’s expectations. According to Gartner’s research, 74% of B2B tech buyers found the buying process complex with only 27% claiming they achieved a high-quality deal at the end.  

One of the reasons for this shortfall, Gartner claims, is down to the fact that B2B businesses don’t do enough to understand their buyers, who the specific personas are, and what motivates them to buy. Instead, they adopt a one-size-fits-all go-to-market strategy that doesn’t satisfy the specific needs of each individual within the buying group.  

For example, Gartner has identified four types of buyer behaviours that each have their own set of specific characteristics when it comes to making a purchasing decision:  

  • The Cooperatives, represent 43% of buyers. When exploring a new product or service, Cooperatives evenly use all information types to learn more about it, including thought leadership, the products or service’s features, and product reviews. 
  • Strict Planners prefer proven technology that aligns with their strategic vision. Fifty-five percent of Strict Planners said they rely primarily on information about the products or service’s features when exploring a new purchase.  
  • Catalysts, accept the risk and costs of innovative technology and look to implement quickly but want assurances and validation of results through third-party endorsement and testimonials.  
  • Business-Led buyers, who represent 21% of those surveyed, are focused on ensuring the technology will drive business value. 80% of Business-Led buyers look to understand a provider’s products and services by self-driven search rather than interactions. 

Gartner’s example highlights the different personalities that motivate each buyer when they make a purchasing decision and emphasises the importance of businesses making sure they understand each of the different persona’s they are targeting.  

Understanding buyer personas is also extremely important when it comes to developing an effective PR strategy. At Champion for instance, all too often businesses dictate to us the faux news hooks they want us to get placed, and the publications they want to be in. Our response is often to advise they take a step back.  

To develop an effective and prospect-centric PR strategy, we see it as imperative that a few questions are asked of the sales team first: What vertical sectors are you prioritising? Which job titles are you targeting? What are their priorities and what are their challenges? What channels do they use to find information?  

By mapping all of this out, we can begin to get under the skin of our client’s buyers and develop an effective strategy that places prospect-centric content in the most relevant publications for the most impact on business growth. 

If you’d like to get in touch to find out more about how we can help you understand your prospects, get in touch at: letstalk@championcomms.com