The purchase of B2B marketing services is typically a three legged journey. Through providing online content of value, B2B companies become trusted, go-to resources that lead to the capture of information about the potential buyer. Savvy B2B purchasers appreciate buying from product and service providers that understand their specific preferences. Look for part three of this series: “Purchasing B2B Marketing Services – Late Stage Buying FAQs” in two weeks! B2B Marketing Purchasing Marketing Services Marketing (General Part Two of Three. MORE >>

Elmo Lewis developed the Purchase Funnel, the now familiar pathway customers travel from consideration to purchase. The Purchase Funnel. Action - The person puts desire into action and makes a purchase decision. While this purchase funnel has served marketers well over the years, a recent study conducted by Latitude found 87% of consumers now travel a less linear, more complex pathway to final purchase. The study identified six behavioral or mental states a buyer experiences when considering a purchase. And how would they find this information? MORE >>

The notion that perceived risks influences purchasing behavior has been around for quite some time.    As we have seen an increase in the complexity of the buying process, we are seeing a correlating increase in Buyer Perceived Risks (BPR)© associated with purchase decisions.  Improving buyer intelligence in Buyer Perceived Risks (BPR)© can lead to being informed on important decisions related to: Pre-Sales Content : Providing knowledge and information that instills confidence in choice and reducing perceived risks. Image by IceSabre via Flickr. MORE >>

« Sales Leads Are Too Valuable For Sales People Alone | Main | MarketingSherpa Data on the Best & Worst Lead Generation Offers for 2006 » How Podcasts Impact B2B Purchase Decisions A key aspect of lead generation is to engage people as early in their buying process as possible, because thats where you can make the biggest difference. They just announced the results of a joint research study on the emerging role of new media, particularly podcasts , on B2B technology purchase decisions. Simply put, engage early and often. Simply put, engage early and often. MORE >>

ZoomInfo: When trying to reach C-level buyers, there seems to be an increasing number of gatekeepers in the purchasing process, from “fans” to “champions.” ZoomInfo: Once sellers do get an opportunity with a C-level buyer, why do they tend to ‘show up and throw up’ and bombard the buyer with information about products and services? However, the greater motivation for big b-to-b purchases is ego. Behind every major purchase there’s a huge ego that’s driving the purchase through the organization. Q&A | Steve Martin. Martin: There are two strategies. MORE >>