Industrial purchasing process: How has it evolved?
We present 4 aspects that you should consider in your marketing and sales strategy regarding the industrial purchasing process.
One of the first actions we take when we start a new collaboration with a client is to present how the purchasing experience has been transformed in B2B environments. Decision-making has evolved and increasingly, one alternative or another is chosen in a collegial manner.
The B2B customer is increasingly demanding, which algeria whatsapp number data 5 million forces current sales and marketing departments to adapt to a customer journey that is constantly changing. There are more points of contact and new ways of consuming content. Some of the key points that we cover in the initial training sessions are the following:
1. The number of people involved in the industrial purchasing process is increasing:
Decision making , especially in complex or high-value acquisitions, is no longer the responsibility of a single person. It is common to establish formal or informal purchasing groups made up of several people who evaluate their needs, the alternatives available on the market and influence the final decision. But not only is it increasingly common to involve more people in decision making, but these groups involve a greater number of people.
A fact: In companies with between 100 and 500 employees, it is estimated that between 7 and 15 people are involved in any purchasing decision (Gartner – Others, 2022).
2. The pandemic has brought with it new purchasing habits and middle managers are practically digital natives.
Over the past five years, the amount of time a buyer spends researching, comparing alternatives and sharing opinions within a company before contacting a sales department has increased.
Fact: 45% of B2B technology buyers are between 25 and 34 years old (TrustRadius, 2021).
3. The hyper-personalized shopping experience so common in B2C environments has moved to the industrial sphere.
The same people who buy consumer products are the ones who influence professional purchasing decisions, so they increasingly demand a similar shopping experience. In this sense, the B2B buyer expects an increasing level of personalization and relevance.
Fact: 72% of buyers expect a supplier offer tailored to their needs, and 67% have changed suppliers looking for a purchasing experience more similar to that of the end consumer (Salesforce, 2018).
In addition, we are subject to countless commercial impacts of all kinds in which both channels are mixed. The attention economy has been greatly altered, so B2B companies not only compete with each other for views of their messages and content, but also with B2C brands.
Another fact: Most consumers in the Western world are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements a day (Simpson, 2017).
4. Maintaining consistent messaging across all channels is key.
Therefore, it is not only about using multiple communication channels with our target customer but also about demonstrating the consistency of our messages and content in each of them. Thus, a face-to-face work meeting with a supplier can be combined with the downloading of brochures, catalogues or tutorials that reinforce the sales team's commercial arguments. B2B marketing has become a point of reference within the company to reinforce the expectations generated in the pre-sale.
Evolution of the industrial purchasing process
These 4 keys to the industrial purchasing process force us to rethink the sales funnel and get to know in depth who is who in the decision-making process, the way they interact with the content we provide and the channels they spend time on. Would you like to attend some of the training sessions we organize for B2B companies? Request a consultation with our team.
