The only constant in life B2B buying is change.
Ninety-four percent of B2B purchases are made amid organizational change, according to the 2021 Gartner B2B Buying Survey. The top organizational changes that contribute to a B2B buyer’s need to make a purchase include: digital transformation, a change in operations, and a response to new regulatory requirements.
A B2B buyer’s ability to successfully navigate those changes can make or break their ability to buy and implement a new solution. Fortunately, both marketing and sales teams can offer information, guidance and tools to help buyers confidently understand and manage the change(s) contributing to the purchase need.
A Gartner survey of 725 B2B buyers revealed four distinct enterprise customer profiles. These profiles have stark differences in how they manage change, as well as how they behave during the buying journey. We’re calling these four profiles “Gartner’s Enterprise Change Readiness Profiles”.
Which Profile(s) Represent Your Customers?
These four profiles span across industries, purchase categories and company sizes. Fence-Sitters are the most common profile, representing 39% of survey participants.
You might be able to instantly recognize which profile best aligns to the majority of your customer base. If you’re unsure, share this blog with some members of your sales team. They should be able help you find the right answer. Alternatively, your customer base might consist of a more even mix of two-to-four of these profiles. You might also see some themes across different product and/or customer segments.
Tailor Demand Generation To These Profiles
Each profile requires a different combination of digital content, guided selling tools and sales support to make high-quality purchases.
For example, Adventurers are organizations whose openness to risk and change exceeds their practical readiness to successfully execute change. For customers that fall into this profile, you should offer information and tools that prompt buyers to engage in productive reflection. Help them reexamine their own needs and goals to ensure these customers fully understand what is required to make their change successful. Provide prescriptive advice and practical support for completing the tasks associated with managing the change contributing to their purchase need.
To learn more about the characteristics of each of these profiles, as well as to collect guidance on how to best engage with each of these profiles, access this detailed report: Boost B2B Demand Generation Performance Using Gartner’s Enterprise Change Readiness Profiles (Gartner login required).
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