In recent times, buyers have had the upper hand in purchase decisions, and experts ask brands to refocus their strategies to support customer enablement
Historically speaking, with limited product information and education, B2B buyers depended on sales and marketing teams to help them make decisions. Today, with technology, digital trends, and a worldwide web, buyers are optimally informed. They have the flexibility to plan their own purchase journey.
Yet, enterprises invest their time and resources in strengthening their sales and marketing system. They build pre-determined marketing strategies but to what end? Enterprises need to accept the fact that buyers have major control and not the company.
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Buyer enablement supports the completion of activities that help in making a purchase, states Gartner. Experts estimate that 70 percent of buyers have already made decisions before being approached by the marketing and sales team. It is about time that brands shift their focus on buyer enablement and merely guide their buyers along their personalized journeys.
Experts reckon that the shift to buyer enablement might be due to the changing demographic of buyers. Industry leaders believe that millennials, who are found to prefer digitization, will dominate the buying decisions within organizations in a few years. With their growing demands and affirmative choices, companies cannot expect to push them through the sales and marketing funnel.
According to Gartner, buyers spend only 17 percent of their time with vendors. Having said that, holistic buyer enablement is the next big turning point in the market. Nonetheless, the sales and marketing system will still be relevant. They must only divert their strategic approaches to buyer enablement and CEM for a better ROI and optimal business growth.
Recommending solutions for a better transition, experts suggest C suite executives first adjust their thought process, refocus their content and the company’s vision. After careful consideration of experimental models, ROIs, and the required tools of relevant media outlets, companies can demonstrate a strong buyer enablement strategy.
Owing to the pandemic, brands are already on a digital journey that focuses on e-commerce buying options. Technology has deep-rooted itself in companies worldwide and third-party cookies are being exiled. With better data structures and new AI applications, organizations can ease into buyer enablement.
For a smooth CX harnessed by buyer enablement, content is also crucial. Gartner indicates that the content must provide confidence, align to the customer’s needs, be shareable, and lead back to the unique differentiators.
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A B2B International research indicates that B2B customers are also looking to improve their ranking at their organization by adding more value. Companies must remember that purchase decisions are swayed both by individual impulses and the brand’s goals.
With hopes to operationalize buyer enablement along with marketing teams, business leaders must push this buyer approach shift and a seamless customer journey to their priority list. Noting a positive perspective about buyer enablement, experts add that this strategy can eliminate the sales and marketing team’s ruthless efforts to figure out methods to drive customer value.
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