Companies that deliver great buying experiences grow 2X faster than their peers. If you work in sales, check out how you can create and deliver remarkable experiences for your buyers.

1. The Buying Experience: The Most Important Thing in Sales and Marketing
© TOPO 2013
TOPO
TOPO
The
Buying
Experience:
The
Most
Important
Thing
in
Marketing
and
Sales
A
TOPO
white
paper
for
marketing
and
sales
professionals
Learn
more:
www.topohq.com
blog.topohq.com

2. The Buying Experience: The Most Important Thing in Sales and Marketing
© TOPO 2013
An
Introduction
to
the
Buying
Experience
The
buying
experience
is
the
most
important
thing
in
sales
and
marketing.
To
understand
how
something
you’ve
likely
never
heard
of
can
be
so
important,
let’s
look
at
something
Steve
Jobs
once
said:
“You’ve
got
to
start
with
the
customer
experience
and
work
back
to
the
technology
–
not
the
other
way
around.”
While
Steve
wasn’t
talking
about
sales
and
marketing
specifically,
we
can
apply
his
fundamental
point
to
everything
a
company
does.
In
fact,
Steve’s
experience-­‐first
point
is
especially
applicable
to
sales
and
marketing.
At
TOPO,
our
research
shows
that
delivering
a
great
experience
to
prospective
buyers
has
the
biggest
impact
on
whether
or
not
they
will
buy
something
from
you.
The
overall
buying
experience
actually
outranks
product
and
price.
It’s
a
surprising,
counter-­‐intuitive
data
point
that
got
me
thinking
that
the
Steve
Jobs
quote
could
be
remixed
into
something
like:
“You’ve
got
to
start
with
the
buying
experience
and
work
back
to
the
revenue
–
not
the
other
way
around.”
The
experience-­‐first
approach
works.
Our
benchmarking
shows
that
companies
that
deliver
great
buying
experiences
grow
twice
as
fast
as
companies
that
deliver
average
experiences.
This
faster
growth
is
just
a
byproduct
of
the
buying
experience’s
ability
to
deliver
more
traffic,
higher
conversion
rates,
larger
average
deal
sizes,
shorter
sales
cycles,
lower
churn,
and
more
customer
referrals.
It’s
nothing
more
than
providing
buyers
with
what
they
want
–
a
great
experience
–
and
then
watching
critical
revenue
metrics
improve
as
a
result.
What
could
be
more
important
than
that?

3. The Buying Experience: The Most Important Thing in Sales and Marketing
© TOPO 2013
What
is
the
buying
experience?
If
the
buying
experience
really
is
that
important,
we
need
to
define
exactly
what
it
is
so
we
can
understand
it
and
improve
it.
Our
definition
of
the
buying
experience
is:
How
your
target
buyers
perceive
the
experience
of
buying
a
product
or
service
in
your
market.
Like
all
loaded
business
terms,
our
definition
needs
some
unpacking
to
understand
its
true
meaning.
There
are
a
few
key
words
and
phrases
contained
in
our
definition
that
we
can
analyze
to
help
us
understand
the
buying
experience.
First,
the
buying
experience
needs
to
be
understood
from
the
buyer’s
perspective.
Second,
the
word
“experience”
is
a
big
word
that
covers
the
process
a
buyer
engages
in,
as
well
as
the
total
experience
the
buyer
has
during
that
process.
The
buyer’s
perspective
The
first
thing
to
understand
is
that
the
buying
experience
should
really
be
understood
from
the
buyer’s
perspective.
That’s
what
we
mean
when
we
use
the
phrase
“how
your
target
buyers
perceive”.
Lots
of
people
in
marketing,
sales,
and
other
parts
of
an
organization
will
tell
you
what
they
think,
but
true
north
here
is
the
buyer’s
perception
of
the
experience.
Only
the
buyer
can
tell
you
the
steps
they
must
take
to
get
to
a
purchase,
what
they
need
at
each
step,
and
their
satisfaction
levels
throughout
the
experience.
The
buying
process
The
buying
experience
includes
the
entire
process
that
the
buyer
engages
in
as
they
move
from
status
quo
to
purchase.
The
status
quo
represents
what
the
buyer
is
doing
before
they
embark
on
the
buying
experience,
while
purchase
represents
the
final
step
that
moves
someone
from
buyer
to
customer.

4. The Buying Experience: The Most Important Thing in Sales and Marketing
© TOPO 2013
A
number
of
steps
sit
in
between
status
quo
and
purchase.
Some
buying
experiences
are
simple
enough
to
consist
of
just
a
few
steps.
Many
ecommerce-­‐centric
experiences
fall
into
this
category.
Other
experiences,
however,
are
complex
enough
to
consist
of
dozens
to
hundreds
of
steps.
These
are
often
found
in
B2B
markets
where
purchasing
something
like
CRM
software
may
involve
the
buyer
taking
25
to
30
steps.
But
examples
such
as
buying
a
new
home
or
choosing
a
college
can
also
be
found
in
consumer
markets.
From
a
process
perspective,
it’s
important
to
understand
that
the
buyer
might
not
make
it
to
a
final
purchase.
Similarly,
they
might
buy
something
from
a
competitor,
but
not
from
you.
That
doesn’t
mean
they
didn’t
have
a
buying
experience.
They
very
much
did
–
they
just
didn’t
reach
your
end
objective.
That
sounds
like
a
buying
experience
that
is
ripe
for
analysis
and
optimization.
The
total
experience
Our
definition
includes
the
entire
experience
that
the
buyer
has
as
they
move
from
status
quo
to
purchase.
That
experience
consists
of
different
elements
from
the
buyer’s
psychology,
to
the
information
they
consume,
to
the
interactions
they
have,
during
the
buying
process.
None
of
these
elements
is
more
important
than
the
buyer’s
psychology
and
emotions
–
their
desires,
needs,
wants,
and
fears.
This
psychology
governs
much
of
what
the
buyer
will
experience.
For
example,
many
buyers
are
motivated
by
a
sense
of
community.
That’s
why
buying
experiences
that
emphasize
a
brand’s
or
company’s
community
of
customers
tend
to
outperform
those
that
don’t.
The
experience
also
consists
of
the
information
that
the
buyer
will
consume
during
the
process.
Most
buyers
are
voracious
consumers
of
information
and
view
it
as
the
currency
of
the
buying
experience.
Take
online
reviews
as
an
example.
According
to
a
recent
study
by
Dimensional
Research,
90%
of
buyers
claim
that
positive
online
reviews
influence
their
decisions.
That’s
just
one
type
of
information
that
informs
the
final
purchasing
decision.

5. The Buying Experience: The Most Important Thing in Sales and Marketing
© TOPO 2013
The
final
element
is
the
interactions
that
a
buyer
has
during
the
process.
These
interactions
are
defined
by
whom
the
buyer
is
interacting
with
(brands,
peers,
journalists,
analysts,
the
list
goes
on
and
on…)
and
how
the
interaction
takes
place
(online,
in
person,
the
phone…).
When
it
comes
to
interactions,
it’s
critical
to
know
that
buying
experiences
will
almost
always
include
interactions
that
don’t
involve
you.
For
example,
according
to
Sirius
Decisions,
70%
of
the
B2B
buying
process
is
done
before
the
buyer
engages
with
sales.
Different
types
of
purchases
This
definition
is
meant
to
be
inclusive
of
different
types
of
purchases.
For
example,
it
can
be
applied
to
the
experience
that
a
Director
of
IT
has
when
purchasing
security
software.
It
can
also
be
applied
to
the
experience
a
stay
at
home
mom
has
when
buying
a
new
car
or
something
as
simple
as
a
blender.
How
is
this
different
than
CX?
Some
people
will
argue
that
the
way
TOPO
is
defining
the
buying
experience
makes
it
a
component
part
of
the
overall
customer
experience.
But
we
believe
that
the
buying
experience
is
really
different
than
the
customer
experience.
The
starting
point
for
this
distinction
is
that
the
buying
experience
is
clearly
focused
on
prospective
buyers,
whereas
the
customer
experience
deals
primarily
with
existing
customers.
This
may
seem
like
an
obvious
and
somewhat
academic
distinction,
but
it’s
one
that
has
real,
practical
ramifications
for
companies.
For
example,
the
buying
experience
should
focus
on
revenue-­‐
oriented
objectives
such
as
increased
conversion
rates
and
shorter
buying
cycles.
That’s
really
different
than
focusing
on
customer
satisfaction
levels.
Another
example
of
the
distinction
is
that
companies
have
less
control
over
the
buying
experience
because
it’s
about
prospective
buyers
(in
most
cases,
people
you
don’t
know),
as
opposed
to
the
customer
experience
where
companies
already
have
a
relationship
with
the
customer.
There
are
many
other
examples
that
highlight
the
distinction,
but
these
two
show
just
how
different
the
buying
and
customer
experiences
really
are.

6. The Buying Experience: The Most Important Thing in Sales and Marketing
© TOPO 2013
An
Example
Buying
Experience
from
the
SaaS
Market
Buyer
Stage
Buyer
Activity
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6*7#7,&8,*+(-9%:&
;+,*5<=&>-(?@,12
344(-"$*0"=&
A#B,&C,D0%0(*2
>$-DE#%,&
Key
Question
How do I keep my
customers happy
when I’m growing?
What do I do now
that I have two
people in support?
How do I make
this really easy on
my business?
Does it satisfy my
core requirements
and is it easy?
Can I show CEO that
the software and
price just work?
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"
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"
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"
"
5'%61'07"+%'8-(+"90&*"
:)/;$%"'9"<46$*&"+%'8-(+"
="#$'#1$"('8"8'%6-(+"&)##'%*"
:$8"$/#1'>$$"('*"&$19?&)@4-$(*"
"
"
"
A8'"#$%&'("8'%6B'8"-&"-&&)$"
"
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:$8"$/#1'>$$"($$7&"*'"&'1C$"
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D%$0*$&"C$(7'%"$C01)0<'(""#10("
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K-+(&")#"9'%"*%-01"
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N(*$%(01"/$$<(+"'("G(01"7$4-&-'("
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P(*$%&"4%$7-*"40%7"-(9'"
O)>$%";$4'/$&"4)&*'/$%"
Next Step
Requirement
Potential
Roadblock
Workload requires
more than 1 person
to support process
Complexity high
enough to require
real application
Understands core
use cases and
leading vendors
Actual use of trial,
as opposed to just
signup
CEO must approve
decision and provide
credit card
Business not
growing enough to
justify next step
Buyer doesn’t
realize general
benefits of SaaS
Can’t understand
basic need and
requirements
Able to signup for
trial, but too
challenging to use
CEO vetoes decision at
last minute because of
TCO issue
!" =Q"

7. The Buying Experience: The Most Important Thing in Sales and Marketing
© TOPO 2013
Delivering
an
experience
that
exceeds
expectations
If
you
work
in
sales
and
marketing,
job
number
one
is
to
deliver
an
experience
that
exceeds
the
buyer’s
expectations
so
that
they
buy
your
product
or
service.
That’s
easier
said
than
done,
but
there
are
three
things
you
can
do
to
get
started:
You
need
to
understand
the
experience
that
your
buyer
is
currently
having
versus
the
experience
they
want
to
have.
Most
people
who
interact
with
buyers
on
a
regular
basis
have
an
understanding
of
this.
You
just
need
to
take
time
to
think
about
it.
It’s
essential
that
you
design
and
deliver
a
buying
experience
that
is
grounded
in
what
the
buyer
wants.
At
TOPO,
we
call
this
buyer-­‐responsive
sales
and
marketing
and
it
works.
It
focuses
on
moving
the
buyer
to
the
next
step
by
providing
them
with
what
they
want
and
need.
As
you
design
the
buying
experience,
remember
that
every
buyer
wants
two
things.
First,
they
want
help
making
better
decisions.
Second,
they
want
it
to
be
easy
to
get
to
and
make
the
buying
decision.
How
you
do
these
three
things
will
be
the
subject
of
many,
many
more
white
papers
that
we’ll
publish
here.
We’ll
also
look
at
other
principles
that
will
help
you
provide
an
exceptional
experience
to
your
buyers,
as
well
as
case
studies
of
leaders
in
the
emerging
buying
experience
field.
Do
you
think
the
buying
experience
is
as
important
as
we
do?
How
would
you
define
it?
And
how
would
you
get
started
designing
and
delivering
a
world
class
buying
experience?

8. The Buying Experience: The Most Important Thing in Sales and Marketing
© TOPO 2013
TOPO
We
help
our
clients
design
and
deliver
great
buying
experiences.
Why?
Because
companies
that
deliver
great
buying
experiences
grow
2X
faster
than
those
that
don’t.
www.topohq.com
blog.topohq.com
Contact
TOPO:
650-­‐303-­‐1120
scott@topohq.com