B2B Buyer Behavior | 2012

1 The 2012 B2B Buyer Landscape: New Challenges, New Complexity
The 2012
New Challenges, New Complexity
B2B Buyer Behavior
R E S E A R C H
Sponsored by
Survey:

Today’s B2B buyers continue to investigate more research sources, involve more stakeholders and take more
time to make their purchasing decisions than ever before. It’s a trend with major implications for sales and
marketing professionals – especially when a surprisingly large number of buyers say they are dissatisfied with
their purchasing experiences.
These are some of the major findings of the third annual Inside The Mind Of The B2B Buyer Survey, conducted
by Demand Gen Report and sponsored by Act-On Software. The 2012 survey, which polled more than 170
B2B buyers involved in the purchase of a solution during the past year, revealed several noteworthy trends:
The following report will explore these and other findings from the 2012 survey. It will also explain why some
trends uncovered in the study, including the growing length and complexity of the B2B sales process, support
a growing need for marketing automation technology, and for the business processes and content required to
support a marketing automation strategy.
• The number of respondents who said they were
dissatisfied with their B2B buying experience jumped
by 50% over 2011, suggesting a serious gap between
buyer expectations and vendor performance;
• The number of buyers who say they now use a wider
variety of sources to research purchases also increased
by 50% over 2011;
• Buyers who say they involve more team members in
the buying process jumped by 67% over the 2011 study;
• The number of buyers who said they spent more time
researching B2B purchases increased by 15% over 2011.

According to the survey, B2B buyers are adopting increasingly
complex decision-making processes that require them to find, share
and evaluate more information than ever before. In fact, this trend is
noticeable across the board, based on a comparison of the 2012 and
2011 survey results:
• 67% of buyers say they are using a wider variety of sources
to research their vendor options – versus 47% of the buyers
surveyed in 2011;
• 55% say they spend more time researching purchases than
they did in the past – compared to 47% of the buyers surveyed
in 2011;
• 50% allow more internal team members to provide input
into the decision-making process – compared to 30% of the
buyers surveyed in 2011;
• 45% conduct more detailed cost/ROI analyses – versus
34% of the buyers surveyed in 2011;
• Just 9% say they involve fewer team members in their B2B
buying decisions – compared to 17% in 2011.
While half of the respondents said they involved one to three people
in their most recent B2B purchase, more than 38% said they involved
between four and seven people, and nearly 12% involved more than
eight people in the purchase. The vast majority (76%) of respondents
said C-level executives were involved in the decision, more
than two-thirds (69%) involved marketing, and at least 30% of the
respondents said they involved finance, IT, operations and/or sales
teams in the buying process.
“These findings are consistent with the trend of longer sales cycles that
most B2B organizations are facing,” said Andrew Gaffney, Publisher of
Demand Gen Report. “However, they also provide deeper insights into
where pipelines may be getting clogged. Companies that use the right
automated tools to track the digital behavior of their prospects have
seen improved deal velocity; they are able to see changing influences
on buying behavior.”
The Big Picture: A Longer, More Complex Buying Process
Used a wider variety of sources to
research options
Spent more time researching this
purchase than previous purchases
More internal team members provided
their input into decision process
Did more detailed analysis of costs/ROI of
solution before making a final decision
Spent more time on social media to
research possible solutions
Fewer internal team members provided
their input into decision process
Relied more on live customer
feedback/recommendations
How would you say the decision-making process changed for your
most recent purchase versus previous purchases in recent years?
66%
48%
38%
30%
20%
19%
9%
50%
38%
7%
5%How many people were involved in the purchase process?
1-3
4-7
8-10
11+
(Please check all that apply)

Perhaps the most surprising finding in the 2012 study, however, was a
sharp increase in the number of respondents who said they were not
satisfied with their B2B buying experience.
When asked to rate the overall experience of their most recent B2B
purchase on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being most positive), buyers
responded with an average rating of just 3.34 – and nearly 56% of all
buyers surveyed rated their experience with a less-satisfied “4” or “5”
rating. Our 2011 study, by comparison, found that 36% of the buyers
surveyed were dissatisfied with their experience.
“The fact that buyers are increasingly dissatisfied with the
engagement process is one of the most eye-opening statistics from
the survey,” Gaffney said. “Despite all of the tools available – CRM,
web analytics and marketing automation – this shows that marketing
and sales teams are still struggling to keep pace with the changing
expectations of buyers. This also underscores that those firms that
can transform their engagement models rapidly will have a decided
advantage over their competitors.”
What explains this growing dissatisfaction on the part of buyers? There
are a number of contributing factors, all of which will be discussed
below. In general, however, it is clear that buyers are taking longer to
make decisions; at the same time, the decision-making process is
increasingly complex and often involves more people. If marketers fail
to adapt the tools and techniques required to give these buyers the
content they need to make decisions – and to communicate with them
in an appropriate manner, often over an extended period – then they
risk failing to meet a buyer’s expectations.
B2B Buyers Give Vendors Mixed Reviews
Please rate the overall experience of your last purchase from 1-5,
with 1 being the most positive.
4
3
2
1
48%
23%
12%
9%
8%
5
“The fact that buyers are increasingly
dissatisfied with the engagement
process is one of the most eye-
opening statistics from the survey.
Despite all of the tools available –
CRM, web analytics and marketing
automation – this shows that
marketing and sales teams are still
struggling to keep pace with the
changing expectations of buyers.”
- Andrew Gaffney
Publisher
Demand Gen Report

One way to gain insights about this satisfaction gap is to ask buyers which
factors they consider most important when selecting a vendor.According
to the 2012 survey, two responses were overwhelmingly popular:
• 53% said that the relevance of the information a company
provided was very important; and
• 57% of the respondents ranked the timeliness of a vendor’s
response to their questions/inquiries as very important.
The amount of content/thought leadership a company provided was
also important to buyers, as were recommendations from colleagues at
companies similar to their own.
The prominent role played by relevant content, timely responses and
insightful thought leadership all point to the vital role that marketing
organizations play in shaping a buyer’s impressions of a brand – either
directly (via content and campaign activity) or indirectly (via alignment
with sales). These findings also suggest that sales and marketing
organizations need to adopt tools and techniques that identify buying
signals as they occur, and that allow organizations to engage with
buyers in a timely manner.
“All of the findings point to a greater reliance on marketing for the early
stages of engagement in the B2B buying cycle,” Gaffney said.“Because
buyers are engaging with a sales representative later in the process, the
content and messaging a brand delivers really shapes the initial perception
of a brand and can have a defining impression on brand preference.”
Relevant, Timely Information Plays A Critical Role
Timeliness of their response to questions/inquiries
Relevance of the information the company provided
based on my questions
The amount of content/thought leadership the
company provided to support our research
The company’s involvement as a thought leader in
industry online communities, blogs, etc.
Recommendations/references from companies
similar to mine
Ranking from industry trade publications/press
Positioning and presence at industry conferences/
trade shows
5.05
5.22
4.33
3.85
4.07
3.34
2.15
(Respondents were asked to rank from 1-7 in
importance.The statistics below reflect the average rating.)
Once you decided to research solution providers, how important
were the following factors in selecting the provider you ultimately
chose to work with?

Budgeting for B2B purchases has also shifted significantly in favor of
firms completing purchases that were initially unbudgeted, but that
were deemed necessary after looking at a solution’s impact on other
adopters and building an internal business case for the solution. In
2011, just 11% of the respondents to the B2B Buyer Survey reported
making their most recent solution purchase in this manner; in 2012 that
number jumped to 48%.
While there may be a number of factors contributing to this budget
allocation trend, such a shift has major implications for B2B marketers:
• First, it demonstrates yet again that B2B buyers are taking more
time and involving more decision-makers in the buying process.
• It also suggests that buyers will require more content designed
to build a business case and to demonstrate ROI for a particular
product or solution – a trend borne out by other findings in this
year’s study.
B2B Buyers Report More Unbudgeted Purchases
The project was initially allocated after we determined the solution’s
potential impact by looking at other adopters and building an internal
business case for it.
Budget for project was pre-approved and allocated at the beginning of
the year
Budget was allocated as part of a larger line item once need was
established and ROI was clearly demonstrated
Budget was determined after soliciting multiple bids
48%
23%
15%
14%
How would you describe the budgeting/approval process for this
recent solution purchase?
Does Social Media Really Matter To B2B Buyers?
Is social media truly an essential part of the B2B buying
process? Previous B2B Buyer surveys offered a mixed bag
of answers to this question; while 65% of buyers in 2010
said they used social media during the purchase process, just
35% of the buyers surveyed in 2011 said they did so.
This year, 72% of our respondents said they used social
media to research their solution purchase. The difference,
however, is that this year’s survey offered a number of specific
social media activities for respondents to choose. As a result,
while more than 53% said they followed group discussions
to learn more about business solutions, just 14% said
they connected directly with solution providers over social
networking channels.
One conclusion is that social media does play a critical role
in the purchasing process, even though most buyers avoid
direct contact with vendors over social media. This suggests
that B2B marketers must adopt sophisticated strategies for
monitoring social media conversations and tracking buyer
behavior – even when they don’t necessarily make direct
contact with buyers.
When asked which social media sources they found most
influential, blogs and LinkedIn stood out, with influence scores
(on a 1-7 scale) of 5.29 and 5.28, respectively. SlideShare and
YouTube/video content also did well, while Twitter, Facebook and
Pinterest showed low to moderate levels of influence.
Followed group discussions/conversations/
threads to learn more about the topic
How did you use social media to research your solution purchase?
Posted questions to social media asking how
others solved a similar business challenge
Connected individually with thought leaders
in the space through social networks
I did not use social media
Connected directly with potential solution
providers via social networking channels
54%
28%
24%
22%
14%

As noted previously, B2B buyers continue to push back their initial point
of contact with vendors – including the vendors they finally select. In the
2011 B2B Buyer Survey, 22% of respondents said they interacted with
a contact from a solution provider almost immediately, as soon as they
started their initial research. In the 2012 survey, that number dropped
to just 6%.
➤➤ At the same time, the number of respondents initiating contact
with a vendor only after compiling a short list of candidates
jumped from 24% to 51%.
➤➤ While buyers are waiting longer before initiating direct contact with
vendors, this trend hasn’t cut the number of contacts they have
with a solution provider. In fact, more than a third of respondents
(35%) reported at least four contacts (via sales calls, email or
other methods) with the winning vendor, and 31% said they had
eight or more contacts.
“These findings really validate the critical role that multi-touch lead
nurturing campaigns are playing in the buying process,” Gaffney said.
“Buyers expect to be contacted multiple times by solution providers,
but they also expect that those touches be relevant to their current
information needs. If they have already engaged with a brand and
attended three of their webinars, they don’t expect (or appreciate)
messaging that treats them like a new prospect. Relevance is really
becoming table stakes, and the ability to guide and accelerate the
buying process is critical.”
Vendors Get Mixed Reviews On Their Contact Choices
After establishing a preferred list
of vendors
At what point did you interact with a contact from the
solution provider?
After conducting initial research
on options
When we put out RFPs
Other
When we were ready to
negotiate terms
Immediately when
research began
51%
28%
8%
6%
5%
2%
How many times did the winning vendor contact you vial sales
calls, email or other methods before you made a final decision?
4-7
1-3
8-10
11+
35%
34%
17%
14%

➤➤ A related question is whether buyers are satisfied with vendors’
choices about how and when to contact them.This year’s survey
reported mixed results on this question:While 59% of buyers said
their vendors did a good job of maintaining appropriate contacts,
33% said vendors did only a fair job at this task, and another 8%
said vendors did a poor job.
➤➤ The fact that 4 out of 10 buyers rated their vendors as “fair” or
“poor” on this count could be another contributing factor to the
relatively low vendor-satisfaction ratings the survey uncovered. It
also suggests that vendors need to invest in solutions that give
them greater control over how, when and why they contact
potential buyers.
“These stats speak to the challenges most B2B marketers face when
creating lead nurturing campaigns. Knowing when to communicate
and what to say is crucial to building trust with your buyers,” said Atri
Chatterjee, CMO at Act-On Software. “Today’s marketing automation
platforms are so sophisticated that marketers can run highly targeted
nurturing campaigns based on a buyer’s online behavior.”
One point where buyers appear not to have a problem is with the
quantity of content vendors provide: More than 87% said they are
satisfied that vendors provide ample content to guide them
through the decision-making process.
How would you describe the vendors’ choices about how and
when to contact you?
Good: their contacts were
appropriate and helpful
Fair: they could have adjusted their
contact frequency to reflect my
needs more efficiently
Poor: I was contacted more times
than necessary
59%
33%
8%
Did you feel like the solution provider you chose provided
ample content to help you through each stage of your research
and decision-making?
No
Yes87%
13%

Not surprisingly, buyers begin their vendor search process with a
wide range of research tactics, including web searches, visits to
vendor web sites, downloaded white papers, and social media or peer
reviews. A majority of buyers use these tools as part of an informal
research process where they gather information related to a specific
business challenge.
Many buyers place a special emphasis on industry-specific articles
and research during their initial search process, while a smaller but still
significant number seek out case studies involving companies similar to
their own.
Buyers Favor Industry-Specific Content
At the start of your search process, what marketing/media
channels influenced your selection of solution providers in
this purchase? (Please check all that apply)
Web search 78%
Vendor web site
Social media/peer reviews
Responded to an email offer
Downloaded white paper
Attended an industry event
Responding to direct contact from
a sales rep
19%
21%
30%
50%
55%
78%
How did you initiate your information gathering process?
54%
27%
12%
8%
Started with informal research/information gathering around a
business challenge
Conducted anonymous research of a select group of vendors via their
web sites and other public information
Engaged with peers who had addressed a similar challenge and learned
more about the solutions/processes they used
Followed industry conversations/coverage of the topic and used that
knowledge to engage with one or more potential solution providers
45%
13%
15%
27%
Articles and resources targeted to my industry
Case study examples of other companies similar
to mine
Made relevant professional connection with
others who operate in m industry and/or could
help with my search process (e.g. connecting on
LinkedIn)
Research briefs
What particular types of
information did you seek
out in your initial search?

Virtually all B2B buyers (94%) view multiple pieces of content from
the vendor they ultimately select.While this is not surprising, it reinforces
the need for vendors to develop coherent content marketing strategies.
The next step in the buying process, according to nearly half (43%) of
respondents, is to develop a short list of potential vendors to discuss
internally, while 36% say their next step is to build a business case
for the vendor’s product or service (and, presumably, to carve out
budget for the purchase).
Both of these likely next steps indicate that B2B buyers now go through
an extended, and largely internal, decision-making process before they
need – or want – closer engagement with vendors. They also illustrate
the role that a sophisticated lead nurturing program can play in ensuring
that B2B buyers get appropriate content as exactly the right point in the
vendor evaluation process.
After you began your initial search, what was your next step?
43%
Developed a short list of potential solutions or
services to discuss internally
Collected initial information and resources to
build the business case/need
Looped in relevant internal stakeholders
Initiated budgeting discussions internally
36%
15%
6%
94%
6%
Did you view multiple pieces of content from the vendor you
ultimately selected?
No
Yes

Buyers were also asked to comment specifically on their impressions of
their chosen vendors’ web sites – still the first (and often only) stop for
content and research tools. According to the survey:
• Buyers were most likely to cite both the breadth of relevant
product information and the educational value of that
information as the most compelling elements of their chosen
vendor’s web site;
• More than half (51%) said they did not have to log in to access
a vendor’s content, and 29% said they were required to provide
information only once, even if accessing multiple pieces of
content; and
• A large majority (73%) said they aren’t interested in using social
sign-in tools to access content.
The second and third points here both illustrate a single conclusion:
Buyers are inherently (and perhaps increasingly) hostile to any form of
gating on a vendor web site, whether or not it involves social sign-in
or other usability improvements. This suggests that vendors must be
especially careful in terms of when to gate content and what information
to request when content is gated.
Web Site Content: Relevance, Diversity Are Important
How did you access content provided by the vendor?What did you find to be the most compelling element of your
chosen vendor’s web site?
Breadth of product information as it related to my search
Valuable educational content (e.g. industry-relevant white papers)
Relevance of individual content (e.g. presented by role or vertical)
Design aesthetic (easy to navigate and access information)
30%
29%
19%
14%
8%
Interactive info (i.e. customer success videos)
51%
29%
15%
5%
I did not have to log in to access
the vendor’s content
I logged in once (name, email, company)
and was not required to thereafter
I was able to use social sign-in to
access content
I was required to login each time

“Understanding B2B buyers’ behavior and their information
consumption is crucial to nurturing a successful partnership,” said
Chatterjee. “Making sure content is easily accessible, relevant and
delivered with the least number of gating features will benefit your
business in the long run. Today’s online marketing tools employ
sophisticated techniques to streamline the lead form submission
process by pre-populating data capture fields and requiring the visitor
to fill out a form only once to download multiple assets. These minor
adjustments to your lead generation program can have a big positive
impact on your results.”
Would you prefer the option to use social sign-in to access content?
73%
No
Yes
27%
Selected B2B Buyer Comments
As part of this year's survey, Demand Gen Report asked
respondents to provide optional comments on their vendor
experiences. Several of these comments expressed often-
repeated sentiments that offer some insights into why buyers
are dissatisfied with the vendors they work with.
Several buyers expressed dissatisfaction with the
late-stage buying process. "The original quote was
ridiculous," noted one respondent. "The final price was
less than half of the original price…the process felt a
little sleazy."
Others reflected dissatisfaction with the type of content
available from vendors: "Availability of a free trial or test
environment would have been very helpful," stated one
buyer, while another noted "If I am buying a product…
all the thought leadership in the world is irrelevant if I
cannot get to product-level information. If I cannot get
this information, you are often off my list very fast and
may never come on again."
Another commenter echoed the previous sentiment:
"More product detail on websites is essential for a
B2B buyer."
Finally one commenter summed
up a number of other complaints
about sales calls that were either
inappropriate or simply too
aggressive. “Stop all the phone
calls and worthless emails from
the sales reps,” the commenter
said. “If and when I’m really
interested…I’ll reach out to you.
Don’t HOUND me or my team.”

This year’s study also looked at the specific impact of late-stage
content on B2B buyer decisions. In this area, a few key conclusions
stood out:
• More than 72% of buyers cited tools designed to support the
business case for a purchase as having a significant impact;
• Nearly 63% said case studies played a role in moving them
towards a final choice, although significant numbers also
cited checklists/guides (47%), analyst reports (45%) and ROI
calculators (34%).
• Online demos (cited by 69%) and free trials (42%) were the
most commonly cited pieces of content used to make a final
vendor decision.
Demos, Comparison Content Drive Late-Stage Decisions
How did the solution provider help you through your decision-
making process?
72%Provided tools to support the
business case for my purchase
Brought in high-level executives to
share thought leadership expertise
Invited me/my team to an industry
event or analyst webinar
Other
34%
34%
17%
After you moved past the initial search phase, what information did
you seek out as you started to consider specific solution providers?
63%Case study examples
Action-oriented checklists or guides
Analyst reports
ROI calculators
47%
45%
34%
“B2B buyers clearly want to test
drive solutions before they commit to
integrating them into their business.
Those organizations that help prospects
get comfortable seeing how a solution
works in their own environment have a
much better chance of winning a long-
term customer.”
- Andrew Gaffney
Publisher
Demand Gen Report

“B2B buyers clearly want to test drive solutions before they commit to
integrating them into their business,” said Gaffney. “This is especially
true in enterprise software, but is also becoming the case with services
businesses as well. Those organizations that help prospects get
comfortable seeing how a solution works in their own environment have
a much better chance of winning a long-term customer.”
Finally, when asked what was generally missing from solution provider
web sites, a plurality of buyers (37%) cited issues with the relevance of
the content they viewed, in terms of criteria like job role or industry
vertical. Smaller but still significant numbers cited a lack of breadth in
content and a lack of high-quality educational content as problems.
Which types of content were most helpful in finalizing your
vendor decision?
Online demos
Free products/free trials
Assessment tools
ROI calculators
Video testimonials
N/A
69%
15%
26%
40%
42%
9%
37%
Relevance of individualized content
(i.e. presented by role or vertical)
20%Valuable educational content (e.g.
industry relevant white papers)
19%
14%
11%
Breadth of product information as
it related to my search
Interactive info (e.g. customer
success videos)
Design aesthetic (easy to navigate
and access information)
Looking back on your entire purchase experience, what would you
say was generally missing from the solution providers whose web
sites you visited?

Based on current research, it is possible that today’s shifting B2B
marketing landscape may soon settle into a more stable environment.
Most buyers now engage with vendors late in the selection process
and involve multiple stakeholders in decisions; most also require
multiple touches, and exposure to multiple content assets, in order to
select a final vendor.
The challenges, then, involve what vendors can do to improve buyer
satisfaction, deliver quality content to the right decision-makers at the
right time, and maintain contact without coming across as overbearing.
These challenges are particularly important, given that a growing
number of buyers say they are not satisfied with their experiences.
Many B2B marketers now agree that marketing automation – when
combined with quality content and good sales/marketing alignment –
provides an effective solution to these issues. Marketing automation
enables complex, long-term lead nurturing campaigns; it also allows
marketers to segment their prospects and deliver targeted, highly
relevant content. In the process, marketing automation could help B2B
marketers overcome the dissatisfaction many buyers report during their
dealings with vendors.
About The Survey
The 2012 “Inside The Mind Of the B2B Buyer”
Survey includes responses from more than
170 respondents actively involved in purchasing a
business solution within the last 12 months.
Of these respondents 29% described their role in the process
as a “recommender,” developing project guidelines and
selection criteria. Another 36% described themselves as
“influencers,” helping to develop the business need for a
solution; 25% described themselves as the final decision-
makers for a purchase; and 10% said their main role was to
approve or allocate the budget for a purchase.
Most of the respondents (63%) reported annual company
revenue of less than $25 million, while 26% reported revenue
of $25-$250 million. Approximately 5% reported revenue of
$250-$500 million, and 7% reported revenue of greater than
$500 million.
Conclusion: The Road Ahead For B2B Marketers
Influencer (helped develop the need)
Recommender (developed project guidelines/vender selection criteria)
Decision maker (made final decision)
Was not directly involved in the purchase of a B2B solution during the past 12 months
Buyer (approved/allocated budget)
30%
25%
21%
15%
9%
What role did you play in the purchase of a B2B solution (i.e.
software, professional services, technology) in the last 12 months?
Please describe your company’s annual revenue:
Under $25 milllion
$500 million to $1 billion
$250 million to $500 million
More than $1 Billion
$25 million to $250 million
63%
26%
6%
5%
1%

About
DemandGen Report
411 State Rt. 17 South,
Suite 410
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
P: 201.257.8528
F: 201.257.5281
info@demandgenreport.com
About Demand Gen Report
Demand Gen Report is a targeted e-media publication spotlighting
the strategies and solutions that help companies better align their
sales and marketing organizations, and ultimately, drive growth. A
key component of the publication’s editorial coverage focuses on the
sales and marketing automation tools that enable companies to better
measure and manage their multi-channel demand generation efforts.
About Act-On Software
Act-On Software provides marketing automation for the Fortune
5,000,000. We give small and mid-sized businesses the ability to
do sophisticated, multi-channel marketing, via a simple yet powerful
package of integrated capabilities. Our customers increase their
revenue, reduce their cost of customer acquisition, and interact with
their prospects and customers using online capabilities including email,
the web and social media.
Until now, these capacities were available only to large enterprises
spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in software and resources;
Act-On has changed all that by levelling the playing field.With a relentless
focus on customer success and continuous innovation,Act-On today is
the fastest-growing marketing automation company in the industry.
Headquarters
8405 SW Nimbus Ave, Suite E
Beaverton, Oregon 97005
+1 (877) 530 1555
International: +91 80 4098-5338
www.act-on.com

B2B Buyer Behavior | 2012

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (18)

Similar to B2B Buyer Behavior | 2012

Similar to B2B Buyer Behavior | 2012 (20)

More from Steven Reta

More from Steven Reta (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

B2B Buyer Behavior | 2012