The only constant is change.
This axiom applies to your market, your competitors, and (most critically) your customers.
Not only do the wants and needs of your prospects and customers change, but so do how they interact with their vendors.
When planning your go-to-market strategy, you must avoid any temptation to reuse previous plans.
Accelerating your go-to-market and sales requires you to stay abreast of evolving buyer habits.
Anything less leaves your GTM vulnerable.
Three major shifts in B2B buying behavior
As you think through what this means for your GTM, here are three major shifts in B2B buying behavior happening in 2024 that we see in our research and client work.
#1 Higher Expectations
Before the prevalence of AI, the marketplace was already rife with repetitive search-engine-optimized content and efforts to capture attention.
The emergence and use of generative AI (GenAI) tools by B2B marketers has only exacerbated this content saturation. Worst of all, the ease of use of GenAI–and maybe some FOMO–is leading to its exponential growth. This deluge has left target audiences saturated and fatigued.
Unsurprisingly, this is prompting a shift in expectations.
Prospects now crave more authentic connections and engagement with companies. To break through this noise and capture your audience, you can’t rely on scattershot marketing activities that aren’t relevant. Instead, your audience expects engagement that speaks genuinely to their pains, needs, and desires. This level of personalization is not feasible with heavy reliance on GenAI tools.
#2 Non-linear Buying Behavior
The long-held belief in a linear buyer’s journey is being dismantled. Prospects no longer enter only at the top of the funnel. Instead, prospects can come in at any stage and often skip or move back and forth between stages.
Moving away from the increasingly outdated funnel approach, teams are left to contend with a multitude of touchpoints, interactions, and experiences. It will be critical for B2B tech companies to maintain a consistent and relevant presence across all these engagements.
#3 Increasing Autonomy
B2B buyers are increasingly self-sufficient. The data shows that 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free sales experience.
This places greater emphasis on the effectiveness of early-stage storytelling. Companies can no longer rely only on sales reps to guide the narrative, read the room, and adjust on the fly.
You must create product stories that are compelling enough to stand on their own. Better still, you must craft narratives that can be retold on your behalf without needing you in the conversation.
Responding to shifting B2B behavior
Understanding how customers are changing is one thing. Enacting that change is another.
Accelerating your go-to-market considering these shifting behaviors requires you to:
- Create emotional, powerful stories that resonate with customer pains
- Maintain a consistent and relevant presence across customer touchpoints
- Ensure every buyer touchpoint is compelling enough to stand on its own
Need help accelerating your go-to-market?
Look no further: we are here to help!
Fulcrum helps B2B tech companies create authentic and impactful connections at every touchpoint along your buyer’s journey.
Schedule a no-obligation 30-minute discovery call to get started today.