The Changing B2B Buyer and the Rise of Self-Service Sales
B2B buyers don’t want to wait for office hours to make a purchase or for a salesperson to answer a query. This is the era of B2B self-service sales where buyers are informed, empowered, and independent. 💪
But businesses that don’t adapt to meet buyers’ digital-first preferences risk unfulfilled quotas, insufficient pipelines, and revenues well below expectations. 📉
So how do you win in this B2B buying environment? By providing customers with information that is specifically designed to help them complete their buying jobs.
Key takeaways:
The B2B buyer's journey has dramatically changed, fueled by technology and an insatiable thirst for autonomy and efficiency.
B2B buyers want less interaction with sales reps.
Most businesses make it hard for buyers to go through purchasing journeys. With gated content, gated product sheets, and even gated video demos.
Let’s get into it.👇
The changing face of the B2B buyer
Today’s B2B buyer has evolved from being spoon-fed information and led-down sales funnels, into well-informed, tech-savvy decision-makers who value control and autonomy. Preferring frictionless, self-service experiences, from initial research through purchase to post-sale support today’s B2B buyer expects much better personalisation too.
And the biggest shift over the last few years is this: Sales reps are not the only channel to customers. They are simply a channel. With only 17% of total purchase journeys spent in interaction with sales reps. That’s why alignment across in-person and digital channels is crucial for supporting customers in the way they actually buy. Enter: self-service sales.
What is self-service sales?
In simple terms, self-service sales empower customers to answer their own questions and make purchasing decisions without direct interaction with sales teams. In fact, according to McKinsey:
“99% of B2B buyers claim they will make a purchase in an end-to-end digital self-serve model, with the vast majority very comfortable spending $50K and 27% willing to spend more than $500,000, in a self-service model..”
This means making sure your buying experience provides everything customers might need. With the end goal to make the customer experience as seamless as possible.
The challenge is, most businesses make it hard for buyers to go through purchasing journeys. With gated content, gated product sheets, and even gated video demos.
“The key then is to remove barriers and create a frictionless experience for your ICP’s.”
The rise of self-service sales: Why now?
So, why are self-service sales booming now? The answer lies in the blend of technology and evolving buyer expectations. Today’s B2B buyers desire quick, easy, and efficient purchase processes. They don’t want to be held up by a salesperson; they want the information at their fingertips, allowing them to make decisions at their pace.
This is where content marketing truly shines. High-quality, valuable and un-gated content like blog posts, videos, and how-to guides can feed this information-hungry buyer, empowering them to make informed decisions.
And the best part?
It allows for a human touch, even in a self-service world, through engaging storytelling and personalised content.
The pros and cons of self-service sales
The traditional sales process, where sales engage customers through multiple meetings and follow a lengthy approval process, is labour-intensive and time consuming. But adopting a self-service approach, using personalisation, high-quality content, and ungated access to information can bring this down to an instantaneous decision, enabling you to:
📈Improve conversion rates
💸Increase your average order value
🤝Increase customer loyalty
The result? Increased customer satisfaction and an improved return on your investment.
On the flip side, the challenges can’t be overlooked. The lack of personal interaction might create disconnects, and too much reliance on technology might lead to impersonal customer experiences.
However, this is where content marketing becomes an ace in the deck. By creating customer-centric, engaging, and personalised content, businesses can nurture a sense of connection and trust, making the customer journey feel more personal, even in a self-service environment.
Align to today’s B2B buyer needs
The B2B buyer's journey has dramatically changed, fueled by technology and an insatiable thirst for autonomy and efficiency. Self-service sales is not just a trend; it's a customer expectation.
But the need for personal connection remains amidst all the automated processes and digital interactions.
Final tips to adapt to the self-service sales era
Develop a robust content strategy that addresses potential customer questions and pain points across the entire sales funnel - including product content and thought leadership.
Create personal nurture journeys tailored to individual customers across channels.
Combine technology with a human touch. Offer live chat or AI chatbots for real-time assistance, but ensure that customer service representatives are also accessible for complex queries.
The bottom line: Through strategic content marketing, businesses can successfully meet customer expectations in the self-service sales era while maintaining a personal, engaging connection.