2019
B2B Buyers
Survey Report
Research Shows Buying Committees
Engaging And Rewarding Agility And
Relevance Of Potential Solution Providers

S P O N S O R E D BY

S U RV E Y R E P O R T

83% of B2B buyers often accelerate or put
purchase decisions on hold based changing
business needs and/or priorities.

Introduction
Over the course of eight years, Demand Gen Report’s annual B2B Buyers Survey
has spotlighted the ever-changing needs and expectations of the different
stakeholders in complex purchasing decisions. This year is no different, withthe annual survey data showing that buyers are engaging earlier with sales andconducting many of the key steps in their path to purchase to support a moreagile approach to selecting new solutions.
The study, which surveyed more than 250 senior-level B2B executives, foundthat 83% often accelerate or put purchase decisions on hold based changing
business needs and/or priorities. Of that number, 39% said that they “strongly
agree” with that statement. While the survey ultimately supported that B2B
buying cycles are still lengthy and involve several stakeholders, the increasing
focus on agility in the process underscores the reality that buying journeys are
not a linear, predictable funnel.
The B2B executives surveyed strongly stated that solution providers needto make a first impression with ads and websites, but also be responsive at
all stages and ensure they are in front of prospects at all points to create a
streamlined buying experience.
The research also showed that buyers are accelerating the time to engage withsales reps so they can make decisions as quickly — or as slowly — as desired.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 2

Specifically:• 42% said that they spoke to and engaged with reps from the vendor in thefirst month, compared to 33% in 2018;• 33% accepted outreach from vendors for calls and demos in the first month,compared to 23% in 2018; and• 25% sought RFP, competitive bids and/or pricing information from vendors in
the first month, compared to 20% in 2018.
These findings indicate that a growing number of buyers are no longer looking
to remain anonymous in the early days of researching a process, but are instead
seeing more value in bringing in sales reps early on to facilitate the journey. This
is intriguing compared to past years’ data, in which most buyers desired to remain
anonymous in the early stages of a decision and did not engage with sales
until they were ready to buy. For example, 71% of buyers said they conducted
anonymous research during the first three months back in 2017.
In addition to engaging sales earlier, the study found buyers are also developinga growing reliance on peers, current users and review websites. Close to twothirds (61%) said they agree that they rely more on peer recommendations
and review sites, with 35% that said they sought input from peers and existingcustomers within the first month. Another 37% said they sought input from peers
between one and three months.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 3

With many hands involved in the purchase decision earlier in the customer
journey, the value of detailed content and resources continues to rise. The
majority (73%) of respondents agree that they are relying on more sources
to research and evaluate purchases. This is particularly important to content
obtained via company websites and advertising, as these are two of the firstchannels in which buyers often engage with brands.
Our research found that:• More than two-thirds (68%) said they notice ads from the solution provider
they chose during the research process; and• Of those who noticed the winning vendors’ ads, 37% of them said those ads
positively impacted their view of the company.
Ultimately, the research shows that having the right content and resources is
helping sales reps have deeper conversations earlier in the purchase journey.
Almost all (97%) of respondents said that sales reps who demonstrated astronger knowledge of their needs was important to them, with 66% saying it
was very important.
This report will provide a deeper look into B2B buyer needs, priorities andexpectations, including:• How buyer expectations for quicker engagement impact the sales funnel;• The importance of first-contact channels, such as websites and advertisingin the B2B purchase cycle;• How a stronger necessity for ROI analysis requires vendors to have a steadystream of reliable resources to fuel buying decisions; and• How knowledgeable sales reps are helping further educate and accelerate
purchase decisions.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 4

Please rate how each of the following
aspects of your purchase process
have changed over the past year:

35%
30%

44%
39%

39%
38%
36%
35%

37%

38%
36%

24%

We now haveformal buying
groups or buying
committees
in place toreview potential
purchases

Purchase
decisionsare often
accelerated
or put on
hold basedon changing
businessneeds/priorities

We use more
sources toresearchand evaluate
purchases

Strongly Agree2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 5

We spend
more time
researchingpurchases

We rely more
We conduct aon peermore detailed
recommendations/ ROI analysis
review sites
before making
a final decision

Somewhat Agree

35% of buyers sought input from peers
and existing users within the first monthof the purchase process.

Time To Engagement Moving Up In The Buying Cycle
While the overall sales cycle in B2B continues to stretch in many cases, theresearch showed B2B buyers are continuing to make key decisions earlier in thebuying process. The study shows that 42% of respondents spoke to and engaged
with reps from the selected vendor in under a month, compared to 33% in 2018.
Another 30% said they spoke to sales reps within one to three months.
The study also found that 70% of buyers accepted a call or demo from a vendor
within the first three months, while another 70% evaluated which solutions would
fit well with existing partners in the first three months. This signals that sales reps
are having a bigger impact on the early stages of the customer journey compared
to traditional practices of marketing handing off leads to sales.
Other notable findings include:• 35% sought input from peers and existing users within the first month of thepurchase process;• 25% sought RFP/competitive bids and pricing info from a select list ofvendors in under one month, compared to 19% in 2018; and• 32% brought team members into the research process in the first month,compared to 25% in 2018.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 6

What was your timeline fortaking the following steps
in your buying process?
Under 1 Month

1-3 Months

3-6 Months

6-12 Months

More Than
12 Months

Spoke to and engaged
with a sales representativefrom the vendor I selected

42%

30%

20%

5%

1%

Conducted anonymous
research on potential
solutions

28%

45%

17%

7%

1%

Developed informal list of
potential providers

34%

37%

22%

4%

1%

Collected preliminary
information on pricing/
costs

36%

42%

14%

5%

2%

Brought in other teammembers to help withresearch process

32%

41%

13%

5%

1%

Evaluated which solutions
would fit well with existing
partners

29%

41%

20%

5%

1%

Sought input from industry
analysts/consultants

28%

35%

15%

7%

1%

Sought input from peers/
existing users in thecommunity

35%

37%

11%

7%

1%

Accepted outreach fromvendors and engaged incalls/demos

33%

37%

19%

4%

1%

Sought RFP/competitive
bids/pricing info from aselect list of providers

25%

38%

18%

6%

2%

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 7

68% of respondents said they notice ads
from the solution provider they chose during
the research process.

Advertising, Websites Continue To Play Key Role In
Helping Engage & Educate Buyers
With B2B buyers moving at their desired pace through the sales funnel, firstpoints of contact have become critical to ensuring deals don’t hit any roadblocks.
This year’s survey data shows that buyers are continuing to stress the importanceof website experience and the influence of display advertising in their decisionmaking process.
More than two-thirds (68%) said they notice ads from the solution provider theychose during the research process. Of them, 37% said those ads positively
impacted their view of the company. Ultimately, only 5% were not sure whether
they saw ads from their selected vendor.
A little more than a quarter (27%) said their selected vendor’s ads did not change
their perception, signaling that there is still room for refinement in how B2B
companies target, message and engage prospective customers via display
advertising.
Vendor websites have also been an invaluable source for buyers as they
research purchase decisions. Websites continue to be one of the top resourcesthat informed buyers about a solution year over year. Close to half (48%) said it
was one of their first three resources utilized.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 8

When asked specifically about vendor website expectations:• 97% said that it was important to them that vendor websites have relevant
content that spoke directly to their company — 68% considered this very
important;• 96% said that it was important to them that the vendor websites spoke
directly to the needs of their industry and demonstrated expertise in theirarea — 61% considered this very important; and• 97% said that it was important to them that vendor websites offered easy
access to content (i.e. no gates or minimal gates) — 56% considered this very
important.
This data indicates that B2B companies must ensure that the content, messaging
and accessibility of information on their website is continuously on point, or
buyers will not waste time looking for deeper engagement with that brand.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 9

Did you notice ads from the solution
provider you chose presented
during your research process?
If so, did they influence yourperception of that brand?

37%

31%

28%

Yes, and it
positively
impacted ourview of themYes, butit did notchange ourperception

No, wedid not
notice theirpresence via
online ads

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 1 0

Three-quarters (75%) of buyers said
they are spending more time researchingpurchases, which is up from 72% in 2018.

Deeper ROI Analysis Places Increased Importance
On Readily Available Resources
Deeper analysis shows that the requirement to prove ROI continues to growwithin B2B buying committees. Close to three-quarters (74%) of respondents said
they conduct a more detailed ROI analysis before making a final decision, which
is up from 70% in 2018.
Due to the growing demand for detailed ROI analysis, buyers are relying on
more resources to educate themselves on how vendors’ solutions and services
can positively impact their ability to meet business goals. The data shows thatthe majority (73%) agree they are relying on more sources to research andevaluate purchases. Three-quarters (75%) also said they are spending more time
researching purchases, which is up from 72% in 2018.
Ultimately, 79% of respondents said the winning vendor’s content had asignificant impact on their buying decision.
When it comes to the content sources buyers turn to when researching purchasedecisions and doing their ROI analysis, web search and vendor websites continue
to be the top two sources. More than half (57%) said that Web search was one of
their top sources, while 48% said it was the vendor’s website.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 11

However, there was a notable mix of resources buyers were using to learn more
about vendors and their offerings. This includes:• Peers and colleagues (33%);• Prior experience with the vendor (32%);• Industry experts, analysts and influencers (28%); and• Review websites (27%).
At the point of the purchase decision when buyers are evaluating a select list ofvendors, key variables that were important to stakeholders revolved ultimatelyaround solving pain points and easy deployment of the solution. Eighty-two
percent said the features/functionality of the solution were very important, while
77% said deployment time was very important. Close to three-quarters (72%) said
the ability to solve a pain point was very important. Pricing (76%), as always, also
plays a very important factor.
Other notable variables include:• Reviews (63%);• Vendor knowledge of the industry (65%); and• The sales team’s ability to demonstrate knowledge of the buyer’s
company (56%).
Interestingly, there was an almost-even split amongst respondents on theimportance of a vendor's connections to the buyer’s C-suite. Exactly 33% said
this was very important, while 35% said it was somewhat important and 32% said
it had no impact.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 12

How has the length of your B2B
purchase cycle changed, on average,
compared with a year ago?

20%

37%

37%

6%

Increasedsignificantly

Increasedsomewhat

Stayed thesame

Decreasedsomewhat2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 13

95% said it was important that sales teams had
more insights about their company and needs,
with 55% considering this very important.

Sales Rep’s Knowledge, Understanding Of Buyer
Needs Continue To Work Wonders In Buying Journey
The survey data shows that the sales rep continues to have a significant impact
on the purchase decision throughout the entire customer journey. When asked
what the key differentiators were for the winning vendors, the majority (97%) said
it was important that the sales rep could demonstrate a stronger knowledge of
their needs — 66% considered this very important.
Also, 95% said it was important that the vendor’s sales team had more insights
about their company and needs, with 55% considering this very important to theirdecision.
Other notable differentiators that are very important to B2B buyers include:• Demonstrated a stronger knowledge of the solution area and the businesslandscape (65%);• Provided informational content that was easy to consume (63%);• Timeliness of a vendor’s response to inquiries (63%); and• Provided higher-quality content (61%).
Ultimately, the survey shows that many buyers consider the sales reps they
engage with educated about their company and that they are communicating
relevant information to them. The majority (92%) agreed with the above
statement, while only 8% disagreed. More than three-quarters (79%) said thisinfluenced their purchase decision.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 14

Respondents also noted that reviews and reports from industry analysts arehaving a growing impact on purchase decisions. Roughly 92% said that analyst
reports and reviews influence their decisions, which is up from 82% in 2018. Of
that group, 48% considered these reports very important.
When asked to share an open-ended response on what vendors could havedone better, the survey shows that the majority expect vendors to provide clear,concise communication with buyers and have a complete understanding of theirneeds and pain points.
Some responses include:“Build a clear, compelling andshareable business case.”“Be more attuned to our uniqueindustry needs.”“Take the time to get toknow our needs and cater asolution to solve them.”“We have multiple businesses within
our company and originally the tech
vendor didn’t take all of those into
consideration. Needed to reset withthem on the full scope of what all our[business units] handle.”“Be more upfront about possible pitfalls
instead of promising everything would
work without a problem.”2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 15

Please rate the following
statements as they relate to
the winning vendor versus
other vendors you considered:
66%

65%

63%

61%

63%
53%
41%

31%

32%

33%

Demonstrated
a stronger
knowledge ofour company
and its needs

Demonstrated
a stronger
knowledge ofthe solution
area and thebusinesslandscapeProvidedhigher-quality
content

Very Important2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 1 6

31%

Provided
informational
content thatwas easy toconsume33%

The timelinessof a vendor’s
response toinquiries

Somewhat Important

Sales team
had moreinsights about
our company
and needs

More than half (56%) of companies have fouror more people involved in a purchase decision,
while 21% have seven or more stakeholders.

Buying Committees Continue To Grow As
Stakeholders Claim Roles In Purchase DecisionThis year’s research shows that the buying committees continue to grow year
over year. More than half (56%) have four or more people involved in a purchasedecision, while 21% have seven or more stakeholders. Companies with one to threepeople in a purchase decision dropped slightly from 47% in 2018 to 44% in 2019.
We also asked respondents to share what specific actions they took part induring the purchase decision. Diving deeper into the data, we see that:Primary Decision Makers have a major hand in all aspects of the purchasedecision, with a total average of 55% of decision makers participating in each partof the buying journey. Specifically, Primary Decision Makers had the biggest handin communication with outside sales reps (74%), engaging in calls/demos (58%)
and seeking RFP/competitive bids/pricing info from selected vendors.
Technical Buying Influencers have a smaller stake in the end-to-end sales
cycle, with an average of 31% of Technical Buying Influencers being involved
throughout the entire buying journey. Most of their time spent in the purchasedecision was involved in evaluating which solutions would fit well with existing
partners (39%), speaking with the sales rep at the selected vendor (36%) andaccepting outreach from vendors and engaging in calls and demos (35%).
Internal Influencers or Champions had a heavier hand in earlier parts of apurchase decision, such as speaking to and engaging with sales reps (37%),
developing informal lists of potential providers (33%) and seeking input frompeers/existing users in the community (33%).

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 17

What role did you playin this purchase?

65%

34%

23%

12%

11%

Primary
decisionmakerInternal
influencer/
champion

Technical
buyinginfluencer

Researcher

End user2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 1 8

70% of B2B buyers engage with a sales rep
within the first month.

Conclusion
This year’s B2B Buyers Survey shows that sellers need to be flexible andadaptable to meet the constantly shifting needs and expectations of theirpotential customers. With the majority (83%) agreeing that they often accelerateor put purchase decisions on hold based their business’ changing needs andpriorities, vendors have to ensure they are positioned to help accelerate thatdecision as much as possible.
In particular, more resources earlier on in the buying journey are of the mostimportance. The majority (73%) of respondents agree that they are relying on
more sources to research and evaluate purchases. This is particularly important
to content obtained via company websites and advertising, which have become
staple sources of information for buying committees.
Ultimately, it is clear that sales reps have become a vital source for B2B buyers in
the early days of a purchase decision. With the majority (70%) saying they speak
to reps within the first three months, and 42% saying they engage reps in undera month, B2B companies must ensure they are positioning sales reps to provide
the information buyers need to continue their path to purchase.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 19

How many people were involvedin the purchase process for the
recent B2B solution?

44%

35%

1-3

4-6

12%

9%

7-9

10 or more2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 20

Methodology
The 2019 B2B Buyers Survey includes responses from more than 250 B2Bmarketing, sales and IT executives between May and June of 2019. Respondents
stated that they predominately made software/technology purchases (54%),
with others purchasing IT hardware (19%), business/consulting services (9%),
promotional/advertising/media (6%) and parts and/or materials (5%). The
respondents hold a variety of titles and roles, including C-level (20%), VP-level(10%), Director (33%) and Managerial-level (30%).
In this year’s study, Demand Gen Report looked to take a deeper dive into thebuying committees within B2B organizations. As always, we looked at the total
number of people involved in the purchase process. More than half (56%) have atleast four people on their company’s buying committee — up from 53% in 2018.
Furthermore:• 44% have three or less people;• 35% have four to six people;• 12% have seven to nine people; and• 9% have 10 or more people involved in a purchase.
To understand the buying committee breakdown further, we also asked
respondents what role they played in the purchase decision and where they had
the biggest impact. Some key takeaways include:• 65% consider themselves the Primary Decision Maker;• 23% consider themselves the Technical Buying Influencer;• 34% consider themselves the Internal Influencer or Champion;• 12% consider themselves a Researcher; and• 11% consider themselves the End User.
The respondents work in a variety of industries, including High Tech (30%),
Manufacturing (13%), Financial (13%) and Professional Services (11%) industries.
Also, most respondents (72%) work at companies generating more than $100
million in annual revenue. Specifically, 21% generate between $100-500 million,
26% generate between $500 million and $1 billion, while 25% generate morethan $1 billion.

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 21

What is your company’s
annual revenue?

12%

9%

Less than $25 million$25-50 million

7%

21%

$50-100 million$100-500 million

26%

25%

$500 million-$1 billion

More than $1 billion

2019 B2B BU Y ERS SU RV E Y REPORT | 22

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Demand Gen Report is a targeted online publication that uncovers the strategies
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BRIAN ANDERSON
is an avid B2B journalist with a knack for all things trendy in the demand
generation, account-based marketing, artificial intelligence and databasemanagement space.