Once best-known as an Arthur Miller play, the phrase “death of a salesman” has lately become an all-too-realistic fear. Since the late-1990s ushered in the age of the digital sales cycle, buyers have changed the way they vet vendors and procure products — by doing the research themselves online. Today, when B2B buyers are considering a purchase, they spend only 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers.

This means buyers are making valuable purchasing decisions often without interacting with the brand itself. By the time most salespeople enter the B2B buying cycle — about 70% of the way in — most of the decision has already been made.

That may sound defeating, but it’s a great opportunity for brands to establish themselves as thought leaders online and engage with customers in new and creative ways. With the right brand messaging, businesses can actually reward buyers’ searches with content that is relevant, valuable, educational, trusted, transparent, and authentic.

I think the best way to show the impact this new customer journey is having on the B2B buying cycle is to break it down by the numbers:

The numbers speak for themselves. Contact us so we can start developing an innovative strategy to get your brand back in the buying cycle.