In ‘the good old days’
if you wanted to buy something B2B you relied on salespeople to keep you
educated – where else could you get detailed product information (outside of
trade magazines, exhibitions and the like)?
As part of your education, they also educated themselves regarding your
likelihood to buy what they had to offer and when. The really good ones then ensured that you
received appropriate information at the right time and, all things being equal,
you bought something from them.
Happiness all round.
In a recent blog
post, Gerhard Gschwandtner of Selling Power, quoting the Corporate
Executive Board, said that “57% of B2B buying steps are
completed before buyers connect with a salesperson.”
Clearly, purchasers
are now educating themselves by some other means. Step forward and take a bow, content
marketing.
