BlueWhale Research recently conducted a survey of over 400 IT decision makers at B2B software companies to uncover their priorities and motivators in the buying process. The 2024 IT Buyers’ Marketing Preferences Survey uncovered the resources IT buyers find most useful when evaluating new vendors, and how marketers can leverage these insights to more effectively target decision makers.
IT Buyers Want Tangible Proof of Value Before Meeting with Vendors
Over 60% of IT decision makers place the most value on pre-meeting resources that provide tangible insights and demonstrate the potential value of vendor offerings. When making a significant technology investment, it’s crucial for IT buyers to be able to accurately evaluate how a solution will perform and benefit their organization.
More than a third of IT buyers reported that specific examples of how a vendor’s product was successfully implemented for other customers was especially helpful in evaluating new solution providers. Showcasing these real-world results and potential benefits allows decision makers to assess whether a solution would be a good fit for their organization. Marketers who can provide highly relevant case studies prior to discovery meetings will distinguish themselves with buyers in proactively helping them to evaluate vendors and make informed purchasing decisions.
Another quarter of IT decision makers emphasized that proof of future ROI was important to understand prior to meeting with a vendor. While case studies can showcase the ROI of similar buyers, providing additional details about the potential ROI of their specific use case will help prospective buyers visualize the value of the solution and how it aligns with their organizational priorities.
Implementation Details Matter to IT Buyers
Having detailed information about the implementation process also enables informed decision making and risk assessment. Providing those details early on in the buying process can empower IT buyers to understand how a vendor’s solution will align with their existing infrastructure and organizational goals.
For IT buyers, the ease of implementation plays a big part in evaluating whether a new product is compatible with their existing solutions and information infrastructure. It’s also important that buyers understand how a new product can create efficiencies for their company post-implementation.
Provide Buyers with Total Cost of Ownership Early
Providing IT decision makers with details about the total cost of ownership (TCO) associated with implementing a new solution enables better budget planning. With IT buying cycles and vendor evaluation processes often lasting many months, vendors can get ahead of potential budget changes by providing TCO information early in the process.
Companies with less than 1,000 employees place more emphasis on understanding the total cost of ownership early. Purchasing decisions at smaller companies can have a more substantial effect on the overall budget compared to larger enterprises. Technology purchases will likely be implemented across more departments at a smaller or midsized company rather than being siloed within a department at a larger organization.
Creating Effective Resources for IT Decision Makers
B2B marketers who are targeting IT decision makers should use these insights to create tailored resources addressing buyers’ preferences early in the buying cycle. Content should be personalized to resonate with different buyer personas and how a product can create tangible value for their specific use case. By using case studies and ROI calculations, marketers can showcase their product’s effectiveness to build credibility with IT decision makers at the beginning of the buying cycle and drive prospects further down the sales funnel.
