The days of ‘selling’ to B2B buyers in the traditional way are all but gone now.

In this Market View report, several respondents spoke to the importance of maintaining a human-centred perspective. “The line between being a buying representative of an organisation and being an individual with a personal life is blurring more and more online,” remarked one.

In this third and final edition of our MarketView publication on the topic, we have delved deeper into the latest thinking and developments around the role of human engagement across the B2B buying cycle. This time we’ve spoken to leading sales and marketing professionals at more than 60 B2B brands around the world, who have candidly shared their latest experiences and insights.

This Market View publication brings together fresh insights from 33 senior marketing executives at some of the UK’s best known B2B organisations operating in or adjacent to the IT and associated professional services industry.

The adoption and impact of digital marketing have been rapidly increasing, but buyers still crave human connection in complex B2B sales cycles. The Market View report provides insights and three key tips for injecting the human experience into the B2B sales process.

Pressure on people’s time and the fact that many employees still work remotely, post pandemic, have changed the way that B2B buyers get their information and discover potential suppliers.

The pandemic transformed the way millions of people lived, worked and communicated. In the B2B sales and marketing landscape, vendors had to find new ways to engage with their customers and employees.

Since B2B buyers are using more channels, B2B sellers must, too. Today’s B2B customers are very clear about what they want from suppliers: more channels, more convenience, and a more personalized experience. They want the right mix of in-person interactions, remote contact via phone or video, and e-commerce self-service across the purchasing journey.

In a world where face to face meetings are increasingly rare, organisers are instead launching a new generation of virtual events, which are not without their challenges. How can organisations create high quality content that will stand out in a crowded marketplace?

Two decades into digital transformation, and it’s not just technology being transformed. The way organisations relate to customers has changed, companies are no longer simply selling products, but delivering customer-focused solutions. The CMO is at the heart of the move towards account-based marketing.

The pandemic has converted B2B buyers to e-commerce in a big way. B2B sellers need new capabilities to meet their new expectations. Sales leaders worldwide recognize that driving B2B revenue growth will require significant reskilling among their teams. Of more than 400 sales leaders surveyed, 55 percent said that only about half of their sales force has the required capabilities.

The seeds for what will happen in B2B marketing by 2025 were already planted in the first phase of the pandemic. Recognizing and preparing are now of paramount importance.

The world we operate in today is far more complex than it has ever been for B2B marketing professionals. Today’s leaders face budget constraints, have to adapt to the impact of the Covid pandemic, which has created both an altered workforce dynamic and shifting customer behaviors, and must take into account new channels and privacy regulations.

The Covid-19 pandemic hit many industries hard, especially Foreign Direct Investment. Investment Promotion Agencies exist to attract and facilitate direct investment into regions and countries from international investors. So, what happens when international travel comes to a complete halt?

Achieving Return on Investment on marketing investments is the intention of every technology and services business. But over what period of time? We asked 23 enterprise technology and services marketing leaders about the brand marketing strategies they are currently deploying.

To be effective, marketing needs to be increasingly personalised and sales require more research than ever. There’s a need for varying forms of high quality content at every stage of the buying process, with marketing automation tools growing in importance.

Creating effective thought leadership means evaluating content ideas carefully, and then selecting the best format and platform for distribution. Organisations should strive to be collaborative in the creation of thought leadership, adding voices from customers, industry thought leaders and partners.

Customers nowadays expect more and companies need to shift to put them at the center of sales—by improving channels, technology, talent, incentives, and culture.

As Virtual Selling Continues to Grow, CSOs Must Identify the Most Valuable Technologies for Driving Business Outcomes.