Today’s B2B buyer journey is far from linear. In fact, I'd say it looks more like a maze drawn by Dr. Seuss than it does a straight path.
Throughout the B2B sales process, it’s important to keep in mind that buyers are not static – their needs, criteria, and behavior can (and likely will) change over time. To maintain positive momentum with your sales cycle, it’s critically important to keep your messaging fresh and relevant to the pain points your prospects are experiencing and where they are in the funnel. With this in mind, we’re going to take a look at the different pain points buyers are experiencing at each stage and how to shift your messaging to resonate with your prospects.
Buyers at this stage are just getting a sense of the landscape, they may or may not have their specific goals and KPIs defined, and might not yet know what success looks like. One important thing to note here is that some prospects may be feeling overwhelmed by the task they have to complete or the solution landscape overall. This is key because we want to avoid overwhelming them with information, which can lead to a prospect simply choosing to do nothing rather than deal with the headache of tackling their difficult task. Top-of-funnel pain points might include:
Examples of top-of-funnel pain points:
Your messaging for top-of-funnel buyers should focus on consulting the prospect and guiding them through what may seem like a daunting task for them.
Types of content buyers may find useful:
Buyers at this stage of the funnel have a good idea of who the major/minor players are in the space and likely have a list of the companies they are researching and considering. They may already be talking to some companies – shopping around, getting pricing quotes, etc. In addition, buyers at this stage probably have their specific goals and KPIs in mind. Some mid-funnel pain points might be things like:
Examples of middle-of-funnel pain points:
Messaging for buyers in the consideration stage should focus on the features and benefits of your solution.
Types of resources buyers may find useful:
Buyers at this stage of the process have only a couple of companies on their shortlist, and they are likely deep into talks with them. At this stage, the prospect will likely choose whichever company and technology they deem the best fit for their needs. Some common bottom-of-funnel pain points are:
Examples of bottom-of-funnel pain points:
Messaging for bottom-of-funnel buyers should be centered around justifying your solution’s cost and empowering your internal champion to sell for you. This could include things like:
Types of content buyers may find useful:
Understanding where your prospects are in the buying cycle and how their organization flows to get decisions done is the key to personalizing your messaging to speak directly to their pain points. When done properly, this will not only make your messages more engaging and powerful, but it will also make you come across as more knowledgeable and empathetic to their specific needs. This will allow you to become a trusted advisor to them – giving you the air of authority in their buying decision.
If you’d like to learn more about using first-party intent data to understand where your website visitors are in their buying process, check out our article on Account Scoring.