In survey after survey, B2B buyers indicate that their purchase process has gotten more complex and their confidence in making good decisions is on the decline. We coined this trend the “Purchase Pessimism Pandemic“, where B2B buyers’ post-purchase sentiment shows how overwhelmed they are: with more stakeholders, more complexity, and more regret than ever before.
But things could be turning around?
Gartner’s Hank Barnes recently posted encouraging signs of improvement, based on early findings from Gartner’s latest business buyer study. While challenges remain, the trends suggest that both buyers and sellers are evolving toward a healthier and more efficient purchasing ecosystem.
Signs of Progress in B2B Purchasing
The Gartner study, which surveys post-decision B2B buyers from key functional areas—Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service—indicates early improvements in several critical aspects of the purchasing process.
Here’s a look at some of the promising trends highlighted in the early results, and what we are seeing:
1. Better Alignment
The indicators are that a higher proportion of purchases are now characterized as being mutually beneficial, with more clarity around win-win value. This shift reflects better alignment between solution offerings and organizational needs, and a focus on more sustainable long-term partnerships rather than opportunistic transactional sales.
2. Consensus Clarity
With more stakeholders, buyers felt that they had to make outsized compromises in the decision process. And too often, expectations were not being set properly by sellers. The early results show a decline in conflict, suggesting improved communication, clearer expectations, and more collaborative approaches to decision-making.
3. Improved Post-Purchase Experiences
The study highlights better experiences for buyers after a deal is closed. This improvement is crucial, as a poor post-purchase experience and buyer regret can undermine confidence in the vendor and the decision-making process, leading to buyer remorse and churn.
4. Fewer Surprise Steps in Buying Processes
Historically, buyers have expressed frustration over unexpected hurdles that emerge during the purchasing process. Fewer respondents are now reporting this issue, a sign that organizations are streamlining workflows and fostering transparency in how decisions are made.
5. Shorter Cycle Times for Completed Purchases
While drawn-out purchase cycles remain a challenge in some areas, the study reveals that completed purchases are taking less time than before. This acceleration may reflect improved decision-making frameworks and clearer alignment among stakeholders.
Emerging Optimism: What’s Driving These Trends?
We see three improvements which may be contributing to these positive developments:
- Evolving Buyer Sophistication: Despite many cooks in the kitchen and information overload, Buyers are finding new ways to bring the team together and cut through the noise, with more informed and deliberate decision-making, relying on data and collaborative input rather than individual biases.
- Improved Seller Practices: Sellers are better adopting value-selling approaches, focusing on buyer outcomes with better discovery, better alignment to strategic goals and CFO-ready-business cases that are as good at telling the value story as they are in quantifying the ROI.
- Technological Advancements: Tools and platforms are helping buyers and sellers co-create their proposals and business cases, enabling better communication and collaboration.
A Shared Journey to Better Buying in 2025?
As Hank Barnes aptly notes, while these improvements are encouraging, there is still work to do. Buyers need greater clarity, consistency, and confidence throughout their purchasing journey. Sellers must continue to prioritize value-driven engagement, transparency, and post-sale support.
The Bottom-Line
The upcoming release of the full Gartner study promises to deliver more actionable insights for both buyers and sellers. For now, these early signs of progress offer a reason to be optimistic as we head into the new year.
As Barnes concludes, “Together, we can all make buying better.” This sentiment underscores the collaborative nature of change—improving the buying process requires mutual commitment from all stakeholders.
Here’s to a future where purchasing isn’t just a transaction, but a transformative partnership. Happy holidays, and here’s to a brighter 2025!
Source: Holiday Miracle? – https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/holiday-miracle-hank-barnes-ostve/?trackingId=6IpcLIpkTr%2BxlyJ7RjYnuA%3D%3D
