As Halloween approaches, the chills creeping down the spines of B2B go-to-market (GTM) leaders aren’t from ghost stories but from the frightening state of buyer confidence and satisfaction.
For sales, marketing, customer success, sales enablement, and value consulting teams, the latest research paints a haunting picture of decision-maker regret, declining deal quality, and an overall lack of confidence.
Let’s explore some of the scariest metrics facing B2B leaders today and uncover how to vanquish these challenges.
A 40% Drop in High-Quality Deals: Buyer Confidence is Ghosting Us
Over the past three years, Gartner uncovered a terrifying reality: a 40% decline in the number of deals buyers perceive as high-quality. Fewer than 1 in 5 buyers now feel confident that their recent B2B purchase was the right decision. This means only 17% of purchases are seen as high quality—a stark drop that signals a chilling erosion of trust.
For marketing and sales leaders, this signals a major crisis. The buying journey has become more complex and crowded with options, but instead of clarity, buyers are left with doubt. This lack of confidence leads to:
- Delayed deals: Uncertain buyers take longer to commit, causing sales cycles to drag.
- Renewal shortfalls: Post-purchase dissatisfaction makes it harder to secure renewals.
- Expansion barriers: If buyers lack faith in the initial purchase, they’re unlikely to buy more.
2 Out of 3 Buyers Regret Their Decisions
Another spine-tingling insight from Gartner’s research: two-thirds of buyers express regret shortly after finalizing their purchase. This post-purchase remorse spells disaster for customer success and account managers.
Buyers who feel regret aren’t just questioning the product’s value—they’re questioning their own judgment, creating an uphill battle for renewals and expansion opportunities.
Are your customer success teams equipped to turn this around? Fostering confidence after the sale is just as crucial as during the buying process.
What Do Buyers Really Want?
Understanding and meeting buyer needs is the key to lifting the fog of uncertainty. According to Gartner, the top three ways to engage more effectively with today’s skeptical buyers are:
- 43% of buyers prioritize vendors who deeply understand their business, identify key issues, and help them reach strategic goals.
- 37% of decision-makers seek partners who actively collaborate to achieve business outcomes, including delivering tangible benefits like cost savings and productivity gains.
- 22% of buyers value vendors who boost their confidence in making decisions by guiding them through the complexities of choosing and deploying the right solutions.
These statistics scream for action. Your sales teams must go beyond the transactional sale, focusing on becoming trusted partners who deliver value and solutions that speak directly to the customer’s business challenges.
4. The Power of Top Performers: Articulating Value
Research from RAIN Group gives a glimpse into how top sales reps are defying these haunting trends. According to their data,
- 63% of top-performing sales reps excel in building strong ROI and buying cases,
- 60% are skilled at delivering persuasive value storytelling and presentations.
These top performers are able to:
- Effectively articulate value: They demonstrate how their solutions solve critical pain points, aligning with buyer needs.
- Equip internal champions: They empower their advocates within the buyer’s organization to make a strong case to economic buyers and executives.
If your sales teams aren’t building compelling ROI cases or delivering differentiating value-based presentations, they risk being just another haunting memory in the buyer’s regret-filled decision-making process.
The Bottom-Line: What Should GTM Leaders Do?
To prevent these metrics from becoming permanent nightmares, B2B GTM leaders need to prioritize the following:
- Revamp Your Value Proposition: Ensure your teams can clearly and persuasively demonstrate how your solutions solve specific buyer challenges, deliver ROI, and drive business outcomes. Equip internal champions with the tools they need to advocate for your solution.
- Focus on Post-Purchase Confidence: Your customer success teams should be laser-focused on boosting buyer confidence after the deal closes. Providing ongoing support and clear communication of value is critical to securing renewals and expansion.
- Align Sales and Value Consulting: Sales enablement and value consulting teams should work together to equip sellers with the data, insights, and tools they need to build trust. From strategic account mapping to personalized value presentations, this alignment will drive better engagement with today’s skeptical buyers.
- Collaborate for Tangible Outcomes: Buyers aren’t just looking for products—they’re looking for partners who can help them reach their goals. Your teams must work collaboratively with buyers, offering tailored solutions and ongoing support to deliver measurable benefits, like cost savings and productivity improvements.
As B2B leaders, you must confront these scary metrics head-on.
By understanding what today’s buyers want, empowering your teams to build strong ROI cases, and boosting confidence throughout the customer lifecycle, you can turn these spooky statistics into growth opportunities.
Now, who’s ready to face the haunting challenges ahead?
Checkout these Metrics that Matter for even more insights and advice (quick registration required):
Metrics that Matter: Driving Your Value Selling, Marketing and Customer Success
