The rules of B2B buying are quietly changing.
And those who notice early will have an edge.
B2B buying was never simple. But today, it feels like we’ve moved into a whole new world.
What we once called “buying groups”, a handful of stakeholders navigating a decision together, is evolving. As Meta Karagianni brilliantly describes, we’re now seeing the rise of #BuyingNetworks.
It’s no longer a predictable journey from awareness to consideration to purchase.
It’s a complex web of interactions: influencers, hidden advisors, internal champions, skeptics, users, procurement and all dynamically influencing the buying decision in real time.
And while we are adapting to this new buying reality, another subtle but profound shift is underway: the way we capture buying intent is at risk of disruption.
For years, we’ve depended on clear signals such as search queries, website visits, engagement on affiliate and review sites, to understand when a buyer was leaning in.
But now, with the increasing use of LLMs for research, we have to ask ourselves.. Will the traditional search volumes decline or they already are on the decline? Will buying intent from conventional sources become less visible or relevant?
If buyers get their answers from an AI model rather than a search engine or a comparison site, how do we as marketers detect those signals?
This is the strategic question that B2B marketers and sellers must grapple with fast.
I’d be keen to understand how you as a marketer are solving these challenges. Happy to have a discussion here or 1:1 to gain insights from your experiences.
Covasant #AI #CMOInsights #BuyerIntent #BuyerNetwork