How B2B Buying Decisions Are Made

When selling B2B consulting and services, we must think about how our prospects make buying decisions. 

When a business considers hiring an expert to deliver a 5-figure or 6-figure contract they ask themselves a series of questions. 

It doesn’t matter whether they need to improve sales processes, manage a huge IT project, provide expert safety strategy, or create a carbon-neutral supply chain, the buying decision follows a similar process. 

They ask themselves:

Who have we worked with before? Who do we know in our network? Who do our competitors use? 

The key here is AWARENESS. 

Buying decisions start with WHO THEY KNOW. 

This is why traditional B2B consultants and service providers join the golf club, actively participate in alumni networks and go to networking events. 

The key is to BECOME THE ONE THEY KNOW. 

Building relationships is so key when selling high-ticket 5-figure and 6-figure services. 

The second question a business decision-maker asks is:

Who is an expert in this area? Who did we hear speak about this at a conference? Have we read someone’s book on this topic? Have we heard a podcast or interview from an expert?

The key here is AUTHORITY. 

Buying decisions move to  WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY HELP THEM

This is why traditionally b2b consultants and service providers seek to speak at conferences, facilitate workshops and breakout sessions, and deliver keynotes, masterclasses, and webinars. 

The key is to become a thought leader, one that people UNDERSTAND has a unique solution that can solve unique problems. 

The third question a business decision-maker asks is:

Who works with companies just like us with our unique challenges and characteristics? 

The key here is RELEVANCE. 

You do not need to be the biggest brand in the market or the greatest authority, but if you are uniquely relevant and distinct, able to solve problems for a specific niche in the market you can beat out the big guys. 

They key here is to share case studies and telling your own story well you can show how you are able to solve very specific problems with unique distinctions. 

When we understand how B2B buying decisions are made and know that AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING, and RELEVANCE are all critical, this helps us with our sales process. 

LinkedIn is your 24/7 networking, conference, and content-sharing platform. 

You don’t need to join the golf club [although by all means do that too]. 

You don’t need to attend conferences and network events [although of course, they’re great]. 

You don’t need to publish a book, have a podcast or a blog to be distinct and relevant. 

You just need to leverage LinkedIn. 

1. Connect with the right people. 

2. Share the right content. 

3. Offer the right value. 

Systemise this process for consistency. 

With these simple steps you can be filling your pipeline with 5-figure and 6-figure deals all day every day.