From a sales standpoint, a lot has to go right to complete a B2B deal. From the moment one of the many marketing outreaches proves effective to every effort undertaken once that radar has locked in, there are a number of potential missteps along the way.
A new Edelman/LinkedIn report highlights how 40% of B2B deals “stall due to internal misalignment within buying groups,” putting major blame on the hidden buyers within the organization who “significantly influence business purchases even if they are not the primary users of a product or service.”
How Do Hidden Buyers Impact Sales Decisions?
These hidden decision-makers are often as active as the target decision-makers in how they discover, consume, and evaluate, but may hold a particular key for thought leaders looking to unlock a sale.
“Both hidden and target buyers agree: high-quality thought leadership is more effective than traditional marketing or product information in conveying a supplier’s capabilities, thinking, and value,” the Invisible Influence report says. “In today’s crowded marketplace, high-quality, memorable thought leadership isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a critical lever for earning trust, creating differentiation, and winning deals.”
Some key takeaways:
- 95% of hidden decision-makers say that, for marketing and sales efforts trying to reach them, strong thought leadership makes them more receptive, with 71% saying it’s more effective than conventional materials at demonstrating value and 64% saying it’s more trustworthy.
- 91% of hidden decision-makers say thought leadership uncovers challenges or needs that hadn’t been recognized (as opposed to 81% of target decision-makers.
(Source: Edelman)
“For hidden buyers in particular, the right thought leadership can transform initial skepticism into advocacy, creating champions for lesser-known brands,” the report says, which found that a vendor being the “safest choice” was the least-important consideration for hidden buyers at that last purchasing stage.
“At the moment of the final decision, great content can help level the playing field, inspiring hidden buyers to advocate for less familiar vendors.”
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