Strong personal relationships most influential aspect of CX buying process

Business buyers are most influenced by meeting suppliers in person when deciding who they want to work with, B2B Marketing’s new report on customer experience has revealed.

When asked about the most influential factors in their decision to work with a particular supplier, 32% of B2B buyers said ‘meeting with suppliers’, followed by ‘talking to colleagues and peers’ (17%) and ‘opinions of industry analysts’ (13%).

Conversely, the least influential factors were cited as whitepapers and thought leadership pieces, industry league tables and discussions about suppliers on social media.

The importance of personal relationships was also emphasised at the beginning of the buyer journey, with 68% of buyers revealing that they prefer to get to know potential suppliers at trade conferences and exhibitions.

Danielle Howe, reports editor at B2B Marketing, commented: “The fact buyers are so influenced by the relationships they build with suppliers is perhaps no surprise, but more unexpected is the fact that content such as whitepapers actually has such a small role to play in pushing buyers over the line.

“This is yet another reminder that B2B buyers cannot neglect the human side of customer experience, as an increasing amount of time and money is spent on digital marketing.”

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