Enterprise buying is hardly linear. It can feel like a wild rollercoaster ride, with highs and lows. A mix of emotions ranging from excitement to anxiety and uncertainty.
It is is undoubtedly one of the most complex systems in business, which is all the more reason to design it carefully.
"The New User Experience" in this blog’s title draws a parallel between the buying experience and the product’s user experience, implying that businesses should give equal attention to both — crafting the buying experience carefully. We’ll cover the intricacies of B2B buying, and how to connect with the human emotions, echoing the sentiments of "The Winning Bet of Marketing” and emphasizing "Emotionally Intelligent Marketing”.
The rollercoaster of B2B buying
Gartner defines the customer journey in four primary stages — there’s multiple people, and mixed emotions.
The process is heavily influenced by individuals in different roles with diverse set of interests and concerns, from CEOs to end-users. Buyers aren’t just looking at purchases to solve an immediate problem, they are most often motivated to solve longer-term, internal challenges that span multiple parts of the organization.
This buying group, of ten active decision-makers and seven occasional participants (source: Gartner), are engaging in numerous ways: accessing your website, viewing social media, using an interactive tool, reading a white paper, conducting a web search, talking to sales, learning from analysts, or utilizing many other channels.
Should we not carefully craft the buying experience just as we do the product experience, incorporating planning, user research, product management, UX design, engineering, emotional design, and continuous feedback?
Buying experience, akin to product experience
Products, especially digital products, obsess over "aha" moments.
In software, the "aha moment" is a pivotal point when a new user realizes the value of your product and why they need it. These moments are emotional and impactful, creating a powerful impression that encourages users to return.
The buying experience has its own "aha" moments. In fact, there are multiple such moments occurring throughout the buying journey, experienced by various individuals at different stages.
These experiences can be carefully crafted — highlighting the core value of the product to humans — the users, buyers, sponsors, influencers, partners, and others. They should be easy to scale, frictionless to access, and, ideally, experienced without needing to talk to anyone.
Akin to product and UX design, we have users, personas, jobs to be done, emotions, value to be created, and an experience that needs crafting.
Starting with a deeper understanding of:
Who are the users, buyers, sponsors, influencers, partners, and stakeholders?
What are their needs, motivations, and challenges?
What does each persona feel, think, and do at each stage of the buying journey?
What experiences can we create to deeply connect with the humans involved?
What ways can the social fabric and collaboration enhance the buying experience?
What steps are we taking to continuously learn and iterate to deliver a frictionless buying experience?
The finest salespeople, including founders, excel in navigating this journey. They approach it as a master craft, skillfully managing multiple parties while thoughtfully and emotionally nurturing relationships.
Today, we see a range of specialties: product marketers, sales development representatives, sales engineers, account executives, solution architects, and technical marketers—each contributing a vital part to these experiences.
But, a deliberate process of discovery, design, and development can allow us to scale experiences that feel magical. It reduces our dependency on individual skills and creates a more resilient system.
Considering a few personas, let's explore their desired goals and how we might best connect with their emotions to deliver an "aha" moment.
End-User
Goal: Evaluate the practical application and benefits of the solution for their specific role
Emotions: Apprehension, excitement, hope
“Aha” moments: Demonstrate how your solution can make their day-to-day work easier, more efficient, and more rewarding. Highlight the benefits they will personally experience.
Content: Product demos, user testimonials, how-to guides
Distribution: In-app messaging, user communities, product webinars
Executive Buyer (Final Decision Maker)
Goal: Make a confident, informed final decision that aligns with organizational goals
Emotions: Confidence, pride, satisfaction
“Aha” moments: Reinforce their confidence in the decision and the positive impact it will have on the organization. Show your commitment to their long-term success.
Content: Personalized value propositions, executive reference calls, success roadmaps
Distribution: Executive sponsor meetings, customer advisory boards, strategic business reviews
Executive Leader (CEO/Sponsor)
Goal: Identify business challenges and potential areas for improvement
Emotions: Ambition, concern, responsibility
“Aha” moments: Tap into their desire for business growth, efficiency, and staying ahead of the competition. Show how your solution can help them achieve their strategic goals and mitigate risks.
Content: Executive summaries, thought leadership content, case studies highlighting strategic impact
Distribution: Personalized executive briefings, exclusive industry events, targeted ABM campaigns
Technical Evaluator
Goal: Provide domain expertise to ensure the solution addresses specific challenges and requirements effectively
Emotions: Pride, responsibility, desire for recognition
“Aha moments”: Acknowledge their expertise, demonstrate understanding of their domain, show how your solution empowers them and enables continuous learning
Content: Domain-specific whitepapers, case studies featuring SME counterparts, SME-focused webinars and events, personalized value propositions
Distribution: Targeted email campaigns, LinkedIn and professional networks, industry associations and events, peer-to-peer referrals
Finance
Goal: Ensure the financial viability and ROI of the solution, while managing budgets and risk
Emotions: Caution, responsibility, diligence
“Aha” moments: Demonstrate how your solution delivers measurable value, reduces costs, and aligns with their financial objectives. Provide clear, data-driven evidence of ROI and financial benefits.
Content: ROI calculators, case studies highlighting cost savings and financial gains, detailed pricing and licensing information
Distribution: Finance-focused webinars, industry reports on financial impact, targeted email campaigns addressing financial concerns
Peer Discussion Group
A group formed to evaluate the problem at hand.
Goal: Validate findings, gather insights from peers, and discuss potential solutions
Emotions: Uncertainty, trust, validation
“Aha moments”: Foster a sense of community and shared experiences. Provide a platform for peers to connect, share insights, and learn from each other.
Content: User forums, customer success stories, peer review sites
Distribution: Social media groups, industry associations, customer advocacy programs
Procurement/Legal
Goal: Ensure compliance, mitigate risks, and negotiate favorable terms
Emotions: Risk aversion, compliance, fairness
“Aha moments”: Show your commitment to meeting their stringent requirements and mitigating potential risks. Emphasize your track record of successful, compliant implementations.
Content: Security and compliance documentation, case studies highlighting smooth procurement processes
Distribution: Procurement-focused events, trade publications, targeted email campaigns
Buying Consultant
Procurement expert, can be internal or an external consultant who guides organizations through the process of evaluating, selecting, and acquiring products
Goal: Define specific requirements and evaluate potential vendors against those criteria
Emotions: Expertise, objectivity, accountability
“Aha moments”: Demonstrate your deep understanding of their clients' needs and your ability to support their role as trusted advisors.
Content: Detailed product specifications, technical whitepapers, ROI calculators
Distribution: Consultant-specific webinars, trade shows, partner portals
Many of the ideas here, including content and distribution may exist. However, they are disjointed experiences and still extremely difficult to deliver successfully at scale. Different people work on a smaller part of the problem, often unaware of the big picture and what it takes to close the deal and build strong long-term relationships. As a result, we see significant spending, churn, and inefficiencies in today's go-to-market engines.
The buying experience demands a fresh, well-integrated approach that is rooted in discovery and learning; it should be self-serve and meticulously crafted down to every detail, ensuring it deeply resonates with human emotions. This is the essential point I'm emphasizing.
The buying experience will vary for your product and industry. Your "aha" moments—offer as many as possible in the buying journey and digitize them as much as possible. Why? Because the trend toward more digital and miniaturized experiences is only set to deepen with future generations. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z values quick, efficient, and personalized interactions.
How will you design your buying experience for this future generation?
