How hidden buyers think is gaining importance in B2B sales and marketing strategies.
Unlike executives focused on big-picture strategy, these buyers prioritize practical, actionable solutions. If they donโt feel confident in a vendorโs ability to address their function’s pain points, theyโll hesitate to champion the solution internally.
Influencing Hidden B2B Buying Influencers, the first article in my latest series, unpacksย the recent Edelman-LinkedIn Though Leadership Impact report. Drawing from my 25+ yearsย as a B2B marketing executiven, I showย why this is an important new tactic in both sales and marketing strategies.
ยฉEdelman-LinkedIn Thought Leadership Impact Report
How hidden buyers think: a surprising new finding
A surprising finding from the Edelman-LinkedIn study is that hidden buyers actively discover, consume and evaluate thought leadership just like targeted decision makers. This makes perfect sense because almost everyone has a stake in how a new purchase will affect their job performance even if a decision maker executive hasnโt asked for their thoughts.
- Humans typically value most what they have discovered on their own.
- Niched thought leadership can speak directly to their practical concerns and challenges.
Edelman-Linked report excerpt:
“Our research shows that buying decisions are increasingly consensus efforts between the principal buyer and a hidden group of critical influencers. Unlike primary buyers, these hidden influencers are less likely to have any direct relationships with the provider. It is here that high-quality thought leadership plays a vital role in credentialing a professional services firm and differentiating it from the competitive mass.โ
Knowing how hidden buyers think is a new cornerstone
My latest article on how hidden buyers think is an 8-minute read that summarizes the Edelman-LinkedIn report and includes aย recent example from my own client work (Fortune 50 company) in thought leadership.
