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The B2B Buyer’s Journey Has Changed — Here Are 7 Ways to Keep Up, According to G2’s Director of SMB Sales [+ New Data]

The B2B buyer’s journey has shifted profoundly over the past few years; if you’re wondering why, I’ve got one answer: An overwhelming amount of choice. As G2’s Director of SMBs Mike Buscemi explains, “Software buyers today act like B2C consumers because they have so many options. Hundreds of software vendors are out there, and over 115,000 are on G2. Buyers have an abundance to pick and choose from.” Ultimately, this means the seller’s journey will have to shift, too.

I spoke with Mike about how the software buyer’s journey — a popular branch of B2B sales — has changed, according to G2’s 2024 Buyer’s Behavior Report data, and how salesfolks can expect the B2B sales strategy to pivot in 2025. I’ll also unpack some other insightful stuff, from deciphering how the new-age B2B buyer’s journey actually works (and how to map it out) to outlining applicable recommendations so you can effectively tailor your own sales strategy.

All of this said, there’s a ton to cover, so let’s get into it.

Table of Contents:

Traditionally, the B2B buyer’s journey has been viewed as a linear progression through three specific stages; they’re as follows:

  • Awareness: The buyer becomes aware of a problem or opportunity
  • Consideration: They research and consider potential solutions
  • Decision: They evaluate specific vendors and make a purchase decision

But today, this journey has become increasingly complex and non-linear. The traditional three-stage model still provides a foundation, but modern buyers are already engaging with multiple touchpoints, across multiple channels, pre-purchase. Nowadays, consumers are expecting a more personalized, genuine approach.

Basically, if you want to capture a customer, satisfying the core pillars of B2B buying is, unfortunately, considered as “meeting expectations.” Recent data from HubSpot’s State of Consumer Trends Report even echoes this reality. Check out some key findings:

  • 63% of U.S. consumers say it’s more important for marketing videos to be authentic than polished
  • 50% of U.S. consumers appreciate when brands share their values
  • 1 in 4 social media users brought a product on social media in the past 3 months

Because of this dawn of authentic consumer expectations, businesses need to align their sales and marketing efforts with how buyers research, evaluate, and, most importantly, decide on solutions.

If you haven’t made the shift yet, don’t worry. There’s still time. Making this adjustment begins with completely dissecting the B2B buying journey you know (and may love) to explore how it’s functioning in today’s digital-first world. I’ll cover how to do this in the next section.

B2B Buyer’s Journey Stages

Before I discuss all the ways in which the B2B buyer’s journey has been completely flipped on its head, I think it’s fitting to start with explaining the foundational stages that have traditionally defined it.

As mentioned above, the B2B buyer’s journey has followed a relatively straightforward path for years. Buyers identify a problem, research solutions, and decide after carefully considering their options. For years, this process worked for sales teams; it gave them predictable milestones to follow, making it easier to guide prospects from one stage of the sales cycle to another.

But, as I’ve already shared, how B2B buyers approach purchasing decisions has evolved substantially over the last few years. Things just ain’t the way they used to be.

To help you better understand how the buyer’s journey has advanced, I’ll first dive deep into its traditional structure, which we’re both (likely) pretty familiar with. Check out my full, more detailed breakdown below:

1. Awareness: The buyer becomes aware of a problem or opportunity.

At this stage, the buyer recognizes a gap, inefficiency, or challenge within their organization. Naturally, they’ll begin researching industry trends, reading reports, and consuming educational content to understand their problem more deeply and clearly.

Typically, during this stage, B2B buyers will ask themselves (and intently research) questions like:

  • Are other companies in our industry experiencing similar issues?
  • Who within our organization should be involved in addressing this challenge?
  • What specific challenges are we facing, and how are they affecting our business?

I’ll give you an example: This stage could look like a marketing manager at a mid-sized company realizing their current email automation tool isn’t effectively nurturing leads, leading to a drop in conversion rates. To address this issue, they begin researching common pain points in email marketing automation and exploring potential solutions.

2. Consideration: They research and consider potential solutions.

Now that the buyer has clearly defined their problem, they begin exploring different solutions and approaches.

This stage involves reading case studies, attending webinars, consulting peers, and analyzing feature comparisons to determine which solutions are worth investing in.

I’ll continue on with my example from the awareness stage: After identifying the need for a better email automation tool, the marketing manager starts researching different software solutions. They’ll probably read customer reviews on platforms like G2, scope out industry reports, and review feature lists to see how products compare against each other. They’ll also sign up for free trials and attend webinars to evaluate how well each option aligns with their needs.

3. Decision: They evaluate specific vendors and make a purchase decision.

At this stage, B2B buyers have narrowed their options and are comparing specific vendors. By this point in their journey, they seek validation through customer testimonials, product demos, free trials, and stakeholder buy-in.

Before deciding, they also review pricing, implementation processes, contract terms, and customer support.

Lastly, to finish out my example, after testing a few email automation tools and gathering feedback from their team, the marketing manager narrows the options down to two vendors. They schedule demos with sales representatives, request customized pricing based on their company’s needs, and analyze ROI projections. They choose the tool that offers the best balance of customer support, ease of use, and scalability, then finalize the purchase contract and implementation plan with the selected vendor.

What the B2B Buying Journey Looks Like

So, now you know the truth: the B2B buying journey has gotten a serious makeover due to digital transformation, increased buyer empowerment, and a growing demand for candidness. These factors have diverted the journey from its customary phases and toward an experience that’s a little more dynamic and, well … more complex.

Gartner’s contemporary assessment of the B2B buyer’s journey offers some more enlightenment on all this. Buyers embark on a non-linear journey that involves looping through various “buying jobs” rather than progressing through sequential stages (like we’ve been used to seeing all these years).

Instead of moving straight from problem identification to purchase, buyers often revisit earlier stages, reassess their needs, and gather additional input before making a final decision. These buying jobs include:

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1. Problem Identification: Recognizing and defining the problem or need.

B2B buyers begin by analyzing their organization’s pain points, inefficiencies, or missed opportunities. This step often involves internal discussions, data analysis, and stakeholder input to determine if the issue is significant enough to warrant a solution.

To sketch a more illustrative picture, I’ll introduce a brief example: A VP of Sales at a growing tech company notices that their team is struggling to hit quota due to inefficiencies in tracking and managing leads. After reviewing CRM data and gathering feedback from sales reps, they identify that their current sales software lacks automation and integration capabilities, prompting them to explore more advanced sales enablement solutions.

2. Solution Exploration: Researching and evaluating potential solutions.

At this stage, buyers explore various ways to address their challenges. They may read industry reports, attend webinars, consult peers, or analyze competitor strategies to understand the available options.

I’ll continue with my example to further explain this buying job: The VP of Sales, recognizing the need for a more efficient solution, begins researching popular sales enablement tools. They read reports on the latest CRM advancements; they reach out to peers in their network to gather insights on which platforms have improved sales productivity. Additionally, they analyze how competitors are structuring their sales processes to identify best practices that could help their team close deals more effectively.

3. Requirements Building: Determining the specific criteria and features needed.

Buyers outline the must-have functionalities, budget constraints, implementation considerations, and other key factors influencing their decision. This step ensures they select a solution that aligns with business goals and operational needs.

My example proceeds as follows: The VP of Sales compiles a list of essential features the new sales enablement tool must have, including automated lead scoring, seamless CRM integration, and real-time analytics. They collaborate with the finance team to define a budget and consult with IT to assess implementation feasibility and security requirements. They also gather input from sales reps to ensure the chosen solution will be user-friendly and enhance productivity without disrupting existing workflows.

4. Supplier Selection: Identifying and comparing potential vendors.

Buyers create a shortlist of vendors that meet their established requirements. They often narrow their choices by comparing pricing models, customer support options, integration capabilities, and past client reviews.

My example continues: The VP of Sales narrows down the options to three sales enablement platforms that meet their must-have criteria. They schedule product demos with each vendor, request tailored pricing based on their team’s size and needs, and gather feedback from sales managers who participate in the trials. To ensure a well-informed decision, they also review case studies, compare customer support offerings, and assess contract flexibility before selecting the vendor that best aligns with their company’s growth strategy and operational requirements.

5. Validation: Confirming the chosen solution meets the requirements.

Buyers seek proof of value through case studies, product demos, free trials, or pilot programs. They may also request references from existing customers to ensure the solution performs as promised.

Next: The VP of Sales schedules demos with the three shortlisted vendors to see their sales enablement tools in action. They sign up for a free trial to test key features like automated lead scoring and pipeline forecasting with real sales data. To further validate their decision, they reach out to each vendor’s existing customers, asking about their experience with implementation, support, and overall impact on sales performance.

6. Consensus Creation: Gaining buy-in and approval from all stakeholders involved.

In B2B sales, purchasing decisions rarely rest with one person. Buyers must align various stakeholders to ensure everyone agrees on the chosen solution before proceeding.

Lastly: The VP of Sales schedules meetings with key stakeholders, including:

  • The CFO to justify the investment
  • The IT team to confirm system compatibility
  • Sales managers to ensure the tool meets their team’s needs

They present data from their research, including cost-benefit analyses and case studies from similar companies, to build a compelling case for adoption. After addressing concerns and gathering feedback, they work toward consensus, ensuring all departments are aligned before moving forward with final negotiations.

How to Map the B2B Buyer’s Journey

Since the B2B buyer’s journey has changed, mapping its progress has become inevitably more layered. Again, this requires businesses need to take a more intentional, data-driven approach to connecting with potential customers, ensuring that every touchpoint aligns with a buyer’s decisions.

Here’s how I recommend you map the B2B buyer’s journey on your own, step by step:

1. Understand who your buyers are.

You can’t do anything without knowing who you’re selling to. In short, this first stage of the B2B buyer’s journey is all about one thing: Research.

B2B purchasing decisions often involve multiple big-shot stakeholders with different concerns and priorities. Although you may primarily communicate with one individual, you’ll likely need approval from C-suite folks, managers, and other high-level executives to move the deal forward.

Thus, you’ll need to do the following:

  • Identify decision-makers, influencers, and important end-users involved in the buying process
  • Figure out their pain points, goals, and motivations when seeking a solution (it might help to look to recent news or current events that are relevant to them, that you can link your offering to)
  • Segment buyers based on industry, company size, or role to create tailored strategies

2. Determine which stages your buyers loop back to the most.

I’ve already shared that the traditional B2B buyer’s journey has three core stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. But, as I’ve also revealed, you shouldn’t expect an easy-to-follow with modern B2B buyers. Going forward, you should always assume buyers are taking the extra time to research independently and consult multiple sources for validation and credibility.

With that in mind, here are my tips for taking a closer look at how to identify buyer engagement patterns:

  • Recognize the information they seek at each stage (you can use this resource to help you collect journey analytics if you’re a HubSpot Sales Hub user)
  • Map out common questions and concerns that arise during the buying process
  • Analyze platforms and channels buyers use for research

3. Identify what channels buyers are engaging with.

This part of mapping out the “new and improved” B2B buyer’s journey closely connects to the previous step. Buyers interact with multiple channels before making a decision, so you’ll need to identify where they engage organically and, based on that information, how you’ll meet them.

Getting this information will absolutely require a commitment to doing some thorough deep diving, but I promise you it’s not as complicated as it may seem. Here’s what you’ll want to do:

  • Find out where/how your buyers consume content (blogs, LinkedIn, industry reports, social media influencers, etc.)
  • Identify their preferred engagement methods (look through those email blast stats, see if customers are utilizing live chat services via your website, if they’re scheduling product demos, etc.)

4. Audit existing content and resources.

Once you’ve clarified a buyer’s decision-making process and the ‘why’ behind their purchasing decisions, it’s time to evaluate whether your current content and sales resources are synced with each other and (of course) each stage of the B2B buyer’s journey.

Here’s what you’ll want to do to ensure that content strategy isn’t just comprehensive but accommodating for and to your customers:

  • Comb through your existing content library and find gaps; ask yourself if you’re missing content (i.e., FAQs or comparison charts) that helps buyers make a decision
  • Prioritize educational content, not just promotional (buyers don’t want a hard sell; they need to be eased into a purchase with facts, testimonials, and insights)
  • Provide a mix of written, visual, and interactive resources to match different buyer preferences

5. Implement a lead scoring and tracking system that works.

Here’s a (maybe) difficult pill to swallow: Not all leads are equally ready to buy.

And I already know you’re thinking about how you’re supposed to solve a problem like this. Luckily, there is a way to work with, not fight against, this hard truth (and your customers); it starts with a lead-scoring system. A lead-scoring system helps prioritize prospective buyers based on engagement, behavior, and intent signals.

Here’s how I recommend going about rolling out your own lead-scoring and tracking approach:

  • Assign point values to actions that indicate buying intent
  • Use CRM and marketing automation tools to keep a pulse on buyer engagement (HubSpot’s Sales Hub has really awesome, really advanced lead-scoring and tracking software)
  • Organize sales follow-ups based on buyer readiness (early-stage leads likely need a little more nurturing, late-stage leads may be ready for more formal outreach)

6. Align your efforts with marketing and sales.

Sales and marketing must work together to ensure a smooth transition from lead generation to conversion. I know this partnership isn’t always natural but it is 100% necessary to provide prospective buyers with the best experience possible with your product or service.

Here’s what I suggest doing to make this collaboration a lot less hard on your sales and marketing folks:

  • Define clear handoff criteria, and find an exact point in the B2B buyer’s journey where you think a customer could transition from a marketing-qualified lead (MQL) to a sales-qualified lead (SQL)
  • Double down on checking in with sales teams to confirm that they’re following up with content based on where a buyer is in their journey
  • Create shared key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics to measure success

7. Continuously optimize and refine the journey.

Buyer behaviors evolve, and so should your B2B journey map. What worked last year might not be as effective today, especially as buyers become more independent in their decision-making. This isn’t something to fear, though.

Here are my tips for what you can do to keep it up-to-date and results-driven:

  • Review conversion rates at each stage
  • Gather customer feedback to understand
  • A/B test sales messaging and content formats to improve buyer engagement

B2B vs. B2C Buyer’s Journey

The B2B and B2C buyer’s journeys may sound alike, but they aren’t as one and the same as you may think. While both involve decision-making, research, and evaluation of offerings, the complexity, timelines, and number of stakeholders involved vary distinctly.

I consider the B2B and B2C buyer’s journeys like distant family members: they’re not quite identical twins, just relatives with some overlapping traits. However, if you’re struggling with differentiating the two processes, take a look at the list I put together below that highlights their distinct features and significant contrasts:

1. Both journeys are structured very differently.

The B2B buying journey is often a long, multi-step process. It involves extensive research and multiple decision-makers, and it can take weeks or even months to make a purchase decision. Businesses typically move through awareness, consideration, and decision stages with due diligence at each stage of the B2B buying journey.

Oppositely, the B2C buyer’s journey is much shorter and more emotional; it also involves fewer people. In the B2C buyer’s journey, there’s a great emphasis on brand appeal, convenience, and pricing. Buyers may move from awareness to purchase in minutes, especially for lower-cost items.

2. Difference in the sales cycle.

As I briefly mentioned above, B2B sales cycles aren’t necessarily completed overnight. They tend to be longer and more complex due to higher price points, contract negotiations, and the need for buy-in from other folks. The B2B sales cycle often involves demos, meetings, and detailed proposals before making a deal.

Conversely, B2C sales cycles take less time. Here’s why:

  • B2C purchase decisions are driven by impulse
  • B2C purchase decisions are likely influenced by brand recognition, trust, and familiarity
  • The B2C sales cycle can be expedited with pricing or promotional offers

Some high-stakes purchases may require more consideration (like electronics or fine jewelry), but most B2C purchases happen quickly.

3. Difference in buying decisions.

In the B2B buyer’s journey, buyers prioritize logic, efficiency, and ROI. Their decisions are based on factors such as:

  • Long-term value
  • Integration capabilities (aka how easily employees and stakeholders could adopt a product or service)
  • Scalability and future-proofing (aka ensuring the solution can grow with the company and adapt to evolving needs)

B2B buyers often seek out case studies, testimonials from other businesses in their industry, and detailed specifications before purchasing.

On the other hand, B2C buyers are all about emotional appeals, social proof, and marketing tactics. Brands that leverage social media marketing, loyalty programs, discounts or sales, and exclusive rewards will likely capture B2C buyers immediately and embolden them to make impulse-driven purchases more quickly.

4. Difference in marketing efforts.

When it comes to promotional and marketing efforts, the B2B buying journey is laser-focused on education, lead nurturing, and relationship building. Content marketing, webinars, LinkedIn outreach, and email campaigns are major in guiding buyers toward making an informed purchase decision.

B2C marketing and promotional efforts, however, totally rely on, as I’ve acknowledged, emotional appeals, social proof (i.e., customer reviews, influencer marketing, word-of-mouth endorsements), and authentic marketing campaigns that represent the buyer’s lifestyle, values, and aspirations.

How the B2B Buyer Journey Has Evolved — And How You Can Shift Your Strategy

In my experience working with various B2B SaaS clients, I’ve noticed a significant shift in how buyers approach software purchases.

While writing a white paper for a CRM client, I realized recently that buyers are using their autonomy to the fullest. They had already researched multiple options, read countless reviews, and tried free product versions. They were going to know everything I planned to enlighten them on. Go figure.

The only viable solution became apparent: My content needed to go beyond basic product information and focus on differentiators and specific use cases.

Here’s some insight into how I refined my approach and key suggestions (offered by G2’s Director of SMB, Michael Buscemi) for how you can do the same thing:

1. Buyers need more trust with all stakeholders involved in a sale.

In 2025, many buyers don’t trust sales. As a result, their buying preference has shifted to a self-service approach.

We recently surveyed 700+ consumers for our State of Consumer Trends report. Our data showed that 76% of consumers are concerned with how companies use their personal data, highlighting a serious need for sales teams to work on building transparency and trust.

Plus, 83% of buyers say they prefer the discovery stage of their buyer’s journey to be self-service; 79% only engage a salesperson at the last stage.

For many sales reps, it can feel like this erosion of trust between sales and prospects has accelerated over time.

But, as Buscemi points out, “I don’t think trust has fundamentally changed because you’ve always needed trust with your prospect or your customer to build a relationship that is founded in mutual respect. However, I think the way our information is available today has made it more acute in the minds of buyers and sellers.”

Buscemi adds, “There are tons of studies that say a buyer is 60% to 70% of the way down the buying cycle before they even reach a rep — and those studies are 10 years old. Now, I’d argue people are probably even further down the funnel and know exactly what they want to purchase before a rep comes into the picture.”

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Fortunately, Buscemi offers solutions to ensure your sales team can build and maintain trust throughout the buyer’s journey in 2025. These include:

  • Acting as a consultant to your buyers. You’ll want to start each call with the four or five things your product can solve in direct response to your prospects’ most significant challenges — which requires making some assumptions and having a deeper understanding of their industry.
  • Sharing customer stories with your prospects. Sharing stories that directly tie into your prospect’s needs throughout the entire sales cycle is critical. For instance, if your prospect cares most about ease of use, share a related customer story. Alternatively, if your prospect is concerned with the implementation process, share a customer case study that makes the implementation process clearer.
  • Knowing how to speak your prospect’s language. If your prospect is in marketing, you’ll want to take marketing courses to talk to them about what they’re doing in their roles — which can help build trust and demonstrate your expertise.

In short, transparency won’t just resonate. It’ll lead to more engaging conversations and new clients.

2. Buyers require customer reviews to build trust.

Let’s look at some numbers:

Given the data, it’s vital you use reviews to build trust with prospects in 2025.

However, collecting reviews, primarily if you work at a small business, can feel a bit like a chicken-and-egg situation: If you don’t have reviews, it’s hard to build an online presence, but if you don’t have an online presence, it can be hard to collect reviews.

Fortunately, Buscemi told me there are tons of ways to collect more customer reviews. A few of his favorite review-collection strategies include:

  • Ask those who’ve already provided NPS scores to give you reviews since they’ve shown they’re open to giving feedback on your product or service
  • Build an in-app review strategy so that when users log in or out of a product, they’re automatically asked to leave a review
  • Request reviews from customers after implementation, when they’ve had a month or two to leverage your product
  • Request reviews on social media or through newsletters

Collecting reviews for your products or services isn’t just about collecting positive reviews either. A healthy mix of positive and negative reviews demonstrates more authenticity than simply having all 5-stars.

Negative reviews are also invaluable for helping you improve your product over time. As P.T. Barnum once said, in a way, bad press is technically good press.

It’s also important to note another thing: To take a compliant, ethical, and transparent approach to review collection, always pull lists representative of your customer base. This can include industry segments, but you cannot intentionally solicit from customers who are more likely to provide more positive reviews.

3. Buyers want to do business with true experts in the industry.

Take it from me: A prospect isn’t going to trust you if you don’t seem like you know what you’re talking about when it comes to their specific challenges and the industry at large, which is why you must become a true expert in your space.

Becoming an expert in B2B SaaS content creation didn’t happen overnight for me. I’ve invested countless hours in staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends. This includes regularly attending webinars, participating in online courses, and even shadowing sales calls with my clients (with their permission, of course).

Consumers are also increasingly looking to brands for education and information, with 40% of social media users saying they use these platforms to learn new things.

For Buscemi, this includes requiring everyone on his team to take several marketing courses.

He told me, “Everyone’s responsible for taking marketing courses so we can speak our prospects’ language right off the bat. We also do marketing strategy sessions, where we discuss how our product can fit into a broader marketing strategy.”

According to Buscemi, this helps each sales rep understand the pain points they’re solving beyond service-level pain. “We can be very consultative about how we’re going to help the customer with our solution,” Buscemi says.

Beyond requiring sales reps to take courses, his team also practices role-play, where the team takes turns listening to calls so everyone can say, “Here’s how you could tweak that.” This, he notes, gets the top reps to help other reps so everyone can learn together.

4. Buyers require a strong implementation process.

57% of buyers expect positive ROI within 3 months of purchase, putting pressure on sellers to show quick wins and prove value soon after implementation. Thus, strengthening your implementation process is a non-negotiable component of selling in 2025.

A smooth implementation process is necessary because it ties directly into what consumers value most. For starters, you’ll need to know which areas of the implementation process are the biggest roadblocks for past customers. I recommend conducting reviews to help you identify weak spots in your implementation process.

You might also leverage past customer reviews to share stories with your prospects about how other customers in the industry implemented your product or service. Hearing from peers is incredibly effective for prospects to learn how to implement the product best themselves.

Beyond that, Buscemi recommends each sales rep create a mutual success plan with their prospect.

As he puts it, “You’ll want to build a mutual success plan and gain agreement. This means chatting with the prospect and walking through, ‘Hey, here’s your responsibilities, and here’s our responsibilities,’ documenting the agreement and sharing it with the post-sales team.”

Bonus points, he adds, if you bring the post-sales team onto the call so they can speak through how it’s done, especially if your account executives aren’t involved in the implementation process.

5. Your sales reps need to prove value to more stakeholders.

27% of buyers said that they chose their implementation provider based on a recommendation from their software vendor. This means two things: 1) partnerships and referrals will play an even more prominent role in influencing B2B buying decisions, and 2) in 2025, your sales rep will need to prove your product’s value to more people to make a sale, increasing the complexity of the sales process.

To combat this challenge, Buscemi urges your sales reps to get comfortable asking, “Who else is involved in the buying process?”

He says, “There’s a number of ways you can nuance that question. You might ask, ‘What was the last piece of software you bought? Who was involved in that process? Who can say no when everyone else can say yes?’”

Buscemi continues, “You might also say, ‘Typically, when we sell this product, sales is involved. We often see them executing on X, Y, and Z. Does it make sense to bring them into our conversations?’”

As more stakeholders get added to the buying process, it becomes increasingly critical for your sales reps to know your product inside and out.

Buscemi told me, “If I’m talking to a product team member, I might say, ‘Here’s how we typically work with your team,’ or, ‘Here’s a problem we typically solve for your team … Is that the case for you?’ Making sure you’re well-versed in each team’s pain points — and also the features, values, and benefits that your product offers for each individual — is critical.”

Buscemi notes that part of your job as a sales rep is knowing that information.

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6. Buyers need sales reps to become their own brand and take a solutions-focused approach.

Seeing the wide-scale shifts across sales in 2024 made me wonder: What additional changes does Buscemi predict for sales in 2025 and beyond?

He said, “I don’t think selling will ever go away in the sense that there are no more individuals responsible for helping guide people throughout the customer purchasing process.”

Buscemi emphasizes that the definition of what a seller is responsible for has changed drastically.

“I think we’re still in that migration where you’ve gone from a transactional salesperson to one that is an expert in the space, helping uncover additional challenges the customer may also face,” Buscemi says.

He envisions a future where sales reps have built social followings and demonstrated their expertise in a given industry, so they’re seen as thought leaders rather than just sellers.

This approach aligns with current trends in consumer behavior on social media platforms. Over 20% of social media users have purchased based on an influencer’s recommendation in the past three months; 62% of influencers that successfully inspired a viewer to buy had under 10K followers.

Companies can organically tap into this trust-based, influencer-driven purchasing decision trend by positioning sales reps as industry thought leaders. That way, when it comes time for a prospect to make a purchase, he or she will trust the seller to have a pulse on what‘s happening and work to find a solution to the prospect’s problem — even if it’s not directly tied to their products or services.

Buscemi adds, “I think we’ll move to a method where it‘s the individual’s expertise in the space that makes or breaks the sales cycle.”

7. You need data to become more efficient during a tumultuous time.

Finally, Buscemi acknowledges that 2025 will present new obstacles for sales reps.

Currently, 55% of consumers (down from 63% in May 2023) are tightening their budgets due to current economic conditions, making it more critical than ever to demonstrate clear value and address specific pain points.

He recommends sales reps prepare by leveraging a data enrichment tool to help them better identify who is ready to buy and when.

He says, “In the SMB space, sales reps are sometimes less targeted than you might be with enterprise accounts — you’re kind of just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. You‘re sending mass emails out, you’re doing huge cadences, whatever.”

He adds, “Leveraging a tool like G2’s buyer intent can help you focus on the folks who are actually in the market for your product or service. For instance, with buyer intent, you can look at people who are already investigating a product category, building out a shortlist of products, or even comparing two vendors head-to-head.”

Similarly, tools like HubSpot’s Sales Hub provide visibility into prospect behavior and engagement. In my experience, these tools allow sales teams to prioritize their efforts and personalize their approach based on a prospect’s specific interests and activities.

Pivoting Your B2B Sales Strategy for 2025

Ultimately, 2025 will undoubtedly bring unique challenges for your sales team, but those challenges are nothing to be afraid of. If anything, they’re a reason to grow.

Rather than seeing these changes as obstacles, consider them opportunities to refine your approach, build stronger relationships with buyers, and create a sales experience that truly resonates with your customers.

I hope these seven strategies will help you formulate a plan to stay abreast of changing buyer needs, keep ahead of the competition, and even exceed buyers’ expectations. Because in 2025, the best sales teams won’t just react to change. They’ll anticipate, embrace, and use it to their advantage.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in December 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.