A Change in B2B Sales

by Jason Ogden | Jul 18, 2023

One factor that has changed in B2B sales and marketing funnels over the last year and a half across most market segments is the average length of sales cycles. The increase in average deal length has had a direct negative impact on pipeline velocity. One of the main causes of this has been the increase in members on client buying committees.

Historically, the number of members on a buying committee has been around four to five. Now, in some cases, it’s close to double that. But it’s not just bigger committees that we’re seeing. It’s different types of people and roles on the buying committee. The new buying committee members are typically outside of sales and marketing functions and can include leadership and management. You have to be prepared to influence all members of a buying committee to help with velocity and conversion rates by doing a few things. 

There are three things (in order of least to most advanced) that salespeople can do to address larger buying committees:

1. Take the time to do an inventory of the new members of your buying committee(s). Understand how their perspectives and needs are different from traditional buyers, and develop a short list of talking points to address them during sales conversations.
2. Develop marketing assets, specifically for new buying members. This could include tailored case, studies, blog posts and social content. Even landing pages that address their particular needs in their buying decision would be great. 
3. Add the personas of the new buyers to your ABM audiences. This would expand the breadth and complexity of your outbound ABM. But this would be one of the most sophisticated approaches to addressing the new buyer needs.

Each of these actions should have a direct impact on your pipeline, velocity and conversion rates. Choose which of those is best for you (or do all three). But you have to address this new buying environment no matter what.