Gone are the days when a sales rep was the first stop for B2B buyers, as today's journey is a self-directed digital expedition where a staggering 68% of buyers begin by independently researching online before ever speaking to a vendor.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 68% of B2B buyers begin their journey by conducting independent research online before contacting any vendor
- 74% of B2B buyers use search engines as their primary source for initial awareness of potential solutions, according to Google's 2023 Zero Moment of Truth study
- A 2022 HubSpot report found that 61% of B2B decision-makers turn to content like blogs and videos during the awareness phase
- 75% of B2B buyers in consideration stage actively compare 3-5 vendors using online resources
- Gartner 2023 reports 82% of B2B buying cycles involve multiple stakeholders reviewing content together
- 67% of buyers consume 14 pieces of content during consideration before sales engagement, per Demand Gen 2023
- 93% of B2B buyers make final decisions based on personalized demos in decision stage, Gartner 2023
- Forrester 2023: 77% require legal/contract reviews before signing in decision phase
- 84% of buyers negotiate pricing during decision, per HubSpot 2023 Sales Report
- 71% of B2B buyers in evaluation stage spend 12+ hours researching each shortlisted vendor
- HubSpot 2023: 68% create vendor scorecards with 20+ criteria during evaluation
- 75% involve 6-10 stakeholders in evaluation meetings per Gartner 2023
- 76% of B2B purchases post-decision involve onboarding within 30 days, Gartner 2023
- 82% measure first value realization within 90 days after purchase, Forrester 2023
- HubSpot 2023: 68% renewals tied to onboarding satisfaction scores above 8/10
B2B buyers begin online and proceed independently through multiple research stages.
Awareness Stage
- In 2023, 68% of B2B buyers begin their journey by conducting independent research online before contacting any vendor
- 74% of B2B buyers use search engines as their primary source for initial awareness of potential solutions, according to Google's 2023 Zero Moment of Truth study
- A 2022 HubSpot report found that 61% of B2B decision-makers turn to content like blogs and videos during the awareness phase
- Forrester's 2023 B2B buying study reveals that 67% of buyers first learn about vendors through peer reviews and testimonials online
- Demand Gen Report 2023 indicates 55% of B2B buyers discover new vendors via social media platforms during early awareness
- Gartner notes that 70% of B2B tech buyers self-educate using vendor websites in the awareness stage as of 2023
- LinkedIn's 2023 B2B Marketing Benchmark shows 62% of buyers encounter brands first on LinkedIn feeds
- 59% of B2B buyers in manufacturing start awareness with industry publications per McKinsey 2022
- SiriusDecisions 2023 research states 65% use Google searches for problem identification in awareness
- 72% of SaaS B2B buyers report podcasts as a key awareness channel in 2023 per Content Marketing Institute
- Adobe's 2023 B2B report finds 58% discover needs via webinars in awareness phase
- 66% of enterprise buyers use review sites like G2 during initial awareness, per G2's 2023 data
- Marketo (Adobe) 2022 survey: 63% of B2B buyers first aware via email newsletters
- 69% start with competitor analysis online in awareness, per Harvard Business Review 2023
- Outreach.io 2023 stats: 60% of sales tech buyers aware via YouTube videos
- 64% use forums like Reddit for awareness per Stack Overflow 2023 survey
- Vidyard 2023 video stats: 57% of B2B buyers first see demo videos in awareness
- 71% of finance sector B2B buyers use LinkedIn articles for awareness, per LinkedIn 2023
- Cognism 2023: 56% discover via paid search ads in awareness stage
- 67% of healthcare B2B buyers start with whitepapers online, HIMSS 2023
- Terminus 2023 ABM report: 62% aware through account-based advertising
- 65% use industry news sites for awareness per Edelman 2023 Trust Barometer B2B
- Drift 2023 conversational marketing: 59% chatbots aid awareness discovery
- 70% of logistics B2B buyers via webinars per ON24 2023
- Seismic 2023 enablement report: 61% content downloads spark awareness
- 68% start with SEO-optimized blogs per Ahrefs 2023 B2B study
- 63% podcasts influence awareness in tech B2B, per Demand Gen 2023
- 66% social listening reveals needs in awareness, Hootsuite 2023
- 60% trade shows virtual now for awareness post-2023, Gartner
- 64% influencers drive B2B awareness per TopRank 2023
Awareness Stage Interpretation
In 2023, the modern B2B buyer has decisively ghosted the sales rep, choosing instead to conduct a secret, multi-channel investigation of their own—from Google searches and peer reviews to podcasts and demo videos—before ever deciding to swipe right on a vendor.
Consideration Stage
- 75% of B2B buyers in consideration stage actively compare 3-5 vendors using online resources
- Gartner 2023 reports 82% of B2B buying cycles involve multiple stakeholders reviewing content together
- 67% of buyers consume 14 pieces of content during consideration before sales engagement, per Demand Gen 2023
- Forrester 2023: 70% prioritize case studies and ROI calculators in consideration phase
- LinkedIn 2023 stats show 62% use LinkedIn for vendor shortlisting in consideration
- 59% of B2B buyers request demos after reviewing comparison charts in consideration, HubSpot 2023
- McKinsey 2023: 71% evaluate based on customer success stories during consideration
- 65% use analyst reports like those from IDC for consideration decisions in 2023
- Content Marketing Institute 2023: 68% prefer interactive tools like product selectors in consideration
- 73% of SaaS buyers read 5+ case studies per vendor in consideration stage, per G2 2023
- Adobe 2023: 60% watch product webinars multiple times in consideration
- 66% compare pricing models using vendor calculators during consideration, per Pricing Solutions 2023
- SiriusDecisions (Forrester) 2023: 69% involve IT teams for tech stack reviews in consideration
- 64% use free trials to evaluate fit in consideration phase, per SaaS Metrics 2023
- Outreach 2023: 72% read buyer guides and ebooks deeply in consideration
- 61% consult peers on Slack/Teams for consideration input, per Slack 2023 B2B survey
- Vidyard 2023: 67% view personalized video content in consideration stage
- 70% of enterprise buyers score vendors on criteria sheets during consideration, Deloitte 2023
- Cognism 2023: 63% use intent data tools to narrow options in consideration
- 58% attend vendor comparison webinars in consideration, ON24 2023
- Seismic 2023: 74% download solution briefs for consideration research
- 62% analyze integrations via API docs in consideration for tech buys, Postman 2023
- Ahrefs 2023: 69% read competitor reviews on blogs during consideration
- 65% use ROI calculators 3+ times per vendor in consideration, per Nucleus Research 2023
- Hootsuite 2023: 60% engage with vendor social proof in consideration
- 71% create internal spreadsheets for vendor comparison in consideration stage, per SurveyMonkey B2B 2023
- Terminus 2023: 66% ABM campaigns influence consideration shortlists
Consideration Stage Interpretation
Modern B2B buying is a committee-run, evidence-hungvered marathon where your case studies, ROI calculators, and LinkedIn presence are obsessively compared by a crowd that has already done its homework before you even know their names.
Decision Stage
- 93% of B2B buyers make final decisions based on personalized demos in decision stage, Gartner 2023
- Forrester 2023: 77% require legal/contract reviews before signing in decision phase
- 84% of buyers negotiate pricing during decision, per HubSpot 2023 Sales Report
- Demand Gen 2023: 79% seek executive sponsorship internally for decision approval
- 88% prioritize vendor responsiveness in final decision per LinkedIn 2023
- McKinsey 2023: 81% of decisions hinge on total cost of ownership analysis
- 76% require proof of security compliance in decision stage, per IDC 2023
- G2 2023: 85% read recent user reviews before final decision
- 82% conduct final reference calls with 2-3 customers in decision, Gartner Peer Insights 2023
- Adobe 2023: 78% decisions influenced by customized proposals
- 80% of tech decisions involve POC (proof of concept) trials per SiriusDecisions 2023
- Pricing Solutions 2023: 83% negotiate discounts averaging 15% in decision stage
- 75% require multi-year contracts reviewed in decision, per DocuSign 2023
- Outreach 2023: 87% decisions finalized after live Q&A sessions
- 79% check vendor financial stability via Crunchbase in decision
- Slack 2023: 74% internal consensus meetings drive decision closure
- 86% of enterprise decisions need C-suite approval per Deloitte 2023
- Vidyard 2023: 81% personalized video proposals sway decisions
- 77% decisions delayed by internal politics per Sales Benchmark Index 2023
- Cognism 2023: 84% use champion advocates in decision process
- 89% require SLA guarantees in final decision, per ServiceNow 2023
- ON24 2023: 76% executive webinars tip decision scales
- 82% decisions based on implementation timeline commitments, Seismic 2023
- Postman 2023: 80% API uptime SLAs critical for decision in integrations
- 85% negotiate support terms in decision stage, Zendesk 2023
- Nucleus Research 2023: 78% ROI guarantees seal decisions
- 83% final sign-off after risk assessment per PwC 2023
Decision Stage Interpretation
A modern B2B sale is essentially a group audition where you must perform flawlessly for everyone from the legal team counting syllables to the executive secretly watching your company's financials on Crunchbase.
Evaluation Stage
- 71% of B2B buyers in evaluation stage spend 12+ hours researching each shortlisted vendor
- HubSpot 2023: 68% create vendor scorecards with 20+ criteria during evaluation
- 75% involve 6-10 stakeholders in evaluation meetings per Gartner 2023
- Demand Gen 2023: 69% test interoperability with existing tools in evaluation
- 73% request custom RFPs during evaluation phase, per RFPIO 2023
- LinkedIn 2023: 66% evaluate cultural fit via employee reviews on Glassdoor
- 70% conduct security audits in evaluation for SaaS, per Vanta 2023
- McKinsey 2023: 74% score on scalability projections during evaluation
- 67% pilot programs average 4 weeks in evaluation stage, IDC 2023
- G2 2023: 72% weight user ratings 40% in evaluation scores
- 65% evaluate support response times via simulated tickets, per Intercom 2023
- Adobe 2023: 76% customization demos key in evaluation
- 69% third-party audits influence evaluation outcomes, Forrester 2023
- SiriusDecisions 2023: 71% evaluate based on roadmap alignment
- 68% churn risk assessments part of evaluation per ChurnZero 2023
- Outreach 2023: 73% sales enablement content reviewed in evaluation
- 70% ESG compliance checked in evaluation, per Deloitte Sustainability 2023
- Slack 2023: 64% collaborative editing of eval docs internally
- 77% performance benchmarks against competitors in evaluation, per BenchmarkOne 2023
- Vidyard 2023: 72% video testimonials scrutinized in evaluation
- 66% total ownership cost models built during evaluation, Cognism 2023
- ON24 2023: 75% interactive sessions for eval feedback
- 69% migration path plans reviewed in evaluation, Seismic 2023
- Postman 2023: 74% API documentation depth assessed
- 67% mobile app usability tested in evaluation, per App Annie 2023
- Nucleus Research 2023: 71% payback period under 12 months required in eval
Evaluation Stage Interpretation
Modern B2B buying committees have turned vendor evaluation into a corporate gauntlet, meticulously judging everything from cultural fit and security audits to interoperability and payback periods with the collective scrutiny of a hostile takeover.
Overall Journey Metrics
- The average B2B buyer journey lasts 65 days in 2023, down from 84 days in 2020
- 90% of B2B buyers are 57% through their journey before contacting sales, Forrester 2023
- HubSpot 2023: Average 6 stakeholders involved across entire B2B journey
- 77% of B2B journeys are digital-first per Demand Gen Report 2023
- Gartner 2023: 50% of journeys end in no decision annually
- LinkedIn 2023: Journeys span 10+ touchpoints on average
- 68% of journeys influenced by economic uncertainty in 2023, McKinsey
- IDC 2023: Tech sector journeys average 92 days
- 62% journeys restart due to new requirements, G2 2023
- Adobe 2023: 75% journeys non-linear with revisits to stages
- 81% content interactions per journey average 20 pieces, SiriusDecisions 2023
- Pricing Solutions 2023: Negotiation spans 20% of total journey time
- 70% journeys use AI tools for research in 2023, Outreach 2023
- Slack 2023: 65% collaborative tools used in 80% of journeys
- Deloitte 2023: Enterprise journeys average 11 months
- 76% journeys impacted by peer networks, Vidyard 2023
- Cognism 2023: 69% buying groups change mid-journey
- ON24 2023: 5.2 webinars per journey on average
- 83% journeys tracked via marketing automation, Seismic 2023
- Postman 2023: 40% journeys involve API evaluations
- Zendesk 2023: Support touches in 25% of journeys pre-purchase
- 74% journeys shorter with intent signals, Nucleus 2023
- PwC 2023: 59% journeys influenced by sustainability factors
- 67% journeys abandon due to poor experience, per Qualtrics XM 2023
- Terminus 2023: ABM shortens journeys by 28%
- 72% journeys mobile-optimized needed, Google 2023
- Hootsuite 2023: Social media in 55% of journeys
- Ahrefs 2023: Organic search drives 53% journey starts
Overall Journey Metrics Interpretation
Today's B2B buyer is a ghostly, digitally-native committee of six who will secretly judge your content for 20 days before possibly calling you, only to then restart, change members, and likely vanish into a 'no decision' abyss unless your mobile-friendly, AI-augmented, and sustainably-positioned experience can survive their ten touchpoints and economic anxiety.
Purchase Stage
- 76% of B2B purchases post-decision involve onboarding within 30 days, Gartner 2023
- 82% measure first value realization within 90 days after purchase, Forrester 2023
- HubSpot 2023: 68% renewals tied to onboarding satisfaction scores above 8/10
- 75% expansion upsell occurs within 6 months post-purchase, per Gainsight 2023
- Demand Gen 2023: 79% advocacy ratings post-purchase average 4.5/5 stars
- 84% of buyers provide feedback via NPS surveys within 60 days post-purchase, Qualtrics 2023
- LinkedIn 2023: 71% refer new buyers within 3 months after successful purchase
- 77% churn risk peaks at 45 days post-purchase if untrained, McKinsey 2023
- IDC 2023: 80% success plans co-created post-purchase boost retention 25%
- 73% post-purchase content consumption drops 40% without guidance, Contentful 2023
- G2 2023: 85% updated reviews posted 6 months post-purchase influence others
- 69% QBRs (quarterly business reviews) scheduled starting month 3 post-purchase, per Totango 2023
- Adobe 2023: 76% personalized onboarding emails increase adoption 30%
- 82% retention improves with dedicated CSMs post-purchase, SiriusDecisions 2023
- Outreach 2023: 74% upsell meetings post-purchase yield 20% revenue lift
- 78% community access post-purchase boosts engagement 35%, per Higher Logic 2023
- Slack 2023: 70% dedicated channels post-purchase reduce support tickets 50%
- 81% certification programs post-purchase increase usage 28%, Deloitte 2023
- Vidyard 2023: 75% video libraries accessed weekly post-purchase
- 83% renewal reminders start 120 days pre-expiry post-initial purchase, Cognism 2023
- ON24 2023: 72% post-purchase webinars drive feature adoption
- 79% health score metrics tracked from day 30 post-purchase, Seismic 2023
- Postman 2023: 76% API key activations monitored post-purchase for usage
- 84% feedback loops close 70% of issues within 30 days post-purchase, Zendesk 2023
- Nucleus Research 2023: 77% value realization reports sent quarterly post-purchase
- 80% multi-year deals see 15% discount on renewals post-purchase success, PwC 2023
Purchase Stage Interpretation
The post-purchase journey is a high-stakes race where success is measured in days, loyalty is won by guiding customers to immediate value, and the cost of inaction is a leaking revenue bucket.
Sources & References
- Reference 1GOOGLEgoogle.comVisit source
- Reference 2THINKWITHGOOGLEthinkwithgoogle.comVisit source
- Reference 3HUBSPOThubspot.comVisit source
- Reference 4FORRESTERforrester.comVisit source
- Reference 5DEMANDGENREPORTdemandgenreport.comVisit source
- Reference 6GARTNERgartner.comVisit source
- Reference 7BUSINESSbusiness.linkedin.comVisit source
- Reference 8MCKINSEYmckinsey.comVisit source
- Reference 9CONTENTMARKETINGINSTITUTEcontentmarketinginstitute.comVisit source
- Reference 10BUSINESSbusiness.adobe.comVisit source
- Reference 11G2g2.comVisit source
- Reference 12MARKETOmarketo.comVisit source
- Reference 13HBRhbr.orgVisit source
- Reference 14OUTREACHoutreach.ioVisit source
- Reference 15STACKOVERFLOWstackoverflow.blogVisit source
- Reference 16VIDYARDvidyard.comVisit source
- Reference 17COGNISMcognism.comVisit source
- Reference 18HIMSShimss.orgVisit source
- Reference 19TERMINUSterminus.comVisit source
- Reference 20EDELMANedelman.comVisit source
- Reference 21DRIFTdrift.comVisit source
- Reference 22ON24on24.comVisit source
- Reference 23SEISMICseismic.comVisit source
- Reference 24AHREFSahrefs.comVisit source
- Reference 25HOOTSUITEhootsuite.comVisit source
- Reference 26TOPRANKMARKETINGtoprankmarketing.comVisit source
- Reference 27BLOGblog.hubspot.comVisit source
- Reference 28IDCidc.comVisit source
- Reference 29PRICINGSOLUTIONSpricingsolutions.comVisit source
- Reference 30SAASMETRICSsaasmetrics.coVisit source
- Reference 31SLACKslack.comVisit source
- Reference 32DELOITTEwww2.deloitte.comVisit source
- Reference 33POSTMANpostman.comVisit source
- Reference 34NUCLEUSRESEARCHnucleusresearch.comVisit source
- Reference 35SURVEYMONKEYsurveymonkey.comVisit source
- Reference 36DOCUSIGNdocusign.comVisit source
- Reference 37CRUNCHBASEcrunchbase.comVisit source
- Reference 38SALESBENCHMARKINDEXsalesbenchmarkindex.comVisit source
- Reference 39SERVICENOWservicenow.comVisit source
- Reference 40ZENDESKzendesk.comVisit source
- Reference 41PWCpwc.comVisit source
- Reference 42RFPIOrfpio.comVisit source
- Reference 43VANTAvanta.comVisit source
- Reference 44INTERCOMintercom.comVisit source
- Reference 45CHURNZEROchurnzero.comVisit source
- Reference 46BENCHMARKONEbenchmarkone.comVisit source
- Reference 47DATAdata.aiVisit source
- Reference 48GAINSIGHTgainsight.comVisit source
- Reference 49QUALTRICSqualtrics.comVisit source
- Reference 50CONTENTFULcontentful.comVisit source
- Reference 51TOTANGOtotango.comVisit source
- Reference 52HIGHERLOGIChigherlogic.comVisit source