If you want your business-to-business marketing to work across generations, you may need to change things up. Millennial buyers are distinctly different from previous generations, namely Gen X and Baby Boomer purchasers, in their B2B buying preferences, according to a MarketingProfs report of recent IBM research. IBM analyzed data from a survey of 704 people who influence or are responsible for B2B purchasing decisions of $10,000 or more for companies in 12 countries and 6 industries. The study found that, when researching products and services, Millennials (born 1980-1993) want to interact directly with vendors' representatives far more than Gen X (born 1965-1979) or Baby Boomers (born 1954-1964). Gen X buyers rely most on third-party articles/blogs/reviews to research products and servcies, while Baby Boomers rely most on trade shows. But before you send a rep out to knock on Millennials' doors, note that Millennials opt for remote over face-to-face vendor interactions, with some 69% of Millennials saying they prefer e-mail communications compared with only 24% who prefer in-person meetings. And when it comes to the vendor attributes most likely to impress potential B2B buyers, there is another generational divide: Millennial buyers value ease of doing business most highly, while Gen X buyers look for assurances that they'll be satisfied with their purchase, and Baby Boomers prize a vendor's ability to respond quickly. For more details of the study, see http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/27408/b2b-buying-millennials-vs-gen-x-baby-boomers
David Kanter, President and CEO of AccuList, is a list brokerage and direct marketing expert. For more than 30 years, he has helped companies and nonprofit organizations achieve their marketing goals. With David's Direct Marketing Forum, he shares, and invites others to share, helpful direct-marketing industry news, trends, analyses, resources, and tips for success. Please read our Comment Policy.
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