INSIGHTS KEY CURRENCY FOR SALES TEAMS While the study has clearly built the case that digital channels are shaping early impressions of solution providers, this year’s study also underscored the critical role that sales representatives are having on the final vendor selection. 92% For example, 92% of buyers said the sales rep they dealt with was educated about their company and communicated relevant information, and 85% said the experience with their sales rep influenced their decision to select that vendor. A few key findings that highlighted the competitive differentiator of insights-driven felt their sales rep was sales experiences: educated about their • 94% sought sales teams that exhibited specific insights into company company and needs. problems; and • 92% of buyers stressed the importance of sales teams that had insights about personalized company needs. 85% Direct responses from buyers also underscored both positive and negative experiences with sales reps that influenced both the buying decision and the customer experience: said this influenced Communicate with me using less technical terms…not waiting for their purchase responses from me.” decision. Wished they would have been more informative and truly gained an in depth knowledge of how we do business.” Could have done stronger demo that included examples of how we could use the product to meet our unique needs instead of generic examples.” 2017 B2B Buyer’s Survey Report • 11