B2B buyer trust and repeat order predictors

Something strange is happening in B2B buying. Deals are being won and lost before sales calls even happen. Not because of features. Not because of price. But because of something most B2B companies barely think about. Dentsu's massive 2024 B2B buyer study - over 14,000 interviews - reveals a shift that's rewriting the rules of how enterprise software gets purchased. And most companies are completely unprepared for it. The shift? Brand marketing now drives more revenue than most companies realize. And the ROI is measurable, predictable, and massive. B2B buyers only evaluate 2-5 vendors on average, according to TrustRadius's 2024 B2B Buying Disconnect Report. That's it. Once you make that shortlist, you have a 71% chance the buyer sticks with their initial favorite. The entire "evaluation process" often just validates a choice they've already made. But here's the ROI kicker: TrustRadius found 78% of buyers select products they've heard of before starting their research. Forrester's Business Trust survey found 77% of purchase influencers consider a vendor's brand awareness as a key factor in whether they trust that organization. The revenue impact? Forrester found 83% of B2B influencers who trust a supplier plan to continue doing business with them. That's not just win rate - that's lifetime value. The LinkedIn B2B Institute and Ipsos research confirms the pricing power: buyers explicitly state they'll pay premiums for trusted brands because it mitigates risk in complex B2B deals. Brand marketing doesn't just win deals. It wins them at higher prices with better retention. Brand marketing isn't a cost center - it's a revenue multiplier. When 78% of buyers choose from brands they already know, awareness directly equals pipeline. Yet only ~30% of B2B marketing budgets go to brand. We're investing backwards. Meanwhile, 68% of buyers say all vendors sound identical (Dentsu). And every $1 cut from brand investment costs $1.85 to rebuild (BCG). Smart companies track brand perception religiously. They know which buying situations trigger their brand. They measure if messages actually change perception. But 79% of CFOs see no clear metrics connecting brand to revenue. Because most companies guess instead of measure. You should do brand tracking at minimum once a year. You can run one with Wynter and gets results in 2 days https://lnkd.in/dV2umFPy

Research is catching up to what we can see about how B2B buying is changing. The 3rs: 𝗥elationships, 𝗥ecommendations, and 𝗥elatability factors are taking centre stage. While product features, price, or brand recognition are in decline. Research from Warc reveals that emotional factors are more consequential in B2B buying decisions than rational levers. • Recommendations from similar customers or trusted colleagues are 3x more likely to tip the balance than cheaper prices • These recommendations are also 3x more influential than products promising better performance So cultural, social signals, and emotions are shifting decision-making. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁? 2/3 of big-ticket B2B buyers are now millennials or Gen Z. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸: This isn't about giving old tactics new names. It's about recognising that B2B buyers (especially younger ones) make decisions based on what their peers say and who they trust, not just specs and prices. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁? Stop treating B2B buyers like robots comparing spreadsheets. Focus on the right places to build relationships. LinkedIn (not spam), WhatsApp groups, Slack communities, industry events. Focus on getting more recommendations, and broadcasting them. Create customer communities where peers validate each other's decisions. Avoid the BS: fake testimonials, aggressive automation, undisclosed paid recommendations. Most B2B marketers still pump budget into feature comparisons. Your prospects aren't asking "what does it do?" They're asking "who else like me uses this?" Track where your best deals come from. It's not the trade show booth. It's Sarah telling James at drinks that your product saved her quarter. That's your real marketing channel now.

Last Tuesday, I watched a $1M software deal die in real time. The champion texted the AE afterward, "My team killed it. They loved the product, trusted the ROI, but said you felt too 'risky' for a company our size." Six months of perfect demos. Strong case studies. Pricing that made sense. But they'd been focused on one person while eight others were making the real decision. In B2B, deals often die from collective anxiety. Your champion can love your solution, but if the CFO, IT director, and three VPs have never heard of you, you're asking them to bet their careers on a company that feels invisible. What we call "trust" in B2B is actually cumulative familiarity across a buying group. It's not one person feeling confident, it's 6-8 people independently thinking, "Oh yeah, I've seen them around. They seem solid." This is where many B2B marketers leave money on the table. We optimize for the champions and decision makers while the real decision happens in rooms we're not invited to. Connected TV (CTV) helps solve for this. That CFO who questioned your pricing? Last night, they saw your 30-second spot during their favorite show. No laptop multitasking. No ad blockers. Just your brand message on a 65-inch screen while they're mentally relaxed. Your IT director saw your retargeting banner during their morning research. Your LinkedIn ad during lunch. Your CTV spot during their evening unwind. That's not multiple touch points. That's one familiarity campaign reaching different decision-makers in different mindsets. Our data at LinkedIn for Marketing shows this opportunity: - 94% of LinkedIn's professional audience can be reached via CTV, - 71% of CTV viewers aren't accessible through traditional TV, - CTV campaigns are 4.3x more effective at reaching B2B targets. Psychologist Robert Zajonc proved that mere exposure creates preference. We don't need to consciously process your message. Seeing your brand repeatedly in different contexts builds what behavioral economist Rory Sutherland calls "subconscious safety signals." When your champion walks into that second meeting, something's different. Your brand doesn't feel new anymore. It feels familiar. "Oh yeah, I've been seeing their ads everywhere" carries more weight than any case study. Because buying groups evaluate solutions and risk. Start building familiarity across ecosystems. Map your buying group. Understand where each decision-maker consumes content. Then orchestrate exposure across channels so by the time they meet to decide, you're not the unknown risk, you're the obvious choice. Because in B2B, trust is built through strategic, repeated presence across the moments that matter. #B2BMarketing #CTV #Trust #LinkedInMarketing

💡 In B2B marketing, the fundamental unit of purchase decision-making is the Buyer Group. In other words, getting the different members of the Buyer Group to agree on a specific vendor is what has to happen to close a deal. LinkedIn partnered with Bain & Company and NewtonX to research the main drivers of Buyer Group decision-making. We found that [1] being known across the Buyer Group of a target account and [2] being trusted by the marketplace were the most important dimensions when being bought. 🎯 81% of purchases were made of vendors that everyone or almost everyone in the Buyer Group knew on Day One. 🎯 Only 4% of final purchases that were made were of vendors/products that only the expert recommenders knew. 🎯 Buyer Group members will pay more for products that their colleagues already know (by a ratio of 3:1), because your colleagues knowing about a vendor makes it a less risky choice. 🎯 Buyer Groups will not fight for products that their colleagues don't know, even if they think that product is better (3:1) because persuading colleagues to take a risk is more difficult than sacrificing potential functionality/quality. 🎯 All other things (like price and product quality) being equal, Buyer Groups will pick a well-known product/vendor over ones that are less well-known (3:1), because less well-known vendors were harder for the group to agree on. 🎯 The further away you are from technical knowledge of the product in your Buyer Group role, the more you rely on brand factors to shape your decision-making. Legal, finance, HR and Procurement, for example, have huge influence here and are much more influenced by brand than product experts and users. We feel our findings open up a few new ways of thinking about how to be successful in B2B marketing and selling - and show the role played by brand in every live sales process. Brand is not just an investment in getting bought in the future. It is a form of decision-insurance and risk-mitigation that makes it one of the main reasons that products get bought right now. Jann Martin Schwarz Jamie Cleghorn Tom Stein Nick Primola Rob Gold Sascha E. Jackie Cutrone #B2BMarketing #BuyerGroupMarketing #B2Believe

“But what’s the ROI of brand?” A classic and a very very very fair one. Brand, Branding and marketing are full of BS. And for many who came out of business school, brand feels like fluff. I get it....it can be hard to fit all of it into a CFO-friendly Excel sheet. But before we dive into it: Brand Branding are not the same. Brand is why you matter. It’s trust, credibility, perception and ultimately preference. Branding is how you build that perception: tone of voice, design, website, behaviour, experience, etc... Meaning: → Brand is what people think and feel. → Branding is how you make people think and feel the right things. Let’s talk ROI, External first. → +0.7% market share growth per 10% above-share-of-market brand investment. Meaning: Outspend competitors in mental availability, and you’ll eventually outgrow them. Be memorable not just visible. → 80% of B2B buyers will pay more for a trusted brand. Meaning: You stop selling on price. Trust lets you charge more. Price on perceived value (perception), not product or features. → Up to 50% lower CAC. Branded search terms convert better and cost less. Meaning: Brand makes your funnel more efficient. Less convincing. More $. → 2400% ROI in LTV. Meaning: In one case, every $1 spent on brand returned $24 in customer value. (Modelled scenario, not a promise.) → 5% increase in retention = 25–95% profit lift. Meaning: Brand trust = loyalty. Loyalty = recurring revenue and stability. → 64% of B2B buyers say all suppliers look the same. Meaning: If your brand doesn’t stand out, you’re just another line item. Differentiation lives in perception, not product. → Branding is a multiplier, 23% higher revenue for brand-consistent companies. Meaning: Consistency builds trust. Trust drives conversion. This is sales. → 78% of buyers choose from brands they already know. Meaning: If they haven’t seen you before, you’re out, no matter how good your product is. →Brand as Insurance: Strong brands recover faster from downturns. Meaning: When the market shakes, trust keeps you chosen. Brand = buffer. Aka Margin of safety. Let's look at internal ROI (Often missed.) → 43% lower cost-per-hire. Meaning: A strong brand brings in talent not just clients. No pitch needed. → 28% lower turnover. Meaning: People stay. Culture stabilises. Institutional knowledge compounds. → 17% more productivity, 21% more profitability. Meaning: Brand-aligned teams perform better. Purpose powers effort. → Brand clarity = operational efficiency. Meaning: When teams are aligned, they move faster. Less friction. More flow. Costs down, speed up. Sooo: You don’t build brand to feel cool. You build it to win faster, grow better, and reduce resistance across every part of the business. Brand is the strategic asset. Branding is the system that makes it perform. If you ignore them, you’ll pay elsewhere: - Higher CAC - Lower retention - Price pressure - Slower hires - Lost deals - Weaker teams (All data sources in the comments.)

More trust = more revenue. 81% of B2B buyers say trust is the biggest factor in their purchasing decision.  Why does this number matter? In B2B prospects have almost unlimited options these days. Decision-makers are swamped with potential vendors with almost identical features. Every vendors says they can save you time and money and drive revenue. But prospects are skeptical of these claims and they all start to sound like noise. What solution they ultimately choose usually comes down to who they trust the most. IE which vendors can credibly prove, beyond a doubt, that they've delivered results in the exact same scenario (same industry, same company size, same problem/use-case). So, how do you build that trust? The two easiest ways I have found: > Clarity and consistency: Be upfront about what your service can deliver and follow through. Own who your solution is NOT for, and where your comparative strengths and weaknesses are. Show an honest snapshot of what it's like to be a customer. Not a curated Instagram real. > Lower the risk: Share customer evidence like competitive proof (why customers switch from other vendors, what makes you different), relevant, specific examples of common use cases from your customers, and quantifiable statistics about product impact and ROI. Substantive and comprehensive customer proof helps buyers trust that you can deliver on what you are promising. The more relevant, specific, and detailed, the better. Trust isn't a nice-to-have anymore; it's a must-have. Trust is the currency that drives transactions. Build trust, close deals.

Buyers rarely choose the objectively best option. They choose the one they recognize. In many B2B decisions, familiarity plays a greater role than features or pricing. Teams may evaluate multiple vendors, but preference often leans toward the one they have consistently seen, heard, and understood over time. The reason is simple. Recognition signals safety. When a brand shows up repeatedly with clear, consistent messaging, it reduces perceived risk. Buyers feel more confident choosing what already feels familiar, even if alternatives may appear stronger on paper. This is where many marketing strategies lose effectiveness. In the pursuit of novelty, teams constantly change angles, campaigns, and positioning. But without consistency, recognition never compounds. Messaging resets instead of reinforcing, and trust takes longer to build. Repetition, when done well, is not redundancy. It is reinforcement. Each consistent touchpoint strengthens recall. Each repeated idea builds confidence. Over time, familiarity becomes preference, especially in longer B2B buying cycles. This week’s newsletter explores the psychology behind recognition, why repetition drives trust, and how to build consistency without losing relevance. For teams focused on sustainable growth, this is a shift worth understanding.

Did you know there's a shadow committee evaluating every B2B deal you're trying to close—and you've never even spoken to them?! Research (https://lnkd.in/g_nsV2cH) from the B2B Institute, NewtonX, and Bain & Company reveals a fascinating blind spot: "Hidden Buyers" wield nearly equal decision-making power as your primary sales contacts (49% vs. 51%)—but they operate with completely different priorities. These key influencers may be from procurement, finance, or legal. Here's the cognitive disconnect that may be costing you deals: ➡️ Your primary buyer thinks like an engineer: Does this solve our problem? Can we implement it? What's the ROI? ➡️ Hidden Buyers think like guardians: Can we trust this company? What's their reputation? Are they legitimate players in our industry? This creates what I call the "feature-trust gap." While you're perfecting your product demo, procurement is Googling your company's credibility. While you're calculating ROI, legal is assessing your long-term viability. That means, if you're relying on product features and innovation alone to make the sale, you might lose out.  In B2B, emotional decision-making might be more critical than in B2C, not less. Consider the psychology: ✔️ Higher financial stakes amplify the need for confidence ✔️ Professional reputations are on the line—no one wants to champion a vendor that fails ✔️ Complex buying processes create more friction points where trust can erode This validates a principle I've long advocated: **great brands avoid selling products.** They don’t promote features and tout technologies without linking them to emotional values. They cultivate deep trust that travels through organizational hierarchies, reaching stakeholders you'll never meet but who hold veto power over your success. The strategic implication isn't to abandon product excellence—it's to recognize that brand strength and technical superiority must work in concert. Your Hidden Buyers aren't evaluating your latest feature release; they're evaluating whether betting their career on your company is a smart move. Question for reflection: When did you last audit your brand through the lens of someone who's never met you but whose opinion could sink your deal? P.S. For those interested in learning how to build this kind of emotionally-grounded brand power, I dive deep into these principles in "What Great Brands Do" (https://lnkd.in/bp22ccV)— still relevant after all these years.

The trust recession just hit B2B software buying harder than anyone predicted. 49% of software buyers say the number one thing they would change is the lack of transparent pricing information (Softwareequity). While 52% of B2B respondents now prefer providing their details only to brands they know and trust (Founders Forum Group). The latest Edelman Trust Barometer confirms what we're seeing at Software Finder: enterprise software trust is at all-time lows, and it's reshaping procurement fundamentally. Average decision cycles have extended 40%. 75% of organizations now require an RFP process or multiple vendor prices from procurement. Buyers demand transparent pricing, peer reviews, and implementation case studies before initial demos. The market shift is clear: Buyers don't trust vendor-controlled narratives anymore. They verify everything independently through peer networks, review platforms, and reference calls. The process starts with thorough research to understand vendor reputation and alignment with needs. What this means for vendors: Companies adapting fastest provide transparent pricing documentation, verified customer references, and detailed implementation guides from day one. Trust is now the primary barrier to sale, not features or pricing. The trust recession is the new baseline. Vendors treating transparency as competitive advantage will win. Those hiding behind gated content will watch deals stall. The question isn't whether your product is good enough. It's whether buyers trust you enough to find out. #TrustRecession #B2BSaaS #MarketTransparency #VendorStrategy

In the last 10 years, I managed over 100 accounts myself and probably interacted with over 2000 that my team manages. After building 100s of relationships, I've discovered something surprising. Trust isn't built through grand gestures or perfect presentations. It's built through consistency. Research shows when B2B customers view a vendor as a trusted adviser, they generate 1.5x greater revenue and are 2.5x more likely to repurchase. But here's the shocking part: only 31% of B2B customers believe their vendors truly understand their needs. This gap isn't just concerning, it's a massive opportunity. There are four pillars that transform ordinary vendor relationships into unbreakable partnerships. 1 - Competence Not just expertise, but applied knowledge that solves real problems. As Samuel☔️ Thimothy wisely noted, "Your goal as a business is to prove to your customers that you're their best shot." 2 - Integrity In B2B, where multiple stakeholders are involved, ethical consistency isn't optional, it's essential for survival. 3 - Reliability Meeting deadlines isn't just about calendar management, it's about proving your client can build their success on your foundation. 4. Empathy Understanding your client's business as if it were your own. This isn't just good service; it's good business. I recently read the story of a global packaging supplier who revolutionized their approach by creating a dedicated insights department. Instead of just delivering products, they delivered market intelligence. The result? Their customers now view them as indispensable partners, not interchangeable vendors. Building trust isn't an event, it's a daily practice. It's delivering slightly more than promised, consistently over time. It's acknowledging mistakes quickly. It's celebrating your clients' wins as if they were your own. Kelly Van Arsdale put it perfectly: "The more reliable and professional you can be, the more likely someone is to continue being a customer." What's one small consistency you could implement tomorrow that would build trust with your clients? Share in the comments, I'd love to learn from your experience. __ ♻️ Reshare this post if it can help others! __ ▶️ Want to see more content like this? You should join 2297+ members in the Tidbits WhatsApp Community! 💥 [link in the comments section]