B2B solution buyers have raised the bar. They are more proactive, connected, empowered, and hungry to learn. Their expectations are getting higher. They have more choices. They have access to information anytime and anywhere, but at the same time, they are harder to reach. ITSMA’s 2014 How Buyers Consume Information research confirms the growing importance of online and social media channels, but calls into question broad assertions of the declining importance of sales and other interactions with solution providers. Our research shows that B2B solution buyers still base their decisions mainly on insights, expertise, and direct interaction. Thought leadership, access to subject matter experts (primarily from solution providers), and contact with sales people—throughout the buying process—comprise the most critical inputs for buyers. They value personalization, both online and offline, as a means of accessing information tailored to their interests and needs. In this context, the role of marketing is increasingly that of facilitating access to information and experts to help educate and inform buyers, working closely with SMEs and sales to do so. Read this report to find out how Marketing can: •Create the right balance in the marketing mix to reach both B2B Social and Traditional buyers •Create the right balance in the marketing mix to reach business, finance, and IT executives •Facilitate access to subject matter experts and their knowledge •Help sales become subject matter experts in their own right ITSMA conducted the 2014 version of its acclaimed How Customers Choose research with 436 buyers of large, complex IT solutions across seven countries. Specifically, the study answers questions such as: •What are the most important criteria used to select solution providers? •What types of content are buyers most likely to consider useful? •How are buyers using social media during the purchase process? •When creating a short list of providers, what sources of information do they use? •What are buyers’ preferences for maintaining relationships post purchase?

1. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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Persuading Buyers to Choose You
Results from the ITSMA How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2014
Julie Schwartz, Senior Vice President, Research and Thought Leadership, ITSMA
Anna Whiting, Senior Research Manager, ITSMA
Abbreviated Summary | December 2014

2. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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Abbreviated
Summary
Buyers are more connected, empowered, and hungry to
learn. They have more choices and access to
information anytime and anywhere. As a result,
marketing and selling have become more challenging.
It helps to know exactly what buyers are looking for
during the purchase process. What they really want to
know is whether they can trust you. You build trust
through relationships. And to build relationships, you
need: engagement, insights, a personalized approach,
and underlying all three, human contact.
Note: This abbreviated summary highlights some of the
significant findings from How Buyers Consume
Information: Persuading Buyers to Choose You, results
from the ITSMA 2014 survey. A more in-depth analysis
can be found in the full report.
According to ITSMA’s “How Buyers
Consume Information Survey,”
your buyers require four things:
Insights
Human
Contact
Personalized
Approach
Engagement

3. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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#1: Human Contact
Buyers want insight—and they prefer to get
their insight from people, not screens. Here is
why human contact is critical:
l Buyers spend nearly as much time offline as
online, especially with people, when keeping
up with industry and technology trends
l Buyers rely on sales at all stages of the
buying process, even the early stages
l Technology solution provider SMEs are the
most credible source of information
l Finally, social media, while gaining traction
is not yet mainstream
It’s still all about the human contact.
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2014
Solution providers, especially their SMEs,
are the most credible source of information
during the purchase process
39
31
31
26
26
25
24
21
18
18
15
14
13
1
Solution provider subject matter experts
Solution provider websites
Industry analysts/sourcing advisors
Solution provider sales people
Peers/colleagues
Management consultants
Web search
Industry events/trade shows
General business or industry/trade media
Industry/professional online communities
Local or national professional trade associations
Social media/networks
Digital influencers/industry experts
Other
% Rank 1st % Rank 2nd % Rank 3rd
Which of the following sources of information in your most
recent purchase experience were most trustworthy or credible?
(Rank order 1st, 2nd, 3rd) % of Respondents (N=436)

4. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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26 24
53
51
18
20
3 4
1
#2: Relevant Insights
Thought leadership is crucial to solution provider
awareness, interest, and consideration.
l The depth and quality of thought leadership is
one of the key criteria that determine which
providers buyers want to learn more about
and which providers ultimately make it on
their short lists
l Buyers have different preferences for
how they want insight delivered:
First: interactive visualizations or visual
storytelling
Followed by: presentations and slide sets
and text-based copy
The next tier: videos and infographics
Lastly: podcasts
What role did the solution providers’ thought leadership content
play in determining which providers…?
% of Respondents (N=436)
Thought leadership is crucial to solution
provider awareness, interest, and
consideration
You wanted to learn
more about?
Made it on to your
shortlist?
Critical
Important
Somewhat Important
Of Minor Importance
Of No Importance
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2014

5. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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#3: Personalized
Approach
Personalization is the new mantra of marketing.
B2B marketing is person-to-person marketing.
l It’s micro-targeting and using technology to
customize the experience and for marketing to
add more value
l It’s ensuring an integrated personal experience
both on and offline
l It’s using superior understanding of the buyer’s
needs and behavior to persuade the buyer to
choose you
Moreover, buyers welcome personalization.
They find personalization to be a valuable service.
When solution providers personalize their marketing and
sales materials to address your specific business issues are
you more, less, or equally likely to consider purchasing
solutions from them? % of Respondents (N=436)
Buyers are more likely to consider solution
providers that personalize their marketing
to address their specific business issues
More
likely
50%
Equally
likely
39%
Less likely
9%
Don’t know
2%
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2014

6. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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#4: Engagement
Too often relationship marketing is a mechanical process
of increasingly focused communication activities: emails,
webinars, newsletter subscriptions, seminars, private
briefings, and so on. It’s a formulaic progression. But real
relationships don’t follow a formula. They’re messy and
unpredictable, and each one is different.
The challenge is to engage customers and prospects and
build real relationships. Marketers need to:
l Stop talking and listen
l Cultivate more strategic relationships to gain insight,
advice, and constructive criticism
l Show that listening leads to action
As marketers, we need to engage three
different audiences
Relationship
The
Marketing
Challenge
Creating
Awareness and
Building
Relationships
Increasing
Knowledge,
Collaboration,
and Innovation
Communicating
Relevant Value
Propositions
The
Predominant
Marketing
Approach
Events,
Thought
Leadership,
and Proof
Points
Customer
Engagement
Programs
and ABM
Buyer Personas,
and ABM
New Buying
Centers
in Existing
Accounts
Existing
Relationships
in Existing
Accounts
New
Accounts
Establishing Deepening Expanding
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2014

7. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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Here’s what the cutting-edge
B2B solutions marketers
will be doing in 2015
 Integrating on- and off-line marketing
 Connecting on social media
 Expanding the role and visibility of SMEs
 Creating and communicating true thought
leadership
 Enabling sales to do thought leadership selling
 Increasing relevance with Buyer Personas
and B2I
 Accelerating growth with ABM
 Creating a comprehensive program to engage
with existing customers

8. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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26
22
10
10
8
7
7
11
Other
Energy/Utilities/Oil/Mining/Gas
Government/Non-Profit/Public Sector
Healthcare
Business Services
Communications
Financial Services
Manufacturing
Study Methodology
In Fall 2014, ITSMA conducted a web survey of 436
business, finance, and IT executives from companies that
purchase technology–based solutions for individual contracts
over $500,000. These respondents represented larger
enterprises, with 50% having $1 billion or more in annual
revenue from seven different countries: US, UK, France,
Germany, Australia, India, and Brazil.
Countries
Represented
% of Respondents
(N=436)
US
41%
UK
13%
France
10%
Germany
10%
India
10%
Australia
8%
Brazil
8%
Note: Other includes: retail/wholesale,
transportation, travel and hospitality,
aerospace/defense
What is your company’s
primary business?
% of Respondents (N=436)
Annual Revenue of Organizations
Represented
Approximately what is your company’s annual revenue
(or operating budget if government)? % of Respondents (N=436)
5
15
19
23
15
12
$100–
249M
$250–
499M
$500–
999M
$1–
4.9B
$5–
9.9B
$10–20B
or more
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2014

9. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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52
16
12 11 9
C-level/
Pres./
General
Manager
Director/
Assistant
VP
VP/
Senior VP/
Head
Manager Controller/
Treasurer
Respondent
Characteristics
Purchase Involvement
How would you characterize your involvement in your
organization’s purchases of major technology solutions for
individual contracts over $500,000? % of Respondents (N=436)
Job Role
Are you an IT or business
professional?
% of Respondents
(N=436)
Job Title
Which of the following most closely describes your job title?
% of Respondents (N=436)
IT
54%
Business
46%
Note: Multiple responses allowed.
I have budget and/or
final sign-off authority
I research potential providers
for inclusion on the short list/
I evaluate the providers
on the short list and select
the best solution
I provide input to help the
evaluators and
decision makers
75
33
30
Decision
maker
Evaluator
Influencer
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2014

10. ITSMA Survey | 2014 How B2B Buyers Consume Information
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Table of Contents for Persuading Buyers to
Choose You, Results from the ITSMA How B2B
Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2014
For More Information
Julie Schwartz
Senior Vice President
Research and Thought Leadership
ITSMA
Email: jschwartz@itsma.com
Phone: +1-781-862-8500, Ext. 112
Slide
Executive Summary 3
Human Contact 6
Insight 12
Personalized Approach 16
Engagement 19
Methodology and Respondent Demographics 34
Detailed Findings 43
Crosstabs 69
By Social Media Use 69
By Type of Purchase 85
By Country 102
By Job Role 119
By Size of Company 136
By Industry 153