Calling all B2B tech marketers! Here are the top technology buyer stats and trends you need to know to align with today’s buyers.

The B2B buying landscape is constantly evolving. Buying cycles are getting longer and more complex, decision-making teams are expanding, and tech buyers are changing the way they research and purchase new solutions. For marketers, it’s crucial to stay ahead of these shifts to better align with buyer needs and preferences, refine your marketing strategies, and ultimately, drive growth.

We’ve rounded up the most impactful insights and stats from industry-leading research to help you navigate the complexities of the tech buying process and reach today’s buyers more efficiently and effectively.

Dive in for the latest trends, or jump ahead using the table of contents.

B2B Buying Teams: Stakeholders & Buying Cycles

  • Large decision-making groups continue to be the reality for most organizations. In 2024, 86% of IT professionals reported 3+ stakeholders on their decision committees for new IT tech purchases and 43% reported 6+ stakeholders. In large enterprises, more than 60% reported 6+ stakeholders and nearly 30% reported 10+ stakeholders. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • C-level execs, including the CEO and CFO, are frequently involved in IT purchase decisions. For companies who had most recently purchased a cybersecurity product within their IT group, 31% stated the CEO was highly involved and 37% stated the CFO was highly involved. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • The typical B2B buying group includes 6-10 decision-makers in every purchase, including procurement, finance, IT, and operations team members. (Gartner)
  • There are on average 7.4 people in the B2B buying group. (Dentsu)
  • 58% of IT professionals said the buying process takes 3+ months for IT product purchases. This jumped to 83% for IT professionals at enterprise companies with 1000+ employees. (TechnologyAdvice)

B2B Buying Journey: How Tech Buyers Research, Evaluate, and Buy

  • Customer case studies, independent expert research, and product reviews top the list of go-to information during the research and buying process for IT professionals. 63% report customer case studies as highly or very important, 62% report independent expert research as highly or very important, and 59% report product reviews as highly or very important. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • The 3 most important sources of information during the research and evaluation process all represent 3rd party validation – from customers, analysts, experts, and reviewers. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • 80% of the B2B buying journey involves independent research followed by group discussions. (Gartner)
  • Companies in Business Services, Manufacturing, Software, and Finance are the top consumers of IT product reviews. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • AI Software has quickly become a top-viewed product review category for IT professionals, reinforcing the growing interest and demand in a category that barely existed 2 years ago. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • 94% of ITDMs need additional resources or assistance from vendors at some point in the tech purchase process. 46% need help when evaluating products and services, and 43% need help when determining the technical requirements. (Foundry)
  • 77% of B2B buyers will not even speak to a salesperson until they have done their own research. (Rollworks)
  • 62% of B2B buyers consume 3 to 7 pieces of content before connecting with a salesperson. (Demand Gen Report)
  • 73% cite company reputation as the most influential factor in choosing a vendor (LoSasso)
  • 92% of tech buyers are more likely to engage with a tech vendor who has helped educate them on a particular subject or technology concept. (Tech Target)
  • 90% of tech buyers are more likely to respond to a tech vendor’s outreach if they’ve seen multiple pieces of their content online. (Tech Target)
  • 87% of tech buyers agree that Independent expert content is crucial to their tech decision-making process. (Tech Target)
  • 75% of B2B buyers say they prefer a rep-free sales experience, but self-service digital commerce purchases are significantly more likely to result in purchase regret. (Foundry)
  • B2B buyers are 1.8 times more likely to complete a high-quality deal when they engage with supplier-provided digital tools in partnership with a sales rep. (Foundry)
  • In 2024, 52% of drivers on B2B purchases were based on personal decision drivers (e.g. feeling safe signing a contract, aligning with personal values and ethics, and teaching new skills/knowledge). This adds fuel to the call for more creativity, storytelling, and emotional resonance in B2B. (Dentsu)

B2B Buying Experience

  • 68% agree with the statement “many of the brands I see at work have very similar marketing and communications messages – they all sound and act the same.” (Dentsu)
Source: Dentsu
  • B2B buyers want experiences that reflect their needs. 71% of B2B buyers would like business suppliers to spend more time seeking to understand them and how their solution can solve the day-to-day problems they face at work. (Dentsu)
  • 2 in 5 businesses were highly satisfied with the brand they chose in terms of doing a good job of tailoring their offering to fit their needs. (Dentsu)

B2B Buyer Challenges and Priorities

  • Cybersecurity, network infrastructure, and AI technology projects/adoption top the list of challenges and priorities for IT organizations. 49% of IT professionals report that new cybersecurity threats are a key challenge they are currently facing in 2024.  (TechnologyAdvice)
  • When it comes to network infrastructure, large enterprise IT organizations are prioritizing cloud/hybrid while smaller IT organizations are prioritizing remote-work infrastructure. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • 78% of companies plan to increase investments in cybersecurity in 2024-2025. Cybersecurity also topped the list of planned budget investments for the year ahead. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • The top security threats being prioritized by IT organizations in 2024 include malware, ransomware, and data theft with large enterprises also prioritizing DDOS, infrastructure attacks, and zero-day exploits. (TechnologyAdvice)
  • Small to mid-sized IT companies reported proactively reducing risk and gaps in security coverage as top motivators for purchasing new cybersecurity solutions, while large enterprises reported regulation compliance and incident response mitigation as top motivators for purchasing new cybersecurity solutions. (TechnologyAdvice)

And there you have it! The B2B tech buying process is only getting more complex, and keeping up with these trends is key to staying ahead in 2024 and beyond. From bigger buying teams to longer sales cycles and the growing demand for 3rd party validation, understanding these shifts can help you fine-tune your marketing efforts. 

For even more trends and insights, check out our blog post: 2024 IT Tech Buyer Trends: 3 Key Insights for Marketers from Our Latest Report.

Tania Blake Avatar
Tania Blake