Significant shifts in buying group behavior and business dynamics are challenging frontline B2B marketing teams responsible for driving revenue, including demand marketing, account-based marketing (ABM), and customer marketing.

Traditionally viewed as lead generators for the sales team, these marketers are adapting by responding to evolving buyer behaviors, embracing digital transformation, enhancing technical capabilities, and aiming for revenue leadership.

This report introduces lifecycle revenue marketing (LRM) – an outward-facing strategy for frontline marketing that transcends silos, enhances audience engagement, and integrates marketing initiatives with the complete revenue opportunity lifecycle.

Addressing Evolving Buyer Behavior: A Top Priority for B2B Marketers

Recognizing the significance of shifting buyer attitudes, as highlighted in Forrester’s report ‘What B2B Buyers Crave,’ a new wave of self-guided, private purchasing behaviors has emerged. In Forrester’s 2022 Marketing Survey, 36% of B2B marketing decision-makers identified addressing these changing behaviors as their primary focus. B2B marketers must navigate several pervasive changes in buyer behavior, including:

• Self-Guided Buying Journeys: Over half (51%) of buyer interactions now occur in self-guided scenarios, where buyers independently navigate the purchasing process. Furthermore, 40% of B2B purchases are made independently, with fewer decision-makers involved than in consensus-based scenarios. This necessitates tailored marketing approaches that acknowledge diverse buyer journeys and processes.
• Preference for Engagement Timing: An increasing number of buyers expect to engage with vendors on their terms, delaying interactions until they are ready to make a decision. Forrester’s Q3 2022 Buying Motions Survey revealed that fewer than 50% of B2B decision-makers find it acceptable for companies to send unsolicited product emails. Marketers must move away from mass email campaigns and focus on personalized, permission-based engagement strategies.
• Reluctance to Share Personal Information: 65% of B2B decision-makers express concerns about how their information will be used when required to fill out forms to access content. Marketers must reconsider gated content and email nurture streams, as buyers increasingly resist providing personal information for marketing purposes.
• Extended Purchasing Processes: Two-thirds (66%) of B2B marketing decision-makers report that buyers now take longer to commit to purchases compared to previous years. Factors such as budget constraints, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and organizational purchasing processes contribute to this delay. Marketers must adjust their strategies to accommodate prolonged decision-making timelines.
• External Purchase Influencers: Nearly half of B2B buying groups involved in a purchase do not belong to the buyer’s organization. On average, a buying cycle includes three considered vendors, four separate departments, and eight individuals, with four external influencers. This underscores the importance of engaging a broader network of stakeholders beyond traditional buyer contacts.

In response to these shifts, B2B marketers must move away from generic, one-size-fits-all approaches and adopt personalized, non-intrusive engagement tactics tailored to the unique needs and preferences of modern buyers.

Frontline Marketing Teams Are Advancing But Face Three Major Challenges

While all marketing teams bear the responsibility of adapting to changing buyer behaviors and driving revenue, frontline marketing teams directly responsible for pipeline and revenue, such as demand marketing, ABM, field marketing, and customer marketing, face unique challenges. Failure to meet pipeline or revenue targets could result in dire consequences for these teams. Despite significant advancements in tactics, technologies, and processes, frontline B2B marketing teams encounter three major challenges hindering their ability to engage buyer audiences effectively across the customer lifecycle:

1. Siloed Operations: Coordinating activities across siloed marketing teams remains a pervasive challenge, as highlighted by Forrester’s 2022 data. Silos not only disrupt the implementation of marketing programs and campaigns but also compromise overall buyer experiences. Frontline marketing teams require an innovative approach to break down silos and seamlessly integrate initiatives across the customer journey.
2. Customer Data Fragmentation: The challenge of creating a comprehensive view of the customer has grown in significance. While 34% of B2B marketing decision-makers identified this as a major challenge in 2022, frontline marketers also require actionable insights in digital audience contexts, often in real time. Adapting to dynamic scenarios and leveraging anonymous and pseudonymous audience data is essential for extending program reach and relevance.
3. Overemphasis on New Acquisition: While frontline marketers excel at generating new acquisition opportunities, focusing solely on this aspect may overlook other revenue streams. Only 13% of B2B marketing decision-makers report direct new business as the primary revenue source for their organizations. With diverse business models encompassing acquisition, upsell, cross-sell, and retention objectives, frontline marketers must tailor programs to support various buying motions and opportunity types across the organization.

The Table of Contents of “Lifecycle Revenue Marketing Is The Future Of Frontline Growth For B2B Organizations” Report :

• Addressing Changing Buyer Behaviors Is A Top Priority For B2B Marketers
• Frontline Marketing Teams Are Advancing But Face Three Major Challenges
• Frontline Marketers Must Advance To Lifecycle Revenue Marketing
• Transforming To Lifecycle Revenue Marketing Is A Four-Stage Journey
• Begin The LRM Journey Based On Your Current State
• Supplemental Material

Number of Pages:

• 14 pages

Pricing: 

• Free

Methodology

Forrester’s Q3 2022 Buying Motions Survey was fielded in August and September 2022. This online survey yielded a total of 104 respondents from buyers, sellers, and marketers who have been involved in a significant or business-critical purchasing decision in the past year that resulted in buying a product, service, or solution for their organization.

The survey asks about buyer preferences and the relationship between sales and marketing within organizations. The respondents’ incentive was a free Forrester report upon successful completion of the survey.