How B2B buying really works
The buying committee
- Champion — feels the problem and wants it solved; your best ally.
- Economic buyer — controls the budget and signs.
- Users — will live with the solution day to day.
- Technical evaluator — IT, security or operations checking it works.
- Blockers — procurement, legal or someone attached to the current provider.
What each one cares about
The champion wants the problem gone and to look good. The economic buyer wants ROI and low risk. Users want ease. Technical evaluators want compatibility and security. Your materials must answer all of them — a one-page ROI summary for finance, a technical sheet for IT, a simple “what changes for you” note for users.
Typical stages
- Problem recognised (often after a trigger).
- Research and shortlisting.
- Evaluation — demos, proposals, references.
- Approval — budget, legal, procurement.
- Implementation.
Why deals stall
Most stalled deals lack a clear owner, a clear deadline or a reason to change now. Your job is to help the champion build the internal case — with numbers, timelines and answers to every committee member’s concerns.
💡 Real-world example
A Microsoft 365 reseller kept losing deals after great demos. Reviewing them showed the champion (an office manager) loved the solution but could not answer the finance director’s questions. A one-page “cost and risk summary” the champion could forward internally raised the close rate noticeably.
✅ Checklist
🛠 Your assignment
For one B2B deal (real or imagined), list each committee member, their concern and the material that addresses it.
📝 Check your understanding
Answer 2 of 3 correctly to complete this lesson.