Being in the world of buyers provides us with crucial insights for sellers and marketers. Aligned with the customer’s vision, there are people across organizations busy with one or all of the following buying tasks:

• Problem identification
• Solution Exploration
• Requirements Building
• Supplier Selection

Their task is not simple, particularly with identifying problems and exploring solutions; People in middle management, across Operations, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Customer service, and HR are all on the lookout for what their external (and internal) customers want. What is trending? What moves the market and to where? How is new technology opening up new consumer needs? Who is disrupting the industry? How is that affecting their business? What should their next big investment be? What should be prioritized? It seems that the fear of missing out (FOMO) is accelerating year after year. No wonder many feel overwhelmed and uncertain. The answer to all these questions centers around one thing only: MISSING INFORMATION

Gartner suggests that, for this reason, sellers and marketers need to look at this more from the buyer’s perspective and ask themselves: How easy or how difficult do we make it for potential buyers to find the information they are looking for?

With the internet at their fingertips, stakeholders from the above functions come to meetings with backpacks filled with information and misinformation, hoping they have found the new golden egg for their company. Often, senior managers send them back to their offices tasked with finding the missing information to complete the strategic jigsaw puzzle.

Asking businesses for their experience on gaining access to missing information, many reply that they are only somewhat satisfied. The information-problem of the buyer becomes an information-opportunity for the salesperson and marketing. In this information age, selling is helping. Sellers need to realize sooner what missing information the buyer is after to complete their buying process.

There is however also an important message for marketing

1. Digital information finding is always on, meaning that there are still potential buyers on your website looking for help when you sleep.
2. How well is your website designed from the buyer’s perspective? How easy can organizations, from start-ups to enterprise companies, find information important to their buying tasks?

The goal is to make it easier for buyers to find relevant information about their business challenges. With that in mind, test your website and ask yourself; What questions do businesses have, and can they find the answers online? Marketers, step up, together with your sales force, and be ahead of the game by providing information that buyers cannot find by themselves and help them with making progress in their buying process. Happy jigsaw solving!

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