Business
Forrester: B2B Organizations Must Evolve To Encompass AI Agents And External Influencers To Align With How Modern Buyers Want To Buy
Unveiled at B2B Summit North America, Forrester’s new research calls on leaders to grasp the full complexity of B2B buying and evolve their growth strategies
About this update from Forrester Research, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\nUnveiled at B2B Summit North America, Forrester’s new research calls on leaders to grasp the full complexity of B2B buying and evolve their growth strategies to engage buying networks\n\n PHOENIX & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nB2B organizations and go-to-market teams have fallen out of step with today’s buyers, who are younger, rely more on generative AI and AI agents to research products and services, and increasingly turn to third parties and influencers to make their purchase decisions. These behavioral shifts are upending norms and entrenched practices according to new research, Buying Networks: Your Buyers’ New Reality, unveiled at Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) B2B Summit North America, which kicked off today. Additionally, B2B leaders are under increasing pressure to drive growth and improve profitability, all while navigating a challenging economic and geopolitical environment. To thrive amid this volatility, B2B organizations must transform their revenue processes to reflect a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of purchasing decisions.\n\nMany of today’s business purchases are made by buyers relying on their buying networks, which consist of a diverse group of constituents. These include not only the buying group members who are part of the organization making the purchase but also the external parties they connect with for information, advice, and support, such as providers, customers, influencers, partners, and AI agents. B2B buyers and sellers must understand the relationships within these buying networks and provide value to these varied constituents to grow and thrive.\n\nForrester’s latest research recommends that firms analyze not only specific buyer behaviors and preferences but also those of their broader networks, engaging meaningfully in the conversations that matter most to their business today. To help reduce today’s buying mayhem, providers should consider the following best practices:\n\n\nEstablish connections between buying groups and external influencers. B2B buyers actively search for external experts who have key insights or speak from firsthand experience. Providers can influence these influencers through thought leadership programs to build a positive consensus with buying groups.\n\n\n\nEnsure that buyer AI agents deliver accurate information to buying groups. Providers must treat ...