Buyer Perception | Tony Zambito Founder of Buyer Personas and Buyer Insights Research

Buyer Perception

Jan 2021

Five Intangible Buyer Behavior Trends To Monitor In 2021

Despite turning the calendar from 2020 to 2021, we find ourselves starting the new year in more turmoil. A catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic that continues to increase in scope. The hope of the vaccines tempered as the rollout encounters delays. And the disturbing insurrection at our capitol causing national anxiety. To ignore these in a business context is to be blind to the effect on our society. Such tumultuous events will have a direct impact on buying behaviors in 2021. Organizations today will need to monitor buying behaviors as they ebb and shift in 2021. Here are 5 intangible buying behaviors,…

Article by Tony Zambito

Dec 2020

Building Buyer Confidence More Important Due To COVID-19

In sports, confidence is often mentioned as one of the key ingredients to winning. I saw this firsthand with my daughter and her competitive experience in gymnastics. She attended the same gym as Amy Chow, the U.S. Olympic Gold and Silver Medal winner in the 1996 Olympics. And a team member of the 2000 Olympics. One Saturday, while waiting for my daughter, I watched Amy do a small portion of her routine on the balance beam. Repetitively turning and jumping on the beam for an hour. When she was done and walked by, I asked her about what she had…

Article by Tony Zambito

Nov 2020

How B2B Leaders Can Navigate 2021 Uncertainties With Buyer Insight

One of the most fascinating figures in American business history was that of Lee Iacocca. Iacocca, who died at the age of 94 in 2019, was a visionary leader who was the only executive in modern times to lead two of the Big Three American automakers. Ford and Chrysler. At Ford, he was best known for his efforts in the creation of one of the most famous cars in auto history – the Mustang. Iacocca, in both situations, had to overcome much adversity and uncertainties to lead. Here is a quote from Iacocca on dealing with uncertainty: “So, what…

Article by Tony Zambito

Feb 2015

The New B2B Buyer And The Collaborative Economy

In the post-WW II decades through the 1990’s – and for many into the 2000’s, the business and world economy was focused on the mass “push-down” economic model. In simplistic terms, B2B was predicated on mass production and how many mass-produced products can be sold through marketing, sales, and distribution. Fortunes rose or fell based on whether B2B organizations were caught with inventory bloat or inability to meet demand. The post-WW II decade’s spawned market research, sales effectiveness, marketing communications, “push-down” hierarchal organization models, and more. All intended to “push-down” harder and faster than any other competitive organization. Fifteen years into the new…

Article by Tony Zambito

Jan 2015

7 Big Questions For B2B Marketing Leaders in 2015

Another year and more questions facing B2B Marketing Leaders. We are faced with a rapidly changing digital economy and evolving buyer behaviors. Challenging the best plans and intentions drawn up for 2015. Each year begets a new set of questions, which confront B2B organizations and B2B Marketing Leaders. Let us take a look at 7 very pressing questions: Do we really know our buyers and customers? A few decades ago, the famed management guru Peter Drucker stated one of the most important question a business has to answer is: Who is our customer? For CMO’s and marketing leaders, this remains…

Article by Tony Zambito

Nov 2014

Radical Openness And Transparency: A Mandate For B2B Organizations

November 2014 marked the twenty-fifth (25th) anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The tearing down of the barrier separating West Germany from East Germany remains as one of the world’s most momentous events. The fall of the Berlin Wall continues to send out tremors touching many parts of the globe. What many in the world assumed would be a smoothed unification of West and East Germany has not occurred. For example, the former East Germany continues to suffer from rampant high unemployment, less educational opportunities, and poorer healthcare systems. In the same twenty-five years, we have seen the advent…

Article by Tony Zambito

Sep 2014

The Importance of Understanding Context Before Jumping To Solutions

We cannot wait to offer solutions. We have the thirty-second elevator pitch, content marketing, presentations, lead generation, demand generation, sales training, and sales enablement. All designed to be proficient at offering solutions. Some companies can reach a fervent pitch with their marketing and sales in seeking to tell people or companies they have the solution. Sometimes we rush to provide a solution while at other times, we work on an effort with a potential customer crafting a solution over many months. What we can be convinced of is belief we have the right solution. Just what if? What if the…

Article by Tony Zambito

Aug 2014

Humanize Your Brand With Buyer Personas

You cannot fake it. You should not even try. What am I talking about? We have plenty of efforts these days focused on humanizing in B2B Marketing. Which I believe is most definitely a good thing. However, we also have more savvy and knowledgeable customers and buyers in the digital age. And, one thing I can share with all of you based on recent batches of in the field qualitative buyer interviews over the last year is this: Buyers and customers can tell when you are faking it. One Constant Missing Link Over the last year or two, there has…

Article by Tony Zambito

Jun 2014

5 Ways GE Put Human Experience At The Center Of B2B Marketing

Over the course of the past few decades, B2B marketing has been perfecting the art of showcasing products or services. In the pre-Internet days, the focus was on the shiniest and brightest glossy brochure to make products or services look unbeatable. B2B companies resorted to showrooms and customer demonstration facilities. All in the hopes of making their products or services stand out from the pack. This is still happening today in the digital age. Many of today’s B2B organizations still lead with the proverbial – “we are the leading provider of blah blah technology which enables companies to improve effectiveness…

Article by Tony Zambito

Jun 2014

Modern Marketing Is About Human Connection – Not Robots

This year, more than any in a long time, I am hearing a strong backlash to the volumes of emails and content buyers are receiving. In the past eight months, after conducting numerous buyer interviews, this pattern has become so evident; it is as if buyers are screaming at the top of their lungs. In my opinion, there is a cause and effect dynamic taking place in B2B marketing. It goes something like this: The hard adjustment to the new digital economy is putting pressure on B2B companies to grow. Many are jumping on the content marketing bandwagon. This pressure…

Article by Tony Zambito