The B2B Buying Committee: What You Need Know

Let’s start by defining what a B2B buying committee is. The B2B buying committee is a group of people within an organization that influences and/or makes purchasing decisions and is made up of multiple stakeholders from across the organization over a variety of functions. The number of people on a B2B buying committee can vary, but according to Forbes, B2B buying committees can be made up of as many as 14 people or more.

B2B Buying Committee Composition

The composition of a B2B buying committee can vary greatly depending on the type of product or service being purchased. Different products and services will require different skill sets and expertise, and therefore the committee will be made up of individuals from different functions within the organization.

For example, when purchasing technology, the committee will likely include IT professionals such as the CIO or IT Director. These individuals will be responsible for evaluating the technical aspects of the product or service, such as compatibility with existing systems, security measures, and scalability. On the other hand, when purchasing marketing services, the committee will likely include marketing professionals such as the CMO or Marketing Director. These individuals will be responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the service and their ability to deliver measurable results.

In addition to these obvious functions, there are many other functions that play a role in the B2B buying process. Operations professionals, for example, may be responsible for evaluating how a product or service will fit into the existing operations of the organization and assessing the impact on production. Finance professionals will also play a key role in the buying process, evaluating the financial aspects of the product or service, such as pricing, budgeting and return on investment (ROI). Depending on where the budgets sit, they may also be responsible for ensuring that the product or service fits within the financial constraints of the organization.

Executive committees are of course involved in the buying process too, and a lot of the time play a key role in making the final decision on the purchase. They will review the recommendation made by the buying committee and take into account factors such as budget, strategic fit, and organizational goals.

It’s important to take note of the demographics of these B2B buying committees as well.

For example, Millennials are increasingly playing a significant role in B2B purchasing decisions and 73% of them are involved in some form of B2B decision-making with a third ot them being the sole decision-maker in their company. With that in mind, it's important for B2B brands to understand the unique characteristics and motivations of this demographic (and Gen-Z behind it) in order to effectively adapt their strategies to market to them.

Learn More: Why Digital Transformation Matters to Your Organization [Hint: Millennials]

B2B Buying Process

The B2B buying process can be complex, with many stages and many different people involved—including influencers and decision makers from various roles within the organization. While the traditional marketing funnel is defined in stages - awareness, consideration, preference and purchase - it's important to note that the B2B buying process is not always (OK, almost never) linear, and it can take several months or even years to complete. This can be due to a number of factors like budget constraints, internal delays, or the need for additional research and evaluation, among others.

Keeping this in consideration, your marketing strategy should include an omnichannel approach with content that showcases the value of your product or service in various formats like blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, videos and more. These types of assets should map to the buying process (or the buyer’s journey) to make sure that all stakeholders are aware of who you are, what you do and how you can help them solve their business pain point(s) that help them grow their business. To be effective, you’ll need content that creates demand at all stages of the funnel. Start with a solid demand generation strategy that will fill your pipeline and turn prospects into valued customers.