The B2B sales journey is often characterized by its complexity, involving a diverse array of stakeholders with varying perspectives and timelines. Guiding a prospect through this intricate path to becoming a valued customer can feel like a significant undertaking. Fortunately, B2B marketers and sales professionals excel at navigating these complexities, providing valuable insights and maintaining engagement throughout the buyer's journey.

Just as the old model of news dissemination has been shattered – a few dominant outlets now replaced by a cacophony of voices - so has the traditional approach to healthcare marketing. Your healthcare B2B customers are turning into B2C right before your eyes, side-stepping your funnel and doing research and evaluation on their own, without seeking a contact with your sales team. According to a 2017 study by research company Forrester, 68% of B2B customers said they preferred to do their own research, rather than interact with a sales rep. This is a big change over 2015, when this figure was only 40%.

We hear a lot about how the B2B sales process has changed. From push to pull, from outbound to inbound, from talking to a live person to receiving automated marketing replies …. The funnel looks a lot different now than it did 10, or five, or even two years ago.

If you’re a B2B marketer working in 2017, you’ve likely switched over to an inbound marketing approach, based on the three stages in the buyer’s journey: awareness, consideration, and decision. But has your sales team made the same switch in how they sell your product or solution?