Buyer Insights: APAC Findings From the 2019 B-to-B Buying Study

Our third SiriusDecisions Summit APAC will be held in Singapore on 15 and 16 October 2019. It will provide best practice research developed to address the unique challenges APAC B2B marketers face in the diverse markets they serve. It will also provide a great opportunity for B2B sales, marketing and product leaders to network. During the conference, we will introduce the latest results from our 2019 B-to-B Buying Study, highlighting key insights into APAC-specific learning.

Attendees will have the opportunity to discover APAC buyer preferences that can help shape the development of global campaigns delivered regionally and the creation of locally relevant campaigns. Delegates can learn about APAC-specific buying complexity, how it impacts buying group behavior and what vendors need to do to respond. We will also look at buying behaviors through APAC’s all-important indirect channels and how they impact channel partner and end-user engagement.

Our analysis of the study results showed that buyers in Europe and North America behaved similarly to those in APAC. However, some nuances in APAC are notable and must be considered when organizations are determining how to ensure the best possible engagement experience with buyers in Asian markets.

One question we asked participants was: “During the buying process, what, if anything, stalled the progress of the purchase?” Twenty-nine percent of buyers who purchased direct in APAC indicated it was the availability or responsiveness of the vendor representative vs. only 17% who gave this reason for a purchase completed through a partner.

Buyers consider the vendor’s responsiveness during the buying process as a clear indication of how well they will be treated as a customer, which ultimately influences their purchase decision. In APAC, channel partners appear to be more effective at engaging and responding to their buyers.

We also asked buyers, “What was the most significant driver of the decision to select the vendor of choice?”  Twenty-nine percent of buyers who purchased through a partner in APAC indicated it was their previous relationship with the company; only 21% who purchased direct cited this driver. Responses to the same question showed that 17% of buyers who purchased through a partner in APAC were driven by their previous relationship with the salesperson; only 12% who purchased direct cited this driver. Trust and existing relationships with vendors and their sales teams appear to be more prevalent drivers for buyers who purchase through channel partners.

B-to-B Buying Study results are just the beginning of what you can look forward to at SiriusDecisions Summit APAC this year. For the first time, the conference will include track sessions. These sessions will provide details on how B2B marketing leaders can achieve high performance in demand marketing and make their field teams more efficient.

We will also present SiriusDecisions ROI (Return on Integration) Awards as well as Programmes of the Year Awards, which showcase best-in-class marketing and business alignment.

To learn more about your buyers’ behaviors and how best to engage buyers in APAC, as well as regionally relevant sales and marketing best practices, join us in Singapore on 15 and 16 October at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre for SiriusDecisions’ third APAC Summit.