B2B buyers say the sales behaviors that are the biggest deal-breakers are when a salesperson does not understand their business, talks too much, and is not supportive after a sale, according to recent research from Korn Ferry.

The report was based on data from a survey of 261 individuals who work for medium to large enterprises (more than $250M in annual revenue) and who are directly responsible for making B2B purchase decisions of $10,000 or more.

Half of B2B buyers say a salesperson not understanding their business negatively impacts their decision to buy, 38% say a salesperson talking too much/not listening, and 38% also say when a salesperson is not supportive after a sale.

The biggest deal-makers (behaviors that positively impact the decision to buy) are when a salesperson understands the business (55% cite) and when they demonstrate ROI/value (40%).

Top 10 deal-making and deal-braking sales behaviors for B2B buyers

In virtual selling, B2B buyers say salespeople struggle most with effectively communicating empathy (32% disagree that salespeople are effective at this).

How good are salespeople at virtual selling

Most B2B buyers say that COVID-19 has not impacted the length of the buying cycle for large purchases from existing vendors/suppliers, but that it has lengthened the cycle for new vendors/suppliers.

How has the length of the B2B buying cycle changed since COVID

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey of 261 individuals who work for medium to large enterprises (more than $250M in annual revenue) and who are directly responsible for making B2B purchase decisions of $10,000 or more.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Ayaz Nanji

Ayaz Nanji is a digital strategist and a co-founder of ICW Media, a marketing agency specializing in content and social media services for tech firms. He is also a research writer for MarketingProfs. He has worked for Google/YouTube, the Travel Channel, AOL, and the New York Times.

LinkedIn: Ayaz Nanji

Twitter: @ayaznanji