CSOs must foster alignment among buying teams

7th July 2025 |   Journal Of Sales Transformation

Building consensus and fostering alignment amongst members of diverse buyer groups should be a priority for sales leaders, analysts firm Gartner tells the Journal. Today, buying groups are more diverse than ever, comprising up to 16 people potentially spanning four functions, with individual members each having their own priorities and opinions.

B2B buyer teams frequently demonstrate unhealthy conflict during the buying decision process, according to a survey by the analyst firm. With 74% of teams exhibiting this type of behaviour, due to conflicting objectives, disagreements on the best course of action, or being overruled by external decision-makers, sales leaders are advised to pursue consensus and foster agreement during the sales cycle.

A survey of 632 B2B buyers found that buying groups which reach consensus are 2.5 times more likely to report that their deal was high-quality.

Delainey Kirkwood, Principal, Research in the Gartner Sales Practice, warns: “Chief sales officers must properly equip their sellers to foster agreement and alignment among diverse buyer groups. By focusing on buying group relevance, sellers can aid members in understanding each other’s viewpoints and validate the decision-making process. In doing so, sellers can secure a higher number of high-quality deals.”

Content tailored for buying group relevance is key, positively impacting consensus by 20%, and helping members to understand each other’s perspectives and validating the decision-making process. By contrast, content tailored to individual perspectives can create conflict within the buying group, resulting in a 59% negative impact on buying group consensus, Gartner claims.