Online IT sales versus salesperson

18th May 2018 |   Journal Of Sales Transformation

Research by IT marketplace Probrand.co.uk indicates that a major gap exists between what buyers expect and what is currently being delivered by IT suppliers. It highlights the trend away from engaging salespeople early in the buying cycle but also highlights significant differences between buying products and services.

The survey reveals that more than half of B2B buyers (53%) now like to research and purchase IT products online, compared with just over one third (36%) who prefer to buy through a sales representative. This cross checks with suppliers’ views: a similar percentage of suppliers (38%) believe that their buyers prefer to purchase products via a salesperson. However, there seems to be less appreciation for how many prefer to buy online – with only 39% believing this is how buyers choose to buy.