In the last five years, the average number of stakeholders who weigh in on a B2B purchasing decision has almost doubled to 10.2, up from 5.4, according to data from CEB and Challenger, a research-backed sales training organization. In 2016, CEB, a predecessor company to Challenger, pegged the average buying group size at roughly seven (6.8) individuals, so "the trend doesn't seem to favor sellers," writes Spencer Wixom, director of marketing and sales enablement at Challenger. In a post-digital age, the B2B buyer increasingly is in control.
The job of selling B2B products and services keeps getting...