What B2B Buyers Expect From Vendors (& What It Means for ABM Strategy)

The B2B buying process has transformed. What used to be a seller-led sales cycle is now a buyer-led, research-heavy journey involving entire buying groups. These decision-makers expect relevance, personalization, and value from every interaction they have. If your go-to-market strategy hasn’t evolved to meet this moment, especially your Account-Based Marketing (ABM) efforts, you’re not just behind. You’re invisible.

ABM has become the strategy of choice for B2B organizations looking to cut through the noise. However, to truly succeed with ABM, vendors must align their strategy with modern buying group expectations.

Here’s what today’s B2B buying groups want—and how your ABM approach should respond:

1. They Expect You to Know Them. ABM Demands It.

Buyers want vendors who deeply understand their business, market, and challenges before a conversation begins. Generic messaging and vendor-centric promotional campaigns don’t work.

What this means for ABM:
Your ABM strategy must be built on rich account intelligence, including firmographic data, technographics, intent signals, and buying behavior across various roles.

Tactical ABM Move:
Segment and prioritize accounts by size, revenue potential, and strategic fit and readiness. Create personalized content and plays tailored to key personas within each target account.

2. They Want a Partner, Not a Pitch. ABM Should Orchestrate Value.

Modern buying groups want value, and it starts with the content (from your “campaigns” you create and share. They want insights, ideas, and problem solvers who co-create solutions and help them reach internal consensus. This is how you make it on the consideration list and move to the top faster.

What this means for ABM:
ABM shouldn’t just be about getting a meeting. Instead, it should guide the entire buying experience, externally creating coordinated value across buying groups and internally connecting sales, marketing, and customer success.

Tactical ABM Move:
Use account plans to align cross-functional teams. Tailor every touchpoint—from content to conversation—to where the account and buyers are in the buying journey. ABM isn’t just targeted advertising, direct mail or campaigns about building momentum and trust.