The document discusses the complexities of the tech buying process, highlighting that it is long, competitive, and involves various stakeholders with differing agendas. Key influencers and areas of interest are identified, along with the types of content buyers seek during each stage of their decision-making journey. It emphasizes the importance of understanding buyer motivations and preferences in order to effectively engage with decision-makers.

1. 1
Taking a Deeper Look at Today’s
Empowered Tech Buying Process
Beneath
the Surface
Elisa Koch
Insights Lead, AU & NZ

2. 2
2.8+ million
APAC LinkedIn members who influence IT
decisions across departments and seniorities

3. 3
Hardware for End Users Hardware for Data Centers Software for Data CentersSoftware for End Users
We looked at 4 key technology subverticals.
The decision making process journey
The key influencers on the process
The areas of interest and motivation
The content they want, when and where they’re looking for it…

4. 4
Complication #1:
The buying process
is competitive and long.
Complication #2:
Technology buying touches all
aspects of business.
Complication #3:
The buying group each have
their own agenda.
What we learned: It’s complicated.

5. Complication #1: The buying process is long, complex and competitive.

6. 6
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Needs Specs/Funding Vendor Choice Implementation Management Renewal
Hardware for End Users
Software for End Users
Hardware for Data Centers
Software for Data Centers
Engaged Directly with Vendors – Last 3 Months
(% among buyers recently participating in each stage)
Engagement is constant throughout the long journey…
Bases: Technology decision participants (last 3 months) in 11+ person companies across 11 major markets in each market who recently participated in each stage
Hardware for End Users n=140-173, Software for End Users n=163-199, Data Center Hardware n=142-162, Data Center Software n=132-167
12 months+

7. 27%25%
7
It’s more competitive than ever,
but opportunities do exist.
Most Competitive Most Open
Hardware for End Users Software for Data Centers Hardware for Data Centers Software for End Users
Technology buying ranges from extremely to very competitive
(% who shortlisted a “new” vendor)
21% 42%

8. Complication #2: Technology buying touches all aspects of business.

9. 45%
52%
59%
51%
62%
50%
Needs Specs/Funding Vendor Choice Implementation Management Renewal
99
4+ functions
(% among buyers participating in each stage)
4+ functional groups can be involved at each stage.

10. 10
Hardware for End Users Hardware for Data Centers Software for Data CentersSoftware for End Users
…but the full committee is a complex group
* Each function’s’ importance was ranked across four measures: 1) perceived leadership in six stages of buying; 2) likelihood of being cross-functional partner to a leading role; 3) propensity to be a formal decision maker; and 4) perceived influence
on vendor opinion among those involved in Vendor Choice. Gartner source: http://my.gartner.com/portal/server.pt%3Fopen%3D512%26objID%3D202%26mode%3D2%26PageID%3D5553%26ref%3Dwebinar-rss%26resId%3D1871515
IT
Engineering
Operations
Prog. and Proj. Mngmnt
Finance
Bus. Development
Support
Accounting
Marketing
Purchasing
Sales
Research
Consulting/Ext. Consultant
Extremely Important 1 Very Important/ Important 2Importance to the decision process*
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 2
1 2 2 2
2 2 1 2
2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2
2
2
2
2
2
2

11. Complication #3: The buying group each have their own agenda.

12. What motivates this diverse group of decision-makers?
Proj. Mgmt. Finance Accounting
Top Factors Driving Willingness to Engage
IT Engineering Bus. Dev. Operations Purchasing Sales Support
Bases: N=32-598, recent technology buyers (last 3 months) in key functions
In general, how important are the following factors in your willingness to engage with sales professionals and other employees of [technology type] vendors? 12
Subject Matter Expertise
Consultation/Education/Tools
Business Model
Costs/Business Impact
User Adoption
Know/Trust Product /Service
Tier 1 audiences Tier 2 audiences
In general, all Audiences
in Australia prioritize
interacting with sales
professionals they
know/trust more so than
other countries

13. 13
Top reasons vendors make the short list
(% among those considering “new” vendors)
Base: n=122 Base: n=107 Base: n=86 Base: n=148
Bases: Technology decision process participants (last 3 months) in 11+ person companies across 11 major markets who shortlisted a company that is “new” (i.e., their company never worked with it)
Hardware for End Users
Cost-Price-Terms
Quality-Product
Reputation-Reviews
Support-Service
Hardware for Data Centers
Cost-Price-Terms
Subject Matter Expert-
Consult.
Quality-Reliability
References-Trust
Software for Data Centers
Subject Matter Expert-
Consult.
Features-Functionality
Cost-Price-Terms
Ease of Doing Business
Software for End Users
Fit Requirements
Materials-Case Study-POC*
Ease of Doing Business
User Experience

14. 14
Let’s meet the IT Committee

15. 15

16. 16
Meet David
• David is part of the decision making
process for Data Centre Software
• He is an Information Technology
Manager working in a High Tech
Company

17. 17
A bit about David…
• 17 years in industry covering
information technology, engineering
and operations
Project Management
Skills
Business Analysis
Change Management B. Science or
Commerce
Considering MBA
Edu

18. 18
David is using LinkedIn to
connect with experts and
engage with relevant
content
Website page views
2X
Company Follows
3X
30% more
Content over jobs
7X
Mobile vs. DesktopConnected on LinkedIn
4X
Source: Eccolo Media, “2015 B2B Technology Content Survey Report: Volume 1,” Dec 16, 2014
What is David doing on
LinkedIn?
Influencer Follows
2X

19. 19
When is he seeking out content
and for what needs?
David consumes 2 to 4
distinct pieces of content at
each stage of the buying
cycle7 7
16
7
16
7
Needs Specs Vendor
Selection
Implementing Managing Renewing
Hours spent researching at each stage – Last 3 Months

20. 20
What sort of content is he
looking for on LinkedIn?
He is actively seeking
content to become a better
informed decision maker
Cloud
Computing
DB2
XML
Information
Security
IT Service
Mgmt
Mobile
Computing
Scalability
Test
Automation

21. 21
So what does this all mean?
Using the information he
finds on LinkedIn, David is
creating his shortlist
1
Subject Matter Expert-
Consultation
Top reason data centre software vendors make the
short list:
2 Features-Functionality
3 Cost-Price-Terms
4 Ease of Doing Business

22. 22
What else is he seeing on
LinkedIn?
David is a popular profile
Industries sponsoring content to profiles
like David’s in last 6 months
Growth in number of companies
targeting profiles like David’s in last 6
months alone
Computer Software
Information Technology & Services
Higher Education
100+
39%
Top 3

23. 23
So what are you doing to
reach David?
Know your audience
Take action
Engage with relevance

24. Thank you