• Buyers are active and participating within on social websites, forums etc., but the social market is noisy, saturated, mature,  and cluttered with vendors so buyers are faced with many options to choose from which makes the decision making process more difficult
• Vendors are using technical jargon (educated buyer) and needs to shift towards more “pain” and “generic” social search orientation for a less educated, but more strategic buyer.

How do you develop customer relationships, influence requirements, and drive sales if buyers are doing research and making buying decisions before your organization becomes aware and engaged? 

• Understanding how buyers solve business problems, research and weigh solution options, reconciling  various organizational  motivations, along with assisting the organization to solidify business, functional, & technical requirements
• Identify buyer motivations, triggers for purchase, and research/selection/ buying process, and behavioral market segmentation
• Focus marketing engagement around buyer’s needs, not with solution awareness messaging
• Leverage social networks &  online communities to reach buyers in their communities of interest
• Provide decision support, not solution advocacy
• Assist them in building targeted strategic business cases based upon their particular needs before then addressing
  tactical functionality and feature requirements.