Why are Textile Buyers Taking a Stand?

Why are Textile Buyers Taking a Stand?

The simple answer: there’s a better way, a faster way, with agile processes, and is contextual to a buyer’s daily job function than the status-quo. 

In short, buyers want to stop doing business the old way and are embracing the world of a B2B Textile marketplace that is taking the textile industry by storm.

However, to understand why buyers are taking a stand we have to look at old processes they are trying to turn away from. 

The old way for buyers consists of the following:

1. Dealing with pushy salespeople and tactics. 

First, buyers are frustrated with salespeople. According to a 2014 Accenture report, only 12 percent of buyers want to meet with a salesperson.

The majority of the buyers in the report indicated that they would rather conduct research on their own and purchase without the help of a salesperson.

Additionally, they’ve also stated that they would rather have access to better customer support.

But why?

Well, because the way business people currently interact is being influenced by consumer behaviors.

Plus, consumerism is making its way into the workforce and is causing the next generation of buyers to want greater convenience in doing their daily tasks.

One of those conveniences is deterring from dealing with salespeople.

At one point, the only way a business buyer can make a purchase was through a salesperson.

However, due to the negative connotation associated with “salespeople”, consumer behavior dictates to avoid them at all costs.

Hence, this why more consumers are buying online and retail is in steady decline.

That logic alone serves as a major influence for business buyers who are growing up with the ability to quickly search, qualify and purchase online. 

Essentially, what I am describing is the struggle business buyers go through every day with every product they must qualify.

2. Making use of confusing outdated information

Secondly, another reason why are textile buyers taking a stand is because millennial business buyers are digital researchers.

They google, search through catalogs, check out supplier sites, ask peers for recommendations, make calls and more.

In fact, one study performed by Accenture mentioned that it can take up to 3 hours for a business buyer to make a well-informed decision on a product.

Compound that time with a multiple of products and you’ll quickly see how inefficient this can be.

However, the main culprit is not the lack of information available, but rather access to outdated information.

Information like product information, pricing, reviews and tailored content all fall under this category.

Imagine being a buyer and beginning with your first Google.com search for a product.

Immediately you are faced with a listing of pages containing information on that product and select a link.

Then, you’ve just linked into looks like it was built in 1998 and the product you’re looking for is on a pdf download that was created several years back.

Essentially, what I am describing is the struggle business buyers go through every day with every product they must qualify.

And, what this inefficiency leads to is having the business buyer retract to contacting a salesperson.

Unfortunately, many suppliers still rely on salespeople to give product updates and spend less time updating their online catalogs.

As a result, the issue here is that the next generation of business buyers are online researchers first and are beginning to become online purchasers only.

They (buyers) want to have the convenience of a marketplace for their B2B purchase.

So, if suppliers are not catering to their needs, these business buyers will go after the low hanging fruit of suppliers who will. 

3. Attending pointless events

Third, tradeshows and events are great ways for buyers to get some face time with their vendors.

Most importantly, it’s also a fantastic way for business buyers to instantly be put on a call list sold to vendors who are looking for leads. (Because that’s what happens when you allow vendors to scan your tags.)

Honestly, who wants to be cold-called all day from vendors, right?

However, there are some benefits to attending trade shows and events.

And, as we’ve uncovered in our “Trade shows are dying” post, many times they are used as a way for vendors to herd their buyers, replacing actual site visits.

But, the biggest issue is time.

It takes time and resources for business buyers to attend these shows, for example.

Time and resources that can be spent on performing tasks that are ROI positive.

Yet, are wasted on travel, stay, food, accommodations and more. 

In light of what we’ve uncovered, here is what it all means. Buyers are taking back control over the way they purchase by changing their purchasing behaviors. 

Therefore, instead of purchasing products for companies like their predecessors did through status-quo, business buyers are demanding from the industry ways to make business purchases the way they make personal purchases for electronics, furniture and more. 

• • No longer is it enough for a supplier to have a salesforce or a “traditional” distribution method of sales. 
  • Also suppliers have to stop providing outdated information with limited access.
  • Plus, it’s no longer responsible have business buyers attend trade shows or events just to “meet”.

Why? Because the way business buyers are aligning with online marketplaces like Venubi.com that allow them to better execute their purchasing strategies.