B2B Market Research Shows Gap in Seller, Buyer Perceptions

New Book from Hinge Challenges Professional Services Firms to Reassess Established Views of Buyer/Seller Relationships

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Oct 17, 2013, 11:04 ET

RESTON, Va., Oct. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 50% of sellers of professional services say price is critical in their clients' decision to buy, although only 28% of buyers agree. That's among the many interesting findings from a business-to-business (B2B) market research study from Hinge detailed in the new book Inside the Buyer's Brain.

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Only 28% of professional services buyers focus on cost. What else should sellers know? And what's a framework for buyers to select a provider? The research in this book will surprise you. There are many misperceptions between buyers and sellers, which leads to wasted resources and missed opportunities. If your business is accounting-finance, architecture-engineering-construction, management consulting or technology, then this resource is necessary for getting your marketing and sales where it needs to be. (PRNewsFoto/Hinge) (PRNewsFoto/HINGE)

The study shows that buyers and sellers continue to misread each other regarding motivations, perceptions and preferences of professional services executives. For example, buyers value a firm's reputation for producing results more than sellers do (47% vs 14%).

"Despite the availability of tools like customer relationship management software, buyers and sellers talk past each other," says author Lee Frederiksen, Ph.D. "Sales and marketing is fundamentally a human activity, and this book provides the pathway for sellers to be more effective and for buyers to select a services firm."

Other conclusions of the B2B market research include:

The relevancy gap: sellers consistently overestimate the importance of their services
The visibility gap: sellers often have a strong reputation among buyers, but their visibility is low with only 23% of buyers giving it high marks
Most buyers (79%) want to purchase more services from their providers
Educating buyers with new perspectives is the single most important way that sellers consistently win business over runners up.

Inside the Buyer's Brain was compiled from more than 2,000 interviews with executives in accounting, technology, architecture, engineering, construction and management consulting. Printed versions are available on Amazon or get the pdf as a free download at Inside the Buyer's Brain.

About Hinge

Hinge, the leader in branding and marketing for professional services firms, builds high growth, high valuation professional services brands. Clients range from management consulting and technology firms to architecture, engineering and construction (A/E/C), accounting and finance, and government contracting service firms. Hinge offerings include client perception research, brand strategy development, lead generating websites, creative services, online marketing, online video, and outsourced marketing services.

Through the Hinge Research Institute, Hinge is committed to conducting innovative research on professional services firms and their respective clients. Hinge and the Hinge Research Institute can be found at www.hingemarketing.com and www.hingeresearch.com .