The peer-led buyer: why trust trumps pitch

Buyers don’t want your pitch—they want proof. Today’s retail tech decision-makers are self-educating, peer-influenced, and allergic to outdated sales tactics. Over 80% of their journey happens before they speak to a vendor. So if you’re not showing up in the places they trust—content, conversations, and events—you’re not in the running. In this article, we explore how B2B buyers research, why peer-led content and events outperform traditional marketing, and what vendors can do to build trust before the sales cycle even starts.

On becoming an influencer: common sense, kindness, and keeping it real

Gaining influence brings responsibility. For me, it means advocating common sense, kindness, and objectivity. If my voice resets perspectives occasionally – that’s success enough.

NRF reflections part 3: robots impress, retailers chase efficiency, and AI lacks clarity

Retailers at NRF were focused on flexibility and efficiency, while robotics delivered exciting innovations in physical retail. However, AI messaging remained vague - vendors must clarify real benefits to customers.

NRF reflections part 2: exhibitor experiences were mixed – but location mattered

Exhibitor satisfaction at NRF varied dramatically by location. Those in the basement reported fewer visitors and visibility issues, while first-floor exhibitors – especially eCommerce platforms – enjoyed strong traffic and promising leads.

NRF reflections part 1: fewer visitors, more retailers, and tighter budgets.

NRF felt quieter this year, likely due to attendee limitations and tighter budgets. Yet, retailer attendance was notably strong, and vendor “villages” were more prominent than ever.

2025 is the year of delivering real value in technology

As we kick off NRF in chilly New York, we're focused on a crucial theme for 2025: delivering true value to customers, partners, and communities. Let's make every connection count.

Exciting news: our first 2025 Sports and Outdoor event confirmed

We're thrilled to announce our first confirmed client for the May 2025 Sports and Outdoor apparel conference in London. Planning starts now. Reach out if you're keen to get involved!

Job market revival: positive signs from our community

The Commerce Futures Community is buzzing with job opportunities—from heads of eCommerce to product and trading roles. Members are hiring each other, signaling a vibrant recovery in the market.

Supporting SaaS Talent: Let’s Pay It Forward

The SaaS sector has seen another round of layoffs. We're compiling a list of active job openings in the industry. If you're hiring or looking for a role, get in touch – let’s connect people with opportunities.

Partnerships in digital have matured and customers are benefiting

Digital partnerships have evolved dramatically in recent years, becoming stronger, deeper, and less transactional. This maturity is empowering customers to confidently pursue more ambitious digital projects.

Efficient SaaS growth calls for smarter B2B targeting

With marketing budgets tightening, SaaS businesses need precise strategies. Instead of targeting a broad "B2B sector," identify specific sub-verticals, do your research, and build tailored engagements that truly resonate.

Market Update: Shopify Rising and SaaS Vendors Rebound

Retail and eCommerce sectors are waking up, with Shopify rapidly expanding into the mid-market. Meanwhile, SaaS vendors are seeing budgets unlock and partnerships flourish. The market's gaining momentum – here's what you need to know.

VCs: What They Say vs What They Mean

Some brands are lucky enough to be able to grow without the need for VC (venture capitalist) funding. Others have to grin and bear it as the VCs offer their golden advice and wisdom. They rarely say what they mean. So in this latest article, we'll explore what they really mean when they start to speak!

Build Your Brand Like a Cocktail: “Shaken, Not Stirred.”

Branding is thriving post-pandemic with a focus on community and innovation. Companies like Blank Street Coffee and Corteiz lead with smart collaborations and viral marketing. Adaptive rebranding and partnerships, as seen with Adidas, are key strategies. Successful brands now emphasize bold strategies and community connections. Moving into 2025, innovative engagement and product experiences are essential for growth.

A Chat On the Tribal Nature of Tech

Back from Amsterdam with Visa insights! Dive into the bustling event season with us—Shop Talk, MACH, and more. Discover why tech is so tribal and how events shape partnerships. Explore the dynamics of tech ecosystems and their impact on marketing strategies.

Productising Services – A New Revenue Growth Angle For Service-Based Businesses

Services-based businesses are looking for a way to break the cycle of endless pitches and quiet periods. How? Many are thinking of productising their services to boost gross margins, and create a more consistent, more reliable revenue stream. In this article, we break down the ins and outs of why productising your services is worth it and how you can do it.

Shifting Focus: Targeting High-Growth D2C and Media Players

In the latest instalment of the Tank Top Diaries (despite the absence of an actual tank top), our founder shares insights from his recent trip to Europe. He notes that large enterprise organizations are tightening their belts and slowing down spending, a trend that's likely to continue. As a result, vendors and agencies that have traditionally targeted these big players may need to pivot their strategies. The key? Identifying and pursuing high-growth, mid-market opportunities in the D2C and media verticals.

The Shifting Landscape of Retail and the Role of SaaS Vendors

In the latest episode of our founder's Tank Top Diaries, Jamie reflects on the current state of the retail industry, particularly the struggles of multi-brand luxury businesses like Ted Baker, Farfetch, and Matches Fashion. As these retailers grapple with challenges, including technological hurdles, SaaS vendors are stepping up to play a more significant role in delivering solutions. This shift raises questions about the future of agencies and systems integrators (SIs) in large-scale, high-risk transformation projects. With major composable commerce conferences on the horizon this summer, it's a topic that's sure to spark discussion and debate.

Rethinking Demand Generation in ABM and Tech Sales

In the latest installment of our founder's Tank Top Diaries video series, he challenges the common term "demand generation" used in Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and technology sales. Is it really accurate to say we're generating demand? In reality, effective marketing and sales efforts should focus on creating curiosity, engagement, human connection, and a sense of need in the customer's mind. Explore this thought-provoking perspective on the language we use and how it shapes our approach to ABM and tech sales.

State of the Market: SaaS in Europe vs. the US

Our founder shares his insights on the current state of the SaaS market in Europe compared to the US in his latest Tank Top Diaries video blog. Despite economic headwinds, the composable commerce doldrums in Europe seem to be improving. Meanwhile, the buzz at NRF in New York highlighted the strength of the US market. European eCommerce players make quiet progress with a clever approach and great offerings, and there promises to be some remarkable digital transformation stories from huge organizations that are featured at the MACH 3 event.

Offline Mode – Why You're Kidding Yourself You're Omnichannel

Why are retailers obsessed with their expensive airbags? In the first of our guest series, one anonymous leader wades in with their opinion (and anecdote) about so-called "omnichannel" experiences. Dive in for snippets on the true cost of system failures, and explore ideas for smarter investments to keep your business flying high. Why are retailers still relying on offline mode as a safety net? Time to uncover the truth behind the "offline environment".

Building a Business Case for Hiring an Account-based Marketing Agency

Getting the ball rolling on an ABM programme requires budget, and that requires a thumbs-up from the powers-that-be. You’ve got to build a concrete business case. In this article, we’ll equip you with everything you need to build a business case.

5 Strategies to Engage Leads Using Account-Based Marketing (Trade Show Edition)

Start actually engaging and converting the leads you pick up from tradeshows and events using these 5 ABM strategies. These five ABM lead engagement tips will ensure you find customers that will stay with you, and grow with you.

What Are the Best Channels for Account-Based Marketing?

There’s more to B2B marketing than LinkedIn. So in this article we break it all down – which channels are best for B2B ABM, when to use them, how to use them most effectively and, most importantly, how to determine which channels are the right channels for your ABM programme.

ABM, SaaS, Bald Guy in a Vest: Declaring War on B2B Demand Generation

Demand generation is a pile of crap. We’ve said it on paper many times – now we’re saying it on camera! This 2-minute read tells you why we’re waging war on B2B SaaS marketing, and why demand generation means less then nothing.

Make B2B Marketing Great (Again?)

Can injecting humour boost B2B content marketing and branding? Despite audiences craving laughs and memorable ads, a mere 5% of B2B marketers tap into humour in B2B marketing. But the 5% that do? They’re something to look up to. Check out some examples of truly engaging B2B marketing from brands like Squarespace and Upwork, and pepper us with your thoughts and opinions on whether humour should be used in B2B marketing or not.

7 Proven ABM Targeting Tactics for Maximum Results

Account-based Marketing (ABM) has emerged as a powerful strategy for B2B marketers looking to connect with their target accounts on a more personalised level. In this article, we will delve into the basics of running an ABM campaign and guide you through the key steps to success.

How to Run an Effective ABM Campaign

B2B SaaS and technology businesses continue to use account-based marketing (ABM) as a potent tool to grow existing and win new business. Yet, mystery still surrounds the concept of ABM. In this article, we break down how you can run an effective account-based marketing campaign, including how to build your ABM team, how to align your Sales and Marketing functions, tips on identifying and segmenting your target accounts, developing personalised strategies and how to execute your ABM campaign.

Why Cold Email Campaigns Are a Curse (And How You Can Fix Them)

Cold email campaigns (done wrong) are becoming a curse on the B2B SaaS and technology industry. But that can change. In this article, we outline where most businesses get them wrong (with examples), why they keep getting them wrong, and address the underlying issues with cold sales emails and how they could harm your brand and reputation. Then we strip it all back and give you actionable information you can take away and implement in your business to improve any email marketing your Sales teams do.

ABM Strategy: A Proven Way to Boost Your Client Growth

Account-based marketing is an incredible tool to help B2B SaaS and technology businesses grow their existing client contracts and win new ones. In this article, we break down what makes account-based marketing different to other marketing methods, what makes account-based marketing so effective, and how you can use the key concepts of ABM strategies to build communities, advocacy groups and advisory boards to help you win more business from your existing clients.

Community-Attributed Revenue (CAR): How to Measure the Revenue Impact of Your Community

As an account-based marketing agency, we’re lucky in that we get to chat to B2B technology businesses every week. Recently, SaaS vendors that “get’ marketing consistently tell us that building a community is vital. They’re right – if you can measure it correctly. Community-attributed revenue (CAR) is a little unexplored but not at all uninteresting. In this article, we outline the 6 areas to measure to start attributing revenue to your community.

How to measure demand generation success (so it doesn’t become lead generation)

Our privileged position as an account-based marketing (ABM) agency, means we often get the chance to have a nosy around vendor and SI land. And we’ve noticed a trend. What looks like a demand generation is often really a dressed-up lead generation program (and almost never true ABM). Measuring demand generation by the wrong metrics is where businesses usually trip up. So this article will outline the differences between demand generation and lead generation, how to measure demand generation success and what it means for your marketing and sales teams.

What are the 3 biggest challenges eCommerce merchants face in 2023?

As an account-based marketing (ABM) agency, we’re lucky enough to spend our days chatting with eCommerce merchants about what challenges they face. ABM means we listen with a sympathetic ear, and now we’re sharing what we hear. This article outlines the biggest challenges eCommerce merchants in 2023, what that means for vendors, and how that might inform your sales strategy and positioning.

Making the most of your Outbound Demand-Generation Efforts

More and more companies are considering an Account-Based Marketing (ABM) approach, and with very good reason. A recent 2019 survey carried out by Digital Kungfu revealed that 47% of ICT companies have been successfully using ABM for at least a year and the number of companies using ABM strategies has doubled over the past 12 months. Alongside this, 85% of marketers (according to Marketo research) said that ABM provided significant benefits to retaining and expanding existing client relationships.

The Ever-evolving Relationship Between Sales and Marketing

Sales and Marketing are often seen as two separate divisions within a company. At BuyingTime this isn’t the case – we believe that although the daily operations of these teams are focused on different aspects of the customer relationship, they should function together as a single unit. The relationship is completely intertwined, and recognising where each team specialises and how they can aide one another to generate business growth is certainly at the forefront of what we deliver at BuyingTime.

Halfway - New Start or Kickstart? - How to make real headway going into Q3, Q4 and beyond…

As we all reach the halfway mark for 2019 and start rolling towards the second half of the year, have you put in the work with prospects already in the pipeline to frontload Q3/Q4 or are you behind and even having to start from scratch? Maybe you’ve been so focussed on hitting those short-term monthly and quarterly targets that not enough forward preparation has been done going into the latter part of the year…

"But that's the way we did it before..." – Be Human Again - Learn, Adapt and Evolve

So, you have a fresh round of funding and new investors onboard, meaning there’s targets to REALLY hit and ROI to TRULY deliver. You’ve recruited a full sales team - two senior sales folks, two sales managers, four junior sales reps - to go along with your all-encompassing marketing programs, bought-in data, target account programs, nurture programs, and fancy new website…

Top of the funnel content - What? How? Why?

"Account-Based" Marketing Programs are "de rigueur" in 2019. Many of these programs are content-based, but to get straight to the point - we see far too many companies using their existing content engines for these projects, serving from their regular flow of Case Studies, White-papers, thought leadership articles and, of course, videos from their sales kick-off conferences…

Utilising 'True' Insight to Deliver Better Engagement

All marketeers and sales professionals have their favoured means of engaging with prospects, but one thing’s for certain - any successful sales or marketing campaign needs to have some degree of personalisation. However, a few things still remain open to opinion…

4 ways you (vendors) can build trust in business relationships

Successful businesses are dependent upon a number of things, including a network of positive relationships. Business relationships that have been built on combined success and trust have a distinct competitive advantage because trust with your clients or suppliers is so valuable and takes time to build.

The End of "Buy or Goodbye" In The Technology Sector?

The unswerving focus on quarterly sales targets, which in turn drives slightly strange behaviour from marketing and sales alike (most of which goes against the human instinct of building relationships) is truly killing trust and long-term revenue growth across most technology sectors