Give it up. Technology decision makers don’t want to hear your sales pitch. Self-education is eeeverything. 

Long before speaking to you or any vendor, these buyers consume content, seek peer insights, and build a business case internally. In fact, B2B buyers spend over 80% of their time in the purchase journey engaging in independent research and peer networking, with less than 20% of time on sales reps.

We’re living in a self-serve economy – you have to prove it or lose it. 

While some vendors are still gating whitepapers and pushing cold outreach, their competitors are building rooms full of decision-makers, letting them ask peers the real questions. Guess who gets remembered when the RFP drops?

Below, we examine how these retail tech buyers educate themselves, the role of peer-led events, and how vendors can support this journey.

Why? Because vendors that strategically support buyers’ self-education through valuable content and peer-led events can (and will) gain a significant competitive advantage. 

What today’s buyer really wants (and where they’re looking)

As much as we might want it to be so, technology buyers don’t get in touch the moment they identify a problem or need. Most (61%) are self-educating, heading out into the big wide web and consuming between three and seven pieces of content before ever entertaining a salesperson.  

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And we mean the wide web. They look everywhere. They gather as much information as possible to understand what solutions are available, what offerings vendors make to similar businesses, and their peers’ experiences of those vendors. This means they’re coming to you pre-armed, clued up, and ready to debate you on the smallest of details. So you better be prepared, or start doing something to insert yourself earlier in this process.

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Fortunately, there are patterns in how B2B buyers self-educate, preferred content formats and channels. Which, if you’re savvy, you can exploit to insert yourself where it matters most.

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What are B2B buyers’ preferred content formats? 

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UK B2B decision-makers prefer content that is practical, data-driven, and directly relevant to their industry. And, according to a recent B2B content survey, there’s a pretty clear hierarchy to what buyers consider valuable formats for content:

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• Research reports (43%)
• Case studies (40%)
• Webinars (40%)
• Trade news publications (37%)
• Whitepapers (34%)
• E-books (34%)

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To add to that, video and interactive media are growing exceptionally popular too: roughly 70% of B2B buyers (including retail technology buyers) use video content during their decision process. All together, this is a good thing – it gives you plenty of opportunities to connect with your customers. And plenty of mediums for you to try to find which fits best for your audience and your business.

What’s most interesting? Their sentiment toward where this content comes from. Self-educating B2B buyers care most for data-driven and real-world verified content from peers. 

Yes, that is foreshadowing.

What channels and platforms do B2B buyers prefer for research?

Search engines are typically the first stop. No surprises there. In fact, 89% of B2B buyers rely on internet searches to collect at least the first round of information about potential future purchases. Where are they looking on the internet? Over half choose peer-driven sites (like G2, Capterra, etc.).

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Noticing a theme yet? Well, it continues – professional social media networks like LinkedIn are another crucial platform for B2B buyers, with about 75% of them using social media to inform purchasing decisions.  

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It’s also worth noting that a whopping 90% of decision-makers in B2B tech engage with content from brands they already know and trust. Which means much of the “research” phase you’re trying to insert yourself into is actually confirming and justifying a favoured opinion, rather than discovering new entrants.

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And where do you think they build the trust of these brands from if they haven’t already purchased from them? Say it with me: “their peers!” 

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If your content is generic or product-heavy, you’re not even in the room. To influence today’s buyers, you need to bring your best existing customers along with you.

Content alone isn’t enough – community is key

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We know that buyers respond better to content that educates rather than sells, but that content doesn’t have to be endless whitepapers or blogs (though they have their place). 

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To stick in buyers’ minds, enrich their research, not your funnel. Show up where they learn, not where you sell.

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Your content must satisfy the following points to truly support the self-education journey and win trust:

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• Transparency
• Thought leadership
• Facilitating peer connections and communities
• Offering high-value educational content 

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Nearly 75% of executives say that good thought leadership content can convince them to consider a solution they weren’t previously thinking about. But it is crucial that your content is backed by data (51% of buyers emphasise that data-supported claims are what make the difference to them), and that it speaks to the business value…rather than just technical specs. 

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In short, teach, don’t just pitch. Trust will follow.

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Want an extra edge over your competitors? Don’t be the ones teaching. Everything we know (evidenced and our own experiences) tells us that buyers trust their peers more than you. So, if you want an edge, a real current of trust in your content, facilitate peer connections and communities. Let your existing customers do the talking and the teaching – since 85% of buyers trust fellow customers. 

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The key is to embed your brand in peer discussions organically: by catalysing and encouraging conversations (not controlling them), you gain goodwill and exposure. Who knows, maybe over time you can establish your own industry community? 

And so we come to the crux of the matter: buyers respond to content that educates rather than sells. And it should be easily accessible. Sure, you could go down the route of offering ungated or one-click access to key resources. You could tailor content with local case studies or compliance insights, anything your customers would find relevant. And that’s valuable…but it’s peer-led content that matters. 

Peer interactions are often the most trusted source of insight for buyers, with over 90% of B2B buyers saying they trust information from professional colleagues and peers in their industry. 

You don’t need to lead the conversation. You just need to host it. So why not go one step further and bring peers together?

Why events convert (even if you don’t sell)

There is one big, obvious, proven-to-be-effective way you can do this (which we’ve been (not so subtly) building up to) – events. In-person, content-driven events are one of the best ways for you to get the people you care about in a room, together, and start building trust with them. 

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But you cannot sell. You must not. 

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Industry conferences, roundtables, private executive dinners – they’re all a critical part of how B2B tech buyers educate themselves. They serve as forums where decision-makers can learn directly from the experiences of their industry peers in low-pressure, informative settings. 

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And these decision-makers love the format. They see the value. How do we know? Because our events brand, Commerce Futures, runs them. And those leaders tell us they like them.

“It was nice to be amongst like-minded people struggling with the same constraints and problems; lots of good conversations and lots of good takeaways. The thing about Commerce Futures and these events is they're nice, they're comfortable - they are conversations. It's kind of like sitting down with friends is very open, very friendly and very honest.” (Carole Kingsbury, Ted Baker). 

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“These types of events are fantastic for meeting people, for hearing what other people are doing, getting inspired and going back with new ideas to the business.” (Janis Thomas, Look Fabulous Forever).

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“Commerce Futures hosts great events. I like the combination of getting some real insights into the industry, the opportunity to meet peers and discuss relevant topics in an informal environment, combined with a nice venue.” (Jonas Worm Hansen, Lush).

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They’re coming to these events for all of the reasons you’re probably thinking of: 

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• To stay abreast of trends and solutions
• Get real-world lessons
• Hear success stories and pitfalls (i.e. the ROI they truly achieved with X new piece of tech)
• Exchange knowledge of new tech with peers 
• Ask frank questions and get candid answers from peers on tech they’re considering
• To build confidence in their decisions by hearing what peers have to say on tech choices
• Build a holistic understanding beyond what content can provide

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Most of all, it’s about reputable references. Given that 85% of buyers trust customer references from a vendor’s existing clients, it’s no wonder they proactively seek out peers (at events!) who have used the product they’re considering for an unfiltered reference. 

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For UK and European retail tech buyers navigating uncharted territory (like deploying AI or new omnichannel platforms), hearing from a fellow retail CIO or Ops Director who’s “been there, done that” is immensely valuable. For them, it’s an investment in education that can make the eventual purchase decision more informed and lower-risk.

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And it should be an investment for you, too.

If you’re still trying to win buyers with pitch decks and product sheets, you’re already behind.

The modern buyer is self-directed, peer-influenced, and allergic to old-school sales tactics. If you want to earn trust before the buying cycle even begins, stop selling and start creating space for honest peer-to-peer exchange.

That’s exactly what our Commerce Futures events deliver. We bring the right buyers together – no hard sells, no decks, just real talk.

Want in? Get in touch to co-host an event that earns you trust (and business).

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