How Enterprise Buyers Actually Buy B2B Software
How $50K–$500K ACV deals get made: problem recognition, solution research, vendor evaluation, procurement. Why most ABM misses the mark.
Enterprise deals don’t follow mid-market playbooks. They move through a structured, multi-stakeholder process over 6–18 months. Most ABM fails because it’s built for short cycles and single-threaded engagement—not how enterprise actually buys.
The enterprise buying process
Problem recognition
Buyers start with internal pain, alignment, and budget—not vendor research.
Timeline · your role
1–3 mo · You’re not in the room yet.
Not yet involved
Solution research
They look at peers, case studies, and technical fit—not your homepage.
Timeline · your role
2–4 mo · Passive presence.
Case studies, technical content, industry presence
Vendor evaluation
RFPs, demos, and validation only after internal alignment and research.
Timeline · your role
3–6 mo · Active engagement.
RFP response, demos, technical validation
Procurement & contracting
Legal, security, and contract negotiation—often the longest stretch.
Timeline · your role
2–4 mo · Compliance and execution.
Meet procurement, negotiate terms
Total cycle is typically 6–18 months. Vendors that only engage at evaluation and procurement show up late and lose to those who built presence earlier.
What this means for vendors
6–18 month cycles
Deals run problem → contract. Most vendors only show up in the last 3–6 months.
Multi-stakeholder
5–10 people across IT, business, procurement, exec. All need to be engaged.
RFP-driven
Formal RFPs are the norm. Tracking cycles and engaging early wins more.
Risk first
Security, compliance, and references outweigh feature lists.
What enterprise buyers value
Strategic
Account fit, outcome alignment, partnership, industry proof
Risk
Security, compliance, references, implementation track record
Technical
Integrations, scale, architecture fit, flexibility
Implications for ABM
What usually fails
Meeting count over account development. Engagement only in the last 3–6 months. Single-threaded outreach. Generic messaging. No RFP cycle visibility.
What works
Pipeline coverage across the full 6–18 month cycle. Presence in problem recognition and solution research. Multi-threaded engagement. Account-specific messaging. RFP cycle tracking and early engagement.
ABM built for enterprise buyers
We design ABM that aligns with how enterprise actually buys.
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