Cloud Identity Management and the Future Buyer's Journey 3 Years Out

As companies add more cloud-based services, there will be an increased demand for cloud identity management.

There’s a catch, though: three years from now, these buyers will have different expectations that define their purchasing habits, and it will change both the vendor corporate structure and the way that they turn prospects into qualified leads.

What is the Buyer’s Journey?

The buyer’s journey is a series of stages that a consumer progresses through as they make the transition from curious site visitor to paying customer. With so much competition in the identity management field, it is important to gently guide these people in the vendor’s direction by providing both solid answers and valuable information at every stage.

Forget about tackling them with a hard sales pitch or waiting until they’re ready to buy: the former will put them off because modern buyers hate intrusions and the latter is self-defeating; because, by the time the customer is over halfway through the purchasing cycle, their mind is made up.

Instead, be prepared to give them exactly what they want and need according to the particular stage they are in. Buyers seek expert guidance, not sales professionals who attempt to force their hand, and a company that demonstrates competence and credibility will draw trust. For today’s consumer, trust is an enormous influence, and it will be even more so in three years’ time.

The Buyer’s Journey in 2019

In 2019, the marketing playbook that consists of trade shows, print ads, direct mail, and email campaigns will be obsolete. Search engines, social media, and mobile devices have all created demand for a more personalized and interactive buying experience that includes:

• Podcasting: information sessions that answer questions and educate clients
• Video tutorials: how-to sessions that show clients how to get the most out of purchased goods and services
• Live and archived webinars: educational opportunities that deliver the detailed information buyers today crave

Personalization is especially important. According to an Infosys survey, 78% of buyers will become repeat customers if a company gives them personalized and targeted information and offers. Failure to do so can have an opposite effect: the CMO Council warned that over half of North American consumers would veer away from businesses that do not give personally relevant offers.

The Trusted Advisor

Armed with so much information, future consumers will be nearly 90% through their journey before they reach out to a vendor, so premature influence is even more mission-critical in 2019.

Buyers have a strong preference for buying goods and services from people they trust. That’s why trusted advisors are going to dominate sales three years from now, eliminating the need for order takers and explainers.

Trusted advisors cultivate deeper customer relationships, enabling them to deliver further complete solutions and, in the process, provide their companies with a competitive advantage. Clients know them by name, follow their online commentary, and take their recommendations. To get ready for the future, every identity management vendor should have one.

Bottom Line

In the marketing world, there is already a shift from talking at consumers to making them talk instead. To remain competitive, all brands across all industries need to create both conversations and engagement at every stage of the buyer journey.

Are you ready to prepare for your future buyer? Let us know in the Comments below.

To learn more about how cloud identity management vendors need to adjust their approach for the buyer of the future, be sure to watch the free, on-demand “Identity Management Revenue Growth Acceleration Q&A Webinar.”