--- title: 4 distinctively different states of the B2B buying decision process description: B2B buyers exist in one of 4 possible states at any point in the buying decision process. Where are your each of your prospects? --- This is a search field with an autosuggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # 4 distinctively different states of the B2B buying decision process ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) June 26, 2012 I’ve written before about the [Buyer’s Journey](https://www.inflexion-point.com/our-approach-0/the-buyers-journey/), and about the [stages that your b2b prospects go through in their buying decision process](https://www.inflexion-point.com/smarter-selling/the-buyers-journey-and-selling/). That journey is rarely linear: your prospects can decide to move forward in their decision making process, stay where they are, go backwards or abandon the journey. Understanding where your prospects are in the journey and determining what tactics you should use at each stage are fundamental to the success of any B2B sale. But in this article, I’d like to focus on another concept - one that is directly complementary to your understanding of the stages of the journey - and that’s the idea that B2B buying decision processes typically occupy one of 4 states at any one point in time. These states are defined by two axes: whether or not your prospect has a clear vision of where they want to get to, and whether or not they have a clear idea of how they are going to get there. ![4 States of the B2B Buyers Journey BandW](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Portals/41408/images/4%20States%20of%20the%20B2B%20Buyers%20Journey%20BandW.jpg?width=200&height=196&name=4%20States%20of%20the%20B2B%20Buyers%20Journey%20BandW.jpg)These 4 states: - Know **where** and **how** - Know **where** but **not how** - Know **how** but **not where** - Know **neither where nor how** Are likely to result in dramatically different behaviours as they conduct their search for a solution, and I want to highlight some of the implications - and hopefully give you some food for thought - in the remainder of this article. ## Painting by numbers ![Paint by Numbers](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Portals/41408/images/Paint%20by%20Numbers.jpg?width=220&height=216&name=Paint%20by%20Numbers.jpg)When your prospects believe they know both what they want to achieve (where) and how they are going to achieve it, they are in what we call “paint by numbers” mode. They have a very clear specification of what they want to buy, and they have a very well-defined process for how they are going to make the buying decision. This mode is particularly common where an organisation is buying a well-defined commodity or raw material on a repetitive basis. Unless they can change their sense of where and how, winning vendors are likely to be defined by their ability to offer the best price, delivery and contractual terms. In other words, if you can’t change the game, you have to either play by their rules or chose to walk away. ## The quest for the grail ![Quest for the Grail](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Portals/41408/images/Quest%20for%20the%20Grail.jpg?width=219&height=215&name=Quest%20for%20the%20Grail.jpg)Or maybe your prospects know where they want to get to, but don’t know how to get there. We call this the “Quest for the Grail”. Your prospects are on a mission to change things. They have a vision of where they want to get to. But their maps - which ought to show them how to get there - have large blank areas with labels like “unexplored territory” or even (depending on the vendors they choose to call in for advice) “here be dragons”. This - in contrast to the previous example - is an excellent opportunity for consultative or (even better) [challenger selling](https://www.inflexion-point.com/smarter-selling/the-challenger-sale/) techniques. As a vendor, you have the opportunity to fill in the gaps in the terrain, to help them think differently about their options, and give them a roadmap and show them the way forward. ## Running around like headless chickens ![Headless Chicken](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Portals/41408/images/Headless%20Chicken.jpg?width=220&height=216&name=Headless%20Chicken.jpg)Or maybe the reverse is true - your prospects, although they know they need to change, are unclear about what they need to change to (where) or what success would look like, and are shackled by a rigid procurement process that dictates how they are going to make the buying decision. With good reason, we refer to these situations as “Headless Chickens” - the process keeps moving even after the brain has been removed (if it was ever there in the first place). This situation is often associated with an unanticipated RFP. If your prospect is in headless chicken mode - and in particular if you have no opportunity to reshape their vision or influence their decision process - you need to think carefully whether you want to waste your sales resources on the project. ## Lost in the fog ![Lost in the Fog](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Portals/41408/images/Lost%20in%20the%20Fog.jpg?width=219&height=215&name=Lost%20in%20the%20Fog.jpg)Last, but by no means least likely, your prospect may know that they need to change but they have no clear idea of where (or what) to or how they are going to get there. We call these situations “lost in the fog”. The prospect is often reacting to a recent change in circumstances that has made continuing with the status quo untenable. They know they need to change - but they are not yet sure what they need to change to. This is another golden opportunity to practice your insight-led sales skills. Your goal should be to help them shape a vision of what they could accomplish, as well as holding their hand on the journey towards their destination. These situations often represent a real opportunity to demonstrate the full value you could bring to them. ## 4 distinctively different states ![4 States of the B2B Buyers Journey Colour](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Portals/41408/images/4%20States%20of%20the%20B2B%20Buyers%20Journey%20Colour.jpg?width=220&height=216&name=4%20States%20of%20the%20B2B%20Buyers%20Journey%20Colour.jpg)So there we have it: the four distinctively different potential states of each of your prospect’s buying decision process. The state your prospect is currently in will significantly influence their behaviour - and knowing which state they are in should influence yours. Of course, once you’ve diagnosed their current state, it’s possible - with a focused effort - to move a prospect from one state to another that is more favourable to you. How well do you currently understand which state each of your current prospects are in - and if that is unclear, what are you going to do to determine their true state? But even more important than that, once you’ve worked it out, what are you going to do about it? How are you going to adapt your strategies? And how are you going to coach all of your sales people to think in these dimensions? By the way, I'd like to thank [Eddie Obeng](http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/eddie-obeng/7/538/470) of [Pentacle the Virtual Business School](http://www.pentaclethevbs.com/) for inspiring this article. ###### Tags: [B2B Marketing, ](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/b2b-marketing) [B2B Buying Process, ](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/b2b-buying-process) [Complex Sales](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/complex-sales) ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) June 26, 2012 Bob Apollo is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Professionals, a regular contributor to the International Journal of Sales Transformation and Top Sales World Magazine, and the driving force behind Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners, the leading proponents of outcome-centric selling. Following a successful corporate career spanning start-ups, scale-ups and market leaders, Bob now works as a strategic advisor, mentor, trainer and coach to ambitious B2B sales organisations - teaching them how to differentiate themselves through their provably superior approach to achieving their customer's desired outcomes. [Follow me on my website](https://www.inflexion-point.com) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bobapollo) [Follow me on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/bobapollo) ### Comments ###### Related Articles ### [B2B Complex Sales: the 4 states of the buying decision mindset](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Blog/bid/97263/B2B-Complex-Sales-the-4-states-of-the-buying-decision-mindset) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **May 21, 2013** Are your prospects Painting by Numbers, on a Quest for the Grail, Lost in the Fog, or running around like Headless Chickens? ... ### [Decoding your prospect's buying decision mode](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/understanding-the-buying-decision-mindset) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Jan 23, 2018** Are your prospects Satisfied with the Status Quo, Painting by Numbers, Pursuing a Vision, Busy Going Nowhere or Searching ... ### [Why Your Sales Process Doesn’t Matter](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Blog/bid/81251/Why-Your-Sales-Process-Doesn-t-Matter) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Jan 31, 2012** Coming from somebody who has consistently sought to promote the value of focus and process in all matters connected with B2B ... 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