Key Takeaways
- Younger B2B decision-makers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, expect a seamless, digital-first buying experience.
- Your marketing and sales teams need to work as one, delivering consistent messaging and tools across every touchpoint.
- Buyers come informed – so provide credible, value-driven content to help them make the internal business case.
- Make it easy for buyers to advocate for you: shareable content, transparent pricing, responsive support.
- Meet buyers where they are, using the formats and channels they prefer – from long-form blogs to short-form social and peer voices.
- Leverage AI and clean data to personalize every interaction, freeing your team to focus on building trust.
- Show authenticity and align with the values younger buyers care about to build long-term loyalty.
The face of B2B buying has changed. Millennials now make up the majority of decision-makers in B2B purchasing, and Gen Z is beginning to influence committees as well. If you haven’t yet adapted your sales and marketing strategy to meet their expectations, you’re already behind.
Why do Millennials – and soon Gen Z – matter to you as sales leaders in B2B marketing and sales?
Answer: Because these younger buyers expect a seamless, digital-first experience. They value brands that feel human, honest, and easy to engage with. In fact, so do we if we’re truthful!
“Easy to engage with” means that more than half of all large B2B deals are now influenced or even completed online. And mobile usage in research and decision-making is the norm.
So, let’s recap on…
How Modern B2B Buyers Make Decisions
When today’s B2B buyers approach you in sales and marketing, they’re already well-informed.
Previous Research
Firstly, they’ve researched extensively before engaging with your sales team. They may have downloaded and studied white papers (not quite obsolete yet!).
And reviews, case studies, and peer recommendations weigh more heavily on their choices than they used to. The rise and rise of social is responsible for that.
The result is this: If your online presence doesn’t offer depth and credibility, your prospective buyer will find someone else who does.
Buying by Committee
Secondly, you’re also not selling to just one person anymore. Buying committees are larger than ever, often involving half a dozen or more stakeholders.
This means your message must resonate across functions and help your “buyer champion” persuade their own internal audience.
Values Matter
Finally, you need to bear in mind that, for Millennials and Gen Z, values matter. They want to see evidence that your company operates responsibly.
That usually means sustainability efforts, diversity in leadership, or honest pricing. These aren’t just PR lines to them. They’re part of how they assess whether to work with you.
They certainly don’t buy your hype. They interview you as a brand. Its scary territory but also a good challenge to meet. Around 83% of Millennials look for alignment with their values, as do Gen Z.
All the above facts lead to the point that, for success, for winning the deal, you must increase your brand’s touchpoints and offer a seamless experience across them.
How to Integrate Sales and Marketing for a Seamless Digital Experience
If you want to win over today’s buyers – who, as we showed, are both well-informed and likely part of a committee – you can’t treat marketing and sales as two separate silos.
It’s essential to unify your strategy so that messaging, tools, and channels across the entire buyer journey align.
This makes sure your prospects can move forward in their journey without friction.
For example, you might enable self-service tools, from pricing calculators to interactive demos, that let them explore solutions on their terms and inform themselves about you and your service or product.
Your sales team must also be ready to step in with personalized insights when buyers are ready to engage. The team needs to know where the prospect has touched base with you before, and what their “behavior” has shown you of their values and needs.
Your content strategy must support this intervention.
So, instead of random offerings, offer concrete, relevant sales enablement resources (see below) that help your buyers make a business case for their CFO – real-world case studies, ROI calculators, and honest comparisons.
You should also use AI-driven personalization across marketing and sales to tailor your outreach and keep the conversation relevant at every touchpoint.
Optimizing the Sales Enablement Ecosystem
Your buyers today need tools to advocate for you internally. As we said, it’s a committee job!
Make it easy for them to sell your solution inside their organization by equipping them with polished, shareable brochures and videos, for example, that they can pass along to their team.
At the same time, your support needs to be everywhere your buyers are – email, chat, social platforms, even messaging apps.
Gen Z and Millennials expect fast, responsive service at every stage of the journey. If they ask on social, have your social media constantly monitored so someone can answer.
Above all, transparency builds trust. Don’t shy away from being upfront about pricing, timelines, and potential challenges. Your honesty will set you apart in a market that still too often relies on vague promises.
Content Channels That Resonate in Marketing and Sales to Millennials and Gen Z
You can’t ignore the channels your audience now prefers.
Millennials still consume long-form thought leadership like blogs and white papers, but they also watch video explainers and listen to podcasts.
Gen Z, though, gravitates toward short-form, visual-first formats like TikTok, Instagram reels, and even LinkedIn video.
And they listen to peer voices! Influencers and satisfied customers can carry more weight than your corporate messaging. So, encourage your clients to become advocates and leverage industry voices to amplify your message.
Finally, keep investing in your brand. In a crowded B2B space, trust and familiarity can make the difference when all else is equal. Buyers need to feel confident you’re a stable, credible partner.
The Role of AI and Data in Marketing and Sales Today
AI has already transformed how you can engage your audience. From conversational chatbots that handle initial inquiries to advanced analytics that help you personalize your outreach, AI frees your team to focus on building genuine relationships and strategy.
But remember, AI cannot improve poor data! Invest in maintaining clean, complete customer data so you can truly deliver personalized experiences and accurate insights. As ever, your sales team must keep the CRM complete and accurate.
360 Consulting Can Help with All Aspects of Sales and Marketing
Despite our own age and our decades of experience in sales, we consult with teams that cross generations! If you want a solid sales infrastructure or leadership training that serves your unique business, we can help. Get your free consultation now and let’s talk.