Understanding the B2B Buyer Journey for UX

In enterprise software, you’re not designing for a person. You’re designing for an org chart. That’s one of the hardest truths for designers to internalize. Ignore any node in that system—user, buyer, or other stakeholders—and your product will struggle. In consumer apps, the path from value to purchase is often more direct: one person discovers, pays for, and uses the product. There’s usually no one else in the way. But in enterprise B2B? Totally different dynamic. Take cybersecurity, where I’ve spent years designing tools: - The Security Engineer uses the software. - The Chief Security Officer signs the contract. - And sometimes a CTO torpedoes the whole deal before it even gets started. I’ve had to design for all of them. Because if you neglect the buyer, you won’t sell. If you neglect the user, you won’t retain. And if you ignore the stakeholders, you risk getting shut down before you can even prove your value. Here’s what I’ve learned: - The user wants tools that make their day-to-day work easier. - The buyer wants measurable outcomes they can report up the chain. - The stakeholders just want the thing to fit into the existing system without causing headaches. The best enterprise tools are built for this full cast—not just the person clicking the buttons. If you’re a designer working in enterprise B2B, don’t let your empathy end with the end user. Map the real org chart. Learn what motivates each persona. And design your way through the complexity. That’s the real game. — How do you balance the needs of users, buyers, and stakeholders in your product work? I’d love to hear how others navigate this complexity.

Stop treating your prospects like calculators. I learned this lesson painfully while leading the launch of a new solution for a healthcare transformation organization. The CEO and SVP of Product Innovation were well-intentioned, but they had biases that fueled their convictions. “Show them the science and ROI. Once they see the data, they’ll switch,” said the CEO. “They’ll switch?” I asked curiously. They rarely switched for the logic. They often resisted because we didn’t understand the emotion that tied them to maintaining the status quo. Most B2B marketers still build journeys on the idea that buyers only care about features, scientific studies, and ROI models. But real people buy with their hearts as much as their heads. LinkedIn's B2B Institute found that emotional factors significantly influence B2B buying decisions, accounting for 66%, while rational factors account for the remaining 34%. When you act like every decision is a math problem, you miss the emotional needs and biases that drive action. Fear of missing out. Desire for security. The endorsement of a trusted referral. Those feelings tip the scales long before spreadsheets ever come out. Three quick shifts to make your GTM more human: 💡 Map emotions, not just touchpoints. Ask: What’s the buyer afraid of at each stage? What small win can calm that fear? Use stories to build trust. 💡 Data is important. But a 2-minute customer story about real struggle and success sticks far longer. 💡 Frame decisions around loss-aversion. “Don’t lose your edge” often lands harder than “gain more efficiency.” When you blend hard facts with a genuine understanding of how people feel, you’ll see faster decisions and deeper loyalty. Takeaway: Your next user journey should start with these questions: ✔️ “How do we show up in our customers' struggles? ✔️ "Do they see us as relevant?” ✔️ Can they see their lives as being better because of our help? Build from there. #businessgrowth #GTM #buyerjourney #CMO