Huthwaite Unveils Online Center for Research Dedicated to the Study of Buyer Behavior

CHICAGO, IL, October 28, 2012

Huthwaite, the world's leading sales performance improvement organization, today announced the launch of a comprehensive online Center for Research (HCR) at http://www.HuthwaiteResearch.com that will help sales and marketing executives improve their sales results by learning how to determine the real needs of today's buyers. The Huthwaite Center for Research is a separate division of Huthwaite.

The foundation for the new research center is built upon groundbreaking results of HCR's just-completed proprietary global research study, "Focus on the Buyer." The study uncovered dramatic new findings that will help sales and marketing executives improve sales results by identifying where buyers really are in their information-gathering process at each juncture of the Buying Cycle. The data also highlights the types of communication buyers require at each of the Buying Cycle phases, and identifies ways sales and marketing groups can accelerate the process by delivering provocative and compelling value-creating messages to the prospect.

In announcing the Center for Research, Huthwaite CEO and President John Golden said, "We are proud to continue to build upon our rich and unrivalled history as a research-based sales improvement organization and provide sales and marking executives with access to a virtual research center full of the most relevant and critical buyer-focused information. Our extensive research and training experience makes us uniquely qualified to provide site visitors with data, white papers, videos, expert advice and thought-provoking information that that they will immediately be able to utilize in their current business situations and which they can come back to time and again to stay on the leading edge of their buyer interactions."

To speak authoritatively on the evolution of buyer behavior, Huthwaite undertook a comprehensive two-year study that involved focus groups of business executives from global organizations to discuss—peer-to-peer—the changes in their buyers' behavior, one-on-one interviews with select business leaders to understand how they are adapting their organizations to the changes, and a number of targeted surveys of more than 3,000 buyers to validate and reinforce findings. Huthwaite also engaged with many sales and marketing thought leaders to elicit their feedback and reaction to these changes in buyer behavior.

What Huthwaite found from the outset was that organizations today require a major rethink of "selling," as well as whom, in the supplier organization, is best positioned to perform this task. Empowered buyers demand an engagement with an organization that can range from the buyer being directly and highly engaged with the seller from an early stage to the buyer choosing to be anonymously served at an arm's length throughout a large percentage of the buying process.

At times, the buying process itself may be facilitated by sales, marketing or third parties. Those third parties may not take the traditional form of consultants or companies that help with RFPs but rather those third parties are just as, if not more, likely to be places where information is freely exchanged—LinkedIn groups, social media or non-owned channels.

"To better understand how to sell successfully, it is essential that sales and marketing refocus on what a buyer needs during each phase of the sales cycle and know exactly where the buyer is in the sales cycle at the first contact," explained Golden. "While the Buying Cycle has not changed, the way a buyer wants to be engaged with or not engaged during the different phases of the Buying Cycle has evolved dramatically. The result is a complete disconnect between sales and marketing when they are trying to figure out how to move the selling process along."

The research center is divided into seven topical areas: Business Now, Innovation, Globalization, Buyer Behavior, Decision-making, Performance Improvement and Competitive Advantage. Specific subjects that are appropriate to each area will be featured either as white papers, research reports, book reviews, relevant news articles, polls, summaries or links to articles appearing elsewhere.

A weekly column, "Business Foreground," will examine a region, industry or issue through the filter of its relevance to sales and marketing professionals. Learning videos or movie shorts and special video reports will appear regularly as well. To enable users to obtain answers to specific questions, the Center will feature a daily advice column plus interactive activities such as community discussions, seminars, webinars and polls. "There will even be opportunities for those who wish to share 'success stories' or new selling ideas that have worked for them," said Golden.

"With the ongoing struggle to sell during these challenging economic times, coupled with the rapid changes in buyer behavior, we are confident the Huthwaite Center for Research will become the go-to resource for every sales, marketing and corporate leader seeking to understand how to adapt and of course how to improve sales results," concluded Golden.

About Huthwaite
Huthwaite is the world's leading sales performance improvement organization. Founded on scientifically validated behavioral research, their methodologies—which include the internationally renowned SPIN Selling—guarantee sales success. Huthwaite assesses its clients' needs and develops customized sales performance improvement and coaching programs for sales and marketing professionals that drive real business results. Continually recognized as a leader in the field for its successful work in sales performance improvement, both Selling Power magazine and the website TrainingIndustry.com added Huthwaite to their lists of top companies in the sales training industry. For more information, visit http://www.huthwaite.com, the company's blog, Twitter stream or Facebook page.