For years, B2B sales and marketing professionals have been obsessed with one thing: the funnel. A structured, step-by-step concept promised a clear pathway to guide buyers from awareness to decision, providing sales teams with a predictable roadmap. But in 2024 and as we get ready to step into 2025, the funnel is starting to feel outdated, rigid, and, quite frankly, out of touch with the modern B2B buyer.

Buyers aren’t moving through a neat, linear path. They’re doing their own research, looping back to earlier stages, and engaging with content at their own pace. They’re making decisions influenced by multiple touchpoints, peers, and digital content well before they even speak to a salesperson. Because of this sellers must be more adaptive, as a one-size-fits-all funnel simply doesn’t cut it anymore. We need to think about the customer journey as dynamic and forever changing.

So for this blog, we’re looking into how adopting a non-linear approach to B2B sales could be the key to success.

The problem with the Funnel

The traditional funnel suggests a clean, step-by-step process: Awareness, Consideration, Decision, and Purchase. Each stage is neatly defined, with the sales team’s job being to push buyers downwards through the funnel, eliminating objections and delivering information as needed. 

Whilst this has worked for a long time, now B2B buyers don’t move predictably from one stage to the next. Thanks to the internet, they have more information at their fingertips, they can research solutions, compare vendors, and solicit recommendations independently. Moreover, the average buying group in a B2B deal now includes 8 to 12 stakeholders, all of whom can enter the buying journey at different times and with different priorities.

The idea of neatly leading these varied stakeholders through a single linear path is unrealistic. The funnel simply can’t capture the complexity of how modern B2B purchases are made.

Adapting to the non-linear journey

Instead of trying to force buyers through a fixed process, sellers need to adapt to the buyer’s journey as it unfolds. This means being present and ready at multiple touchpoints and understanding that the buyer may engage with your brand in different ways at different times.

Let’s think of the customer journey more like a web—a series of interconnected touchpoints and engagements rather than a straightforward pipeline. Buyers might visit your website, leave, and return a week later to download a whitepaper. They could reach out to one of your existing customers to ask for a recommendation or attend a webinar without intending to purchase immediately. The key is to create an experience that allows for this kind of exploration and self-discovery.

At trumpet, we’ve seen this non-linear journey play out time and time again with our own customers. Different organisations purchase in their own way, and trying to shoehorn them into a one-size-fits-all process often does more harm than good. Tailoring each buyer’s experience shows them that you’re not just trying to sell; you’re genuinely invested in helping them solve their problems.

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Personalisation and the role of Digital Sales Rooms

A Digital Sales Room is a centralised, dynamic space where buyers can find all the resources they need—think case studies, product demos, voice notes, and videos, huddles, chats, Mutual Action Plans—all tailored to their unique journey. It allows buyers to explore at their own pace, come back to information they’re interested in, and share it with other stakeholders in their organisation.

We’ve found thatDigital Sales Rooms help bridge the gap between sales and buyers, facilitating a more personalised and adaptive experience. Rather than pushing buyers to the next step, DSRs let them decide how and when to engage. It’s a more collaborative, less prescriptive way of interacting that meets buyers on their own terms.

This approach is particularly effective in complex B2B sales, where the decision-making process is anything but straightforward. By offering a flexible, personalised experience, we’re giving buyers the freedom to engage with our content and our team whenever and however they choose.

Best of all, with trumpet Pods, you have real-time insights into how each prospect engages. You’ll see who enters the Pod, which content they interact with, and what piques their interest most. This level of visibility allows you to refine and personalise their experience, tailoring follow-ups based on what resonates. By responding to each buyer’s unique journey, you’re not only speeding up the process but also creating a smoother, more relevant experience that feels responsive and tailored to their needs, strengthening engagement and moving the deal forward with ease.

The benefits of a non-linear approach

So, why does a non-linear approach to B2B sales work? Let’s break it down:

1. It empowers buyers: A non-linear approach acknowledges that buyers want control over their journey. They want to research, compare, and engage on their own terms. By providing them with flexible touchpoints, you empower them to make informed decisions.
2. It reflects the complexity of modern B2B sales: Buying decisions are no longer made by a single person. Different stakeholders enter the process at different times, and each has their own priorities and concerns. A non-linear approach allows you to cater to all these varied needs.
3. It builds trust and credibility: When buyers feel pressured to move through a rigid process, they can become wary. Conversely, offering them the freedom to explore and engage builds trust and positions your company as a partner, not just a vendor.
4. It encourages collaboration: A flexible approach invites collaboration, not just between buyers and sellers but within the buying group itself. By providing stakeholders with centralised, accessible resources, you help them align internally, making the purchase decision easier and more seamless.

Final Thoughts

It’s time to let go of the funnel mentality. B2B buyers are more informed, they don’t want to be led down a one straight path—they want the freedom to explore, engage, and make decisions on their own terms. Sellers who recognise this and embrace a non-linear, adaptive approach will be the ones who stand out.

We believe in creating tailored experiences for every buyer. By using tools like Trumpet Pods/ Digital Sales Rooms and focusing on personalised, flexible engagements, we’re meeting buyers where they are—not where we want them to be. This shift isn’t just about changing the sales process; it’s about rethinking the entire customer journey to create meaningful, lasting relationships.

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