The technology being developed by software vendors today is remarkable. AI, automation, analytics, and increasingly sophisticated platforms are creating capabilities that would have seemed unrealistic only a few years ago, and vendors are understandably putting significant emphasis on demonstrating what those technologies can do. The problem is that impressive technology does not automatically translate into an approved purchase, particularly when the person who wants the solution still has to convince finance, IT, legal, compliance, and executive leadership that the investment makes business sense.
This is one of the biggest gaps I see in vendor messaging today. Vendors are doing a good job explaining their technology, but far fewer are helping buyers build the internal case required to secure funding and organizational support.
The Buyer Has More People to Convince
The enterprise buying process has changed substantially. IT once played the dominant role in identifying needs, defining requirements, evaluating vendors, and selecting technology, but line-of-business leaders increasingly became the drivers of those decisions as cloud software made technology more accessible across the organization.
That shift did not make the process simpler. Finance wanted to understand ROI and total cost of ownership, executives wanted to understand the broader organizational impact, and IT often re-entered the process around integration, security, and management. With AI, legal and compliance are increasingly part of the discussion as well, creating a decision process in which the original buyer may have to satisfy several stakeholders with very different priorities.
3Sixty Insights research found that only 18% of HR executive leaders report strong alignment with their executive teams. That matters because leaders with stronger alignment are better positioned to secure support and budget for their initiatives, while those without it can struggle to get even a well-justified project approved.
The vendor therefore has to recognize that the person sitting in front of them is not necessarily the person making the final decision.
By the Time You Meet the Buyer, They May Already Want You
There is another fundamental change taking place in the buying process. Buyers have progressively moved from relying on vendors for early education to conducting much of their research independently through search engines and, increasingly, large language models.
That means vendors are often entering the conversation much later, after a prospect has already researched the category, evaluated alternatives, and formed a strong opinion about what it wants. In many cases, the remaining challenge is not deciding whether the technology is compelling. It is figuring out how to justify the purchase internally.
Some vendors such as ADP, Cornerstone, UKG, and others have responded by building solutions-value teams that help prospects quantify potential outcomes and develop an ROI case. That is a valuable approach, but it often comes after the prospect has already entered the sales process, which means the vendor is addressing the problem late rather than helping create demand earlier.
Marketing Needs to Help Buyers Sell Internally
This is where vendor marketing can do considerably more. Instead of limiting educational content to product capabilities and use cases, vendors should help prospects understand the organizational problem they are trying to solve, identify the metrics that matter, and develop the argument they will ultimately need to make inside their own company.
That content could address how to calculate potential value, how to frame an initiative for finance, how to engage executive sponsors, or how to anticipate objections from IT and other stakeholders. The goal is not to teach someone how to buy a specific vendor’s software. The goal is to help them become capable of getting an investment approved.
I saw a practical example of this philosophy in a conversation with Adam Hickman of The Walt Disney Company. When preparing to bring an initiative into the boardroom, he would first meet with the people who would participate in the decision, explain what he planned to present, listen to their concerns, and understand whether they were likely to support, oppose, or remain undecided. He then used what he learned to adjust his approach before the formal meeting, rather than discovering objections after the presentation had already begun.
That is effectively what vendors should be helping buyers do. The value is not simply explaining the solution; it is helping the buyer understand the people, economics, priorities, and objections that stand between an idea and an approved investment by sharing tactics like Adam’s and other ways to help them get buy in earlier in their educational process.
The Business Case Should Start Before the Sales Funnel
The strongest vendors will recognize that building the business case cannot remain a late-stage sales activity. When buyers are entering conversations further along in their research, the opportunity is to influence the process earlier by providing the thinking, frameworks, and evidence they need to create internal alignment before they ever speak with a salesperson.
The technology may get the buyer’s attention, but the business case gets the organization to yes. Vendors that understand that distinction have an opportunity to do more than market software. They can become part of the decision-making process itself, which may ultimately be far more valuable than another product demonstration.