GWI Report: BETA - The Rise of B2B Decision-Makers

GWI and LinkedIn have released a new report, "BETA - The Rise of B2B Decision-Makers". GWI defines such a group of people as BETA: the lines between life and work are blurred; they believe that formal structures will be replaced by personal development opportunities; as the way of working evolves, their flexibility in mastering technology will give them an advantage. They will use activism to work and use it as a filter to judge employers, colleagues, customers and suppliers. These people are the first digital natives to hold senior positions in the business field. They use cloud-based services and assistance tools. They are a group of young B2B buyers.

Globally, BETAs make up the majority of final decision makers for hardware and software, at 75% and 72% respectively. They are influential on key company purchasing decisions. The data also shows the major influence BETAs have on the purchasing process: 57% of BETAs globally say they are a key influence in identifying new business requirements, while 47% are responsible for approving purchases. Interestingly, in this global study, BETAs aged 31 to 40 showed a more pronounced attitude than the younger group aged 21 to 30, suggesting that the influence of BETAs in B2B will increase with more years of working experience.

Key insights:

BETAs are important because they are the ultimate decision makers and they represent the professional growth of the millennial generation. Historically, this group has driven broader changes in consumer behavior and could have a similar impact on B2B.

BETAs are influenced by disruption and decline, and evolution is at their core. For many professionals, the explosion of technology in the early 2000s was an inflection point in their careers, but for BETAs it was the starting point. After the coronavirus pandemic, BETAs took the lead in decision-making for the first time.

Technology will define this moment, and BETA is uniquely positioned to lead. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the push toward virtual work, highlighting the huge gap between current technology capabilities and buyer demand for interconnectivity and flexibility. BETA is up to the task — flexibility, ease of use, and social responsibility will be drivers of its decision.

The future is BETA, not only in decision-making power but also in behavior.

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