How do Dynamics users really make their buying decisions?
When it comes to buying third-party solutions, users of Microsoft Dynamics don’t necessarily behave as ISV marketers like to think they do. This reality of differing perspectives became apparent in a survey conducted last spring by MSDynamicsWorld.com, in which users and marketers were asked the same questions about how users are perceived to go about the buying process.
The results of that survey and related first-person interviews are now compiled into a new report on Dynamics user buying preferences, which you can download now.
The findings were also discussed in a recent webcast from MSDW that included two Dynamics users being questioned by marketing consultant Marilou Barsam. Among the findings:
- Users have a strong preference for third-party editorial sites to obtain credible product information. That includes product help, training, and discovering new solutions.
- Users value industry conferences differently than marketers often realize. That’s because users value conferences more for networking and socializing, rather than to solve user problems.
- Users prefer a go-slow follow-up approach by marketers after downloading white papers. About three-fourths in the MSDW survey said they want supplemental information some weeks after downloading a white paper, and want it via email rather than phone calls (though that doesn’t mean ISVs can’t acknowledge white paper downloads shortly after they occur, and invite questions and comments).
- Users want to have access to product trials mid-stage or late-stage in the selling process. They want to try the product “in our environment,” so they can show colleagues in their own companies the demo.
According to Barsam, the MSDW research study and subsequent comments from the webcast users reinforce how essential it is for marketers to align their content offerings with the various stages of the user’s buying process.
“To summarize, I’d say that one type of content does not fit all the users’ needs,” she said. “Users look to both third-party website publishers and ISV marketers to offer investigative, vendor comparison or decision-making content. This in turn requires marketers to build full and diverse content portfolios to fulfill their prospects’ ever evolving and changing quests for information.”
Please refer to the full study results to find out which content satisfies Dynamics user needs best based on whether they are early, mid or late stage in their buying process.
