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The larger the company, the longer the journey seems to be. The SWZD study points out, however, that when a larger company decides, it usually has the funding to make the migration much more quickly. As noted previously, the remote work experi- ment accelerated cloud migration, and according to the study, 80 percent of the responding decision makers said cloud technologies are useful for support- ing remote work. So, it comes as no surprise that businesses with flexible work policies are more likely to use cloud technologies. Additionally, organizations with flexible work policies are more likely to complete the buyer’s journey faster. Nearly a third of organizations (31 percent) that have flexible remote work arrangements complete the cloud journey in less than three months, compared to only 25 percent of organizations that don’t allow remote. The study also found that more than 70 percent of the buyer’s journey takes place before a sales engage- ment. Because of this, it is essential for members of the channel to understand some of the needs and concerns of their potential customers going in. SWZD states the IT decision makers pay particular attention to factors such as reliability/availability, ease-of- use, total cost of ownership and security capabilities as their initial evaluation of solutions and providers. The most important information IT buyers seek includes transpar- ent pricing information, product demos and walkthroughs, deployment guides and side-by-side feature comparisons of similar products. Because cloud computing can be a rather abstract concept, the ultimate buyers want an effective way to evaluate a solution in the absence of a tangible, physical product, the SWZD report states. Therefore, it’s a best practice for agents to show their cloud-based solutions, rather than just telling prospects about them. The most helpful types of content when evaluating a cloud solution, say tech buyers, are demos, how-to guides, hands-on labs and customer reviews. How partners communicate with their potential clients also is interesting. What SWZD found is email is the preferred channel for cloud buyers, because it isn’t too intrusive, and it allows cloud buyers to connect on their own time. Decision makers in small businesses show a stronger preference for email (69 percent) compared to those in large businesses (57 percent). At the same time, decision makers in larger businesses show a greater preference than their counterparts in small businesses for social networking (24 percent vs. 13 percent), text messag- ing (28 percent vs. 14 percent) and online banners (15 percent vs 2 percent). SWZD learned that video conferencing is the most preferred method for real-time outreach, with 51 percent of large companies favoring this method compared to 41 percent in smaller businesses. This increase in video conferencing is reflected during the past year as this form of communications grew during the pandemic. To maximize sales efficiency, SWZD recommends partners find the right content that appeals to various decision makers’ wants and needs, presents the assets that address potential buyers’ concerns and show what it’s like to use a solution. The more tailored your outreach is to specific preferences based on persona, company size and region, the better. o Source: TOP Data ade it easier for as em il ng Using an MSP Strongly Agree When decision makers are involved during cloud buyer’s journey Source: SWZD Duration of Cloud Buyers Journey (Discovery to Decision) Source: SWZD Determine Need Evaluate solutions /vendors Recommend solutions /vendors Approve funds ITDM BDM Make final decisions Approve purchases Implement /manage solutions 65% 70% 68% 22% 38% 27% 20% 58% 44% 36% 30% 33% 47% 37% 9% 21% 27% 13% 13% 3% 2% < month 1-3 months 4-6 months 7-11 months 12-18 months 19-24 months 2+ years North America Whole ale Voice Carrier Mark t, By Service $1,101.11M ITDM vs. BDM 47% 47% 32% 30% 30% 25% 1% 4 5 34.5% 24.6% 1% % 7 Yes, currently using an MSP Source: TOP Data 26,450 24,694 16,752 13,702 13,510 12,559 12,468 New York Illinois North Carolina Pennsylvania Michigan New Jersey When decision makers are involved during cloud buyer’s journey Source: SWZD Duration of Cloud Buyers Journey (Discovery to Decision) Source: SWZD Determine Need Evaluate solutions /vendors Recommend solutions /vendors Approve fu s ITDM BDM Make final decisions Approve purchases Implement /manage solutions 65% 70% 68% 22% 38% 27% 20% 58% 44% 36% 30% 33% 47% 37% 9% 21% 27% 13% 13% 3% 2% <1 month 1-3 months 4-6 months 7-11 months 12-18 months 19-24 months 2+ years North America Wholesale Voice Carrier Market, ITDM vs. BDM Attitude of Executives Towards Blockchain Technolog Source: Deloitte, 2020 87% 86% 86% It can enhance integration with touchless business processes It will enable new business functionalities and revenue streams in our industry It is broadly scalable a will eventually achiev mainstream adoptio BUYERS SIDE 52 CHANNEL V ISION | July - August 2021