Answer each participant’s question about scope, cost, implementation and responsibility with evidence they can verify and share.
Why the interested contact is only part of the decision
Bain and LinkedIn’s research, published on 19 June 2026, highlights “hidden buyers” in functions such as finance, procurement and IT. Trust, reputation and perceived risk can affect their response to an offer. [1]
The research on Likelihood to Buy focuses on human capital management software and cloud data platforms. Its numerical findings should not be generalised to every industry. The practical framework below is CROMBA’s interpretation for planning content around a buying committee.
Map responsibilities using real sales conversations
Review won and stalled opportunities. What questions came up? Who requested more information? Did progress stop over price, implementation or decision-making authority?
Remove personal details when documenting examples. In a small company, the founder may fulfil several roles. Map the responsibility and concern rather than assuming that every organisation has the same job titles.
Match questions to useful content
| Participant | Likely question | Useful material |
|---|---|---|
| User or marketing team | Will this solve our everyday problem? | A use case with outputs and limitations. |
| Finance | What is the total cost? | Fees, assumptions, additional costs and payment terms. |
| Technology team | How will we integrate and manage it? | Integration, access, ownership and support details. |
| Procurement | Can we compare the proposals fairly? | Scope, exclusions and acceptance criteria. |
| Leadership | What are the impact and risks? | A decision summary with stages and responsibilities. |
These are examples to validate with your sales team. Prioritise gaps that recur in actual conversations.
Make case studies and scope documents credible
A useful case study explains the starting point, work performed, timeframe and measurement method. State the metric and baseline, and mention relevant changes in spending or market conditions. Do not attribute every improvement to one intervention.
Use permission-based examples, anonymising them where needed. Label hypothetical illustrations clearly and never invent customer testimonials. Scope documents should also explain exclusions and the resources the customer needs to provide.
Help the contact share the proposal internally
For a website project, marketing may ask about campaign launch, IT about backups and access, finance about hosting and maintenance, and management about who will maintain the content.
A comparison guide, phased plan and shareable scope can each answer a different question. Connect these materials to the relevant landing page so a buyer can find them without assembling the explanation alone.
Do not gate every answer behind a form. Sensitive or tailored pricing may need context, while general evaluation material can be available before a sales conversation.
Measure whether content helps decisions progress
Views alone do not show usefulness. Ask which materials sales teams actually use, what questions remain, how opportunities progress and where reviews stall. A shorter review cycle is worth investigating, but it does not by itself prove that one article caused the improvement.
- Collect five recurring objections.
- Identify the responsibility behind each question.
- Create one strong piece of supporting evidence.
- Use it in real conversations and collect feedback.
- Revise it before expanding the content programme.
The aim is to help buyers explain a decision internally with fewer unanswered questions.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need an article for every department?
Not always. One well-structured page may answer several questions, with separate detail where the subject requires it.
Can we apply the research figures to every B2B sector?
No. The study covers two software categories. Use its findings as a framework while checking your own buying process.
Sources and editorial review
Original sources used in this article. Last editorial review: 1 October 2026.
- Bain & LinkedIn — Raising the Odds on a Deal19 June 2026; Reviewed 1 October
