The article, written by Tanya Thorson, highlights a growing gap between how marketing teams track prospects and how buyers actually make purchasing decisions. Traditional marketing funnels classify prospects into stages such as awareness, consideration and decision. In reality, buyers often move between stages, research independently, compare competitors and consult multiple stakeholders before making a decision.
Why traditional buyer signals are not enough
A prospect visiting a pricing page several times might appear ready to purchase. However, the person could also be researching next year's budget, comparing alternatives or checking whether a solution fits the company's financial plans. Without understanding the context, marketers risk interpreting engagement incorrectly and sending irrelevant messages.
The article also references McKinsey's 2026 Global B2B Pulse research, which surveyed nearly 4,000 B2B decision-makers across 13 countries. Buyers used an average of 10 channels throughout their purchasing journeys, highlighting the importance of delivering consistent information across digital, remote and in-person interactions.
The shift from lead tracking to buyer understanding
Instead of focusing only on a prospect's funnel stage, marketing and sales teams should identify what the buyer needs at that moment. This could include educational content, product comparisons, pricing clarity, evidence of results or support in building internal agreement.
Marketing technology platforms must also preserve customer context across channels. When marketing, sales and customer success teams operate with disconnected information, buyers can receive repetitive outreach or conflicting messages. Better coordination helps teams deliver more relevant interactions.