For a long time, manufacturers could afford to treat growth as a series of separate functions.

Marketing drove awareness. Sales handled relationships. Technical teams answered product questions. Operations focused on delivery. Quality ensured standards were met.

That separation is getting harder to sustain.

Today’s buyers are doing more of the work before a supplier ever gets a real chance to shape the conversation. McKinsey reports that B2B decision-makers now use an average of 10 interaction channels during the buying journey, and 42% use more than 11. 6sense found that 95% of buyers ultimately choose a vendor already on their Day One short list.

That means many manufacturers are still trying to sustain momentum in the sales process when the buyer’s real evaluation of relevance, trust, and fit has already been underway for some time.

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