Winning 71% of Your B2B Buyers: A Framework for Reaching Millennial & Gen Z

from unsplash.com

The majority of B2B decision-making power now sits with digital-native Millennials and Gen Z professionals. This article synthesises the latest research and provides an action framework you can deploy immediately in marketing, sales, and product experience.

Millennials and Gen Z represent 71% of today’s global B2B buying workforce, reshaping expectations around speed, transparency, values, and self-service^[1][2][3].

Millennials and Gen Z now form 71% of all B2B Buyers

1. Understanding the New Buyer DNA

1.1 Digital-First, Seller-Last

• 83% of buyers prefer to manage orders online, and 100% want self-service for part of the journey^[3][4].

• McKinsey finds 73% are comfortable spending $50 K+ through a vendor’s ecommerce portal, and 20% will push past $1 M remotely^[5][6].

• By 2026, 30% of enterprise sales cycles will be run in digital sales rooms, with 80% of interactions fully virtual by 2025^[7][8].

1.2 Information Sources They Trust

• Peer recommendations sway 90% of purchase decisions, eclipsing vendor content^[9][10].

Industry analysts, live events/webinars, and user reviews rank next in influence^[9][11].

Top Performing channels

1.3 Content & Channel Preferences

2. Strategic Framework: “P E R F O R M”

How you can I create seamless, personalised experiences for Millennial and Gen Z buyers?

Data is your Foundation.

Leverage data and insights to develop comprehensive buyer personas that reflect not just demographics, but also pain points, preferences, and buying behaviours. Regularly update these personas through surveys, interviews, and analytics to stay aligned with evolving needs.

Segment your audience using marketing automation tools, enabling tailored messaging and offers for each persona and even for different members of buying groups.

Create seamless, personalised experiences for Millennial and Gen Z B2B buyers, you must blend digital-first convenience, data-driven personalisation, and authentic engagement across every touchpoint, using the “Perform” Framework:

1. Provide Friction-Free Self-Service

   • Expose pricing, live inventory, configurators, free trials, and chatbots up-front.

   • Integrate digital sales rooms for collaborative stakeholder reviews.

2. Engage via Peer & Community Proof

   • Systematically capture user-generated reviews (G2, Capterra).

   • Run customer-led webinars; amplify clips on LinkedIn & YouTube.

3. Run Short-Form Video & Thought-Leader Ads

   • Deploy vertical video carousels; aim for 30-60 s with captions.

   • Boost posts from internal experts; measure CTR ≥ 4% benchmark.

4. Foster Employee Advocacy

   • Train staff to share wins; employees are now the most trusted voices at 77%^[16].

   • Provide monthly “share packs” with pre-approved visuals and copy.

5. Offer Omnichannel Consistency

   • Maintain identical messaging across search, social, email, and product UI.

   • Target 62+ multichannel touches (Dreamdata benchmark) to close deals^[17].

6. Reflect Values Transparently

   • Publish sustainability dashboards, DEI metrics, and supplier ethics.

   • Feature purpose stories in customer onboarding flows.

7. Measure & Iterate with Journey Analytics

   • Track content consumed before demo: aim for 3-7 substantive pieces^[18].

   • Attribute revenue lift from community and video interactions using multi-touch models.

     
     

3. Tactics Checklist

Conclusion

Millennial and Gen Z decision makers expect the speed of B2C, the transparency of social, and the values of purpose-led brands. Brands that meet them on their terms digitally, authentically, and peer-endorsed will capture the lion’s share of tomorrow’s B2B spend.

1. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/younger-b2b-buyers/ 

2. https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2025/04/28/why-millennials-continue-to-reshape-b2b-ecommerce/ 

3. https://www.roboticmarketer.com/how-gen-z-is-influencing-b2b-buying-decision/  

4. https://www.pathfactory.com/blog/forrester-report-b2b-consumer/ 

5. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fresh-look-millennial-b2b-buyers-g-david-dodd 

6. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2025/03/10/generational-shifts-will-drive-the-future-of-personalized-b2b-commerce/ 

7. https://b2bmarketingdirections.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-fresh-look-at-millennial-b2b-buyers.html 

8. https://b2bmarketingeast.wbresearch.com/blog/how-millennials-gen-z-changing-b2b-buying-experience 

9. https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-predictions-2025-b2b-marketing-sales/  

10. https://www.demandgenreport.com/industry-news/study-73-of-millennials-are-involved-in-b2b-decision-making/3727/ 

11. https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2025/01/22/3-ways-millennial-gen-z-buyers-will-change-b2b-buying/ 

12. https://www.designrush.com/news/salesforce-repositions-brand-unified-ai-commerce-cnx-2025 

13. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/b2b-social-trends-2025-dexter-low-yh8bc 

14. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/b2b-self-service-experiences-rise-solomon-j 

15. https://butteredtoast.io/b2b-buying-trends-2024-infographic/ 

16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2reHf0stWhg 

17. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kristen-sesto_whats-changing-in-2025-for-b2b-marketers-activity-7282724452327460866-OZN4 

18. https://pitcher.com/gartner-digital-sales-rooms/ 

19. https://anteriad.com/blog/gen-z-millennial-marketers-b2b-insights       

20. https://b2bmarketingeast.wbresearch.com/blog/how-millennials-gen-z-changing-b2b-buying-experience 

21. https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2025/04/28/why-millennials-continue-to-reshape-b2b-ecommerce/    

22. https://www.icrossing.com/insights/marketing-to-gen-z-b2b-buyers       

23. https://www.idomoo.com/blog/7-hyper-personalization-examples-from-brands-who-got-it-right/    

24. https://www.luxidgroup.com/blog/how-ai-is-transforming-the-b2b-buyer-journey    

25. https://www.sendtrumpet.com/blog-posts/younger-b2b-buyers-how-to-sell-to-gen-z-in-2024  

26. https://1827marketing.com/smart-thinking/how-to-create-a-b2b-customer-experience-for-millennials-and-gen-z      

27. https://www.copyhouse.io/insights/adapting-to-gen-z-buyers  

28. https://digitaldefynd.com/IQ/b2b-marketing-case-studies/