About Newsroom Careers

Who We Serve
For the C-Suite

Chief Information Officer

Chief Financial Officer

Chief Human Resources Officer

Chief Marketing Officer

Chief Marketing Officer (High Tech)

Chief Sales Officer

Chief Supply Chain Officer

General Counsel

General Manager (High Tech)

For IT & Tech Leaders

Cybersecurity

Data & Analytics

Enterprise Architecture

Information Technology

Infrastructure & Operations

Product Management

Software Engineering

Tech Marketing

Technical Professional

For Business Leaders

Audit & Risk

Communications

Customer Service & Support

Finance

Human Resources

Legal & Compliance

Marketing

Research & Development

Sales

Supply Chain

Industries

Education

Energy & Utilities

Financial Services

Government & Public Sector

Healthcare

High Tech

Investment Services

Manufacturing

Retail
Our Solutions
Ways We Help Clients

Expert GuidanceActionable insights from Gartner leaders

Executive FastStartExcel in a new role

ConferencesBe inspired at world-class events

ToolsBuild your plans to execute

Peer CommunityConnections, chats and advice

Peer InsightsTech & services ratings and reviews

ConsultingOn-the-ground support

Our Most Popular Tools

Magic QuadrantActionable advice on tech providers

Hype CycleManage tech portfolio risk

BuySmartManage the tech-evaluation process

Proposal ReviewsImprove vendor commercial terms and negotiations

Gartner ScoreGauge function performance/maturity

Accelerators for CIOs

Client Stories

All Client Stories

Cybersecurity

Finance

High Tech

Human Resources

Information Technology

Legal

Marketing

Sales

Supply Chain
Latest Insight
Popular Across the C-Suite

Strategic Planning

Cost Optimization

Generative AI Resources

Top Executive Priorities

Top Business Insights & Trends

Podcast: Gartner ThinkCast

Popular Among CIOs & Their Teams

AI Readiness Guide

AI Strategy Workbook

Top Strategic Technology Trends

CIO Top Priorities

Pressing CIO Challenges
Conferences
Opportunities to Connect

About Gartner Conferences

Conferences Calendar

C-level Communities

Exhibit With Us

Conference Roles and Topics

Applications & Software Engineering

CIO & IT Executives

Data & Analytics

Digital Workplace

Enterprise Risk, Audit & Compliance

Finance

Human Resources

Identity & Access Management

IT Infrastructure, Operations and Cloud

Marketing

Sales

Security & Risk Management

Supply Chain

Technology & Service Providers

Conference Locations

Americas

Asia/Pacific & Japan

Europe, Middle East & Africa
Webinars
AI
AskGartnerAI-powered access to our trusted insights

AI Use CasesEvaluate and prioritize AI initiatives

AI Maturity Model

2025 AI Hype Cycle

AI Roadmap for CIOs

Deploying AI: Build vs. Buy

Complimentary AI Webinars
About

Newsroom

Careers
Become a Client

or call jsbacContact

Who We Serve
For the C-Suite
For IT & Tech Leaders
For Business Leaders
Industries
Our Solutions
Ways We Help Clients
Our Most Popular Tools
Client Stories
Latest Insight
Popular Across the C-Suite
Popular Among CIOs & Their Teams
Conferences
Opportunities to Connect
Conference Roles and Topics
Conference Locations
Webinars
AI

Become a Client

or call jsbacContact

Sales
Overview
Solutions
- Client Membership
- Gartner for Sales Leaders
- Gartner for Tech CSOs
- Diagnose Current State
- Benchmarking & Diagnostics
- Comparative Seller Performance Diagnostic
- CSO Personal Effectiveness Assessment
- Sales Budget and Efficiency Benchmark
- Sales Score
- Seller Time Spend Assessment
- Execute on Priorities
- Accelerators for CSOs
- Meet Our Sales Experts
- Sales Strategy Template
- BuySmart
- AI Use Case Insights
- Stay Ahead
- Peer Community
- Hype Cycle
- Magic Quadrant
- Executive FastStart for CSOs
Insights
- Sales Priorities
- All Sales Insights
- Sales Operations
- Sales Strategy
- Sales Enablement
- Account Management
- Sales Pipeline
- Featured Insights
- Sales Productivity
- Sales Skills
- Revenue Operations
- AI in Sales
- Sales Technology
- Sales Planning
- By Type
- Sales Webinars
- The Chief Sales Officer Quarterly
Client Stories
- Featured Client Stories
- All Sales Stories
- Standing Up a Key Accounts Program
- Elevating Sales Enablement
Events
- CSO & Sales Leader Conference
- Las Vegas, NV19 – 20 MAY 2026
CSO Edge Newsletter

Sales

- Overview
- Solutions
  - Client Membership
  - Gartner for Sales Leaders
  - Gartner for Tech CSOs
  - Diagnose Current State
  - Benchmarking & Diagnostics
  - Comparative Seller Performance Diagnostic
  - CSO Personal Effectiveness Assessment
  - Sales Budget and Efficiency Benchmark
  - Sales Score
  - Seller Time Spend Assessment
  - Execute on Priorities
  - Accelerators for CSOs
  - Meet Our Sales Experts
  - Sales Strategy Template
  - BuySmart
  - AI Use Case Insights
  - Stay Ahead
  - Peer Community
  - Hype Cycle
  - Magic Quadrant
  - Executive FastStart for CSOs
- Insights
  - Sales Priorities
  - All Sales Insights
  - Sales Operations
  - Sales Strategy
  - Sales Enablement
  - Account Management
  - Sales Pipeline
  - Featured Insights
  - Sales Productivity
  - Sales Skills
  - Revenue Operations
  - AI in Sales
  - Sales Technology
  - Sales Planning
  - By Type
  - Sales Webinars
  - The Chief Sales Officer Quarterly
- Client Stories
  - Featured Client Stories
  - All Sales Stories
  - Standing Up a Key Accounts Program
  - Elevating Sales Enablement
- Events
  - CSO & Sales Leader Conference
  - Las Vegas, NV 19 – 20 MAY 2026
- CSO Edge Newsletter
Back to top

Gartner client? Log in for personalized search results.

Gartner Glossary / Sales Glossary / B / Business to Business (B2B) Buying Process

Business to Business (B2B) Buying Process

A business to business (B2B) buying process is the nonlinear process that B2B buying groups navigate to make purchase decisions.

Related Terms

Buyer Enablement

Customer Acquisition

Marketing-Qualified Lead (MQL)

Pipeline Velocity

Proof of Concept (POC)

Sales Compensation

Sales Funnel

Sales Training

Sales-Qualified Lead (SQL)

Buyer Enablement

Customer Acquisition

Marketing-Qualified Lead (MQL)

Pipeline Velocity

Proof of Concept (POC)

Sales Compensation

Sales Funnel

Sales Training

Sales-Qualified Lead (SQL)

Direct to your inbox.

Work Email Person Type

By clicking the "Continue" button, you are agreeing to the Gartner Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Contact Information

All fields are required.

First Name Last Name Person Type

Company Name Country/Region/Territory

Please provide the consent below

I have read, understood and accepted Gartner Separate Consent Letter , whereby I agree (1) to provide Gartner with my personal information, and understand that information will be transferred outside of mainland China and processed by Gartner group companies and other legitimate processing parties and (2) to be contacted by Gartner group companies via internet, mobile/telephone and email, for the purposes of sales, marketing and research.

Back

By clicking the "Submit" button, you are agreeing to the Gartner Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

About Gartner
Who We Are
What We Do
Get in Touch
Contact
Careers
Latest Insights
Resources

About Gartner

Who We Are

About Us
Corporate Responsibility
Investor Relations
Newsroom

What We Do

Insights
Conferences
Consulting
Digital Markets

Get in Touch

Contact

Contact Us
Become a Client
Office Locations
Technical Support

Careers

Why Gartner
Search Careers
Our Culture
Careers Blog

Latest Insights

Resources

Featured Insights
Webinars
Newsletter
Client Stories

Policies Privacy Policy Terms of Use Ombuds Site Map Glossary

Become a Client

Clients receive 24/7 access to proven management and technology research, expert advice, benchmarks, diagnostics and more. Fill out the form to connect with a representative and learn more.

Or give us a call

jsbacContact jsbacContact

8 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET

8 a.m. – 5 p.m. GMT

Monday through Friday

Work Email First Name Last Name Phone Person Type

Job Title Company Name Job Function Country/Region/Territory

Please provide the consent below

By proceeding, you agree to the Gartner Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Business to Business (B2B) Buying Process

Recommended Content for You

Develop Sales Managers of the Future | Gartner

What is Sales Effectiveness and How to Improve it?

Boosting Seller Productivity: Top Strategies from Leading Organizations

Build the Sales Manager Role of the Future

Reignite Seller Culture With an Impactful Sales Kickoff

The New High-Performing Seller: Essential Skills to Supercharge Your Sales Force

Develop Sales Managers of the Future | Gartner

Related Terms

Become a Client

Become a Client

Or give us a call