Most buyers aren’t buying right now

Research shows that at any given time, only about 5% of B2B buyers are in-market. The other 95% aren’t actively shopping and won’t respond to hard-sell tactics. That doesn’t mean they’re useless to you—it means your strategy has to change.

Your job is twofold:

1. Build brand memory with content that sticks, so when buyers are ready they think of you first.
2. Be ready to act quickly when signals show that someone has moved into buying mode.

Part 1: How to stay present with the 95%

For the majority who aren’t ready to buy, the goal is mental availability—being top-of-mind when a buying situation comes up. The best way to do this is to understand Category Entry Points (CEPs): the specific situations that trigger purchase decisions, such as “new audit,” “migration off a legacy tool,” or “post-funding growth.”

Practical steps:

• Map out 8–12 common buying situations for your category.
• Create short, reusable assets (checklists, teardowns, benchmarks) that speak to those moments.
• Use consistent branding so your content is clearly remembered as yours.
• Measure recall and search trends, not just leads.

The point: when the buying window eventually opens, you’ve already earned a spot in their memory.

Part 2: How to move fast with the 5%

When buyers flip into the 5% who are actively shopping, timing matters.

Key signals:

• Review sites: profile views, comparisons, pricing checks.
• Topic surges: sudden increases in content consumption around your category.
• First-party activity: repeated pricing page visits, trial activations, demo requests.

Speed counts. Teams that contact leads within one hour are dramatically more likely to qualify them than those who wait a day. The best practice is to route strong intent signals straight into sequences with fast human follow-up.

A simple model to connect both sides

• Evergreen mode (95%): Focus on memory building with CEP-based content and brand consistency.
• Activation mode (5%): Respond to high-intent signals quickly with relevant, personalized outreach.

Together, this creates a system where you nurture the long game and capture the short game.

Bottom line

The 95/5 rule isn’t a reason to give up on most of your market. It’s a reminder that future buyers need to remember you when their moment arrives. Play the long game with brand and evergreen content, then move fast when intent spikes. That combination keeps your pipeline full without burning out your audience.

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