Why it matters
60–70% of the decision is made before they contact you
It's not a checklist or a replacement for a good strategy. It's a different way of thinking about your entire marketing approach, built around how your buyers actually make decisions, not how you'd like them to.
By the time a B2B buyer is ready to decide, they have already done 60–70% of their evaluation. They have read things, asked people, and often formed a shortlist — before anyone has spoken to them.
The businesses that appear during the earlier, less visible stages of the journey are the ones who hold the advantage. The G.R.O.W framework exists to help you understand where those stages are, what buyers are doing at each one, and where your marketing needs to show up.
The four stages of the B2B buyer journey
Where are your buyers right now?
Growing Curious
The buyer notices something isn't working. They're not looking for a supplier yet — they're reading, asking colleagues, processing. Most B2B marketing is completely absent at this stage.
Recognising Needs
They've named the problem and are exploring how to solve it. They're not ready to contact anyone. They're building a picture of what good looks like.
Options Evaluation
They're now looking at who can deliver. Websites, case studies, recommendations. A shortlist is forming — often before they speak to anyone. This is where most B2B marketing starts. By which point, the race is already two stages old.
Working in Partnership
Where most funnels stop and where sustainable growth actually happens. Renewals, referrals and expansion are won here. If your marketing goes quiet after the contract is signed, this stage is unattended.
The businesses that win aren't always the best option. They're the ones that were present at every stage.
If you'd like to find out where your marketing sits across the G.R.O.W journey, I've put together a free diagnostic worksheet — nine questions, about three minutes, and a clear picture of where to focus first.
The diagnostic is a good starting point. But if you want to look at the full picture — how your overall strategy maps across the buyer journey and where the biggest opportunities are — that's where a conversation helps.