You may have seen the new research from 6sense about how buyers actually buy

If not, here’s the short version

Buyers have access to an almost infinite amount of information, online, on social, even through LLMs

The old story used to be: once buyers decide to buy, they research their options

Now, it’s different. They’re not just researching

They’re validating

They already know what they want, and they’re checking it against everything else they can find

Here’s what the research says: the selection phase now takes up about 60–70% of the buying cycle, while validation accounts for 39%

That’s why when a salesperson calls and asks, “Are you in market?” they’re often met with a polite “no,” and the conversation ends, because no buyer wants to be a piece of meat in a CRM

So the salesperson logs it as a “no” and moves on

Meanwhile, the buyer quietly builds a shortlist, and they usually already know who they want

Only after that do they approach the market

Now, there are two ways to play this:

1. Hand-to-Hand Combat

This is the approach most companies still use, this uses the old “95 / 5” rule

Sellers have to find the 5% of buyers (who admit) they are “in-market”, it's assumed that 95% of the marketing is out of market

Sales teams chase buyers “in market,” competing on price or hoping that brand marketing somehow nudges the decision

It’s reactive. It’s messy. It’s hand-to-hand combat

And yes, sometimes you win… but often, it’s just luck

2. The Elite Approach — Control the Market

Elite sales teams operate differently

They know that big decisions (transformative projects) start with a salesperson, someone trusted inside the business

When buyers shortlist, they pick vendors they already know. Then they validate. Then they buy.

Being known, trusted, and visible at the point of selection is where the advantage comes. The buyer isn’t randomly shopping. They’re confirming a choice — often the one you influenced months ago.

Conclusion

If you want your sales team to stop relying on hope and start shaping the market, you need to be present before the buyer “enters the market.” Move away from hand-to-hand combat. Move to strategy. Control the market, rather than reacting to it.

If you want to do that, we should talk.