01.
Introduction
Today’s marketing leaders face a flood of software choices. Every tool promises to solve their problems, but picking the wrong one can cost their company time and money. Using Wynter, we asked 100 top CMOs from companies with 200+ employees how they make these choices. Their answers revealed something surprising: they’re not starting their search on Google anymore. Instead, they’re turning to dark social and asking trusted peers for advice. Meanwhile, AI tools are quietly reshaping how these leaders research their options, creating new decision paths that didn’t exist a year ago.
This report shows you exactly how these leaders pick their tools, where they look for information, and what makes them say “yes” to a purchase.
This year, we learnt the rules of B2B software buying have changed.
02.
How the buying journey begins
Every software purchase starts with a problem.
Maybe your marketing team is drowning in manual tasks, your analytics aren’ttelling the full story, or your current tools just aren’t scaling with your growth.
To find the solution, CMOs don’t jump straight into vendor research.
They start the process by identifying their needs and requirements.
While the exact sequence of steps varies, each of them asks:
1. What’s the core problem or opportunity?
- What’s not working in current processes?
- What opportunities are we missing?
- What’s the cost of doing nothing?
2. What are the must-have requirements?
- Essential features and capabilities.
- Integration requirements.
- Security and compliance needs.
- Budget constraints.
First, we pinpoint exactly what’s broken in our current processes—otherwise, we risk buying features we don’t actually need.
— Nipul, CMO (501–1000 employees; SaaS/Software,IT Services & IT Consulting).
3. What would be nice to have?
- Additional features that add value.
- Future scalability options.
We outline our must-have requirements—like deep analytics and CRM integration—right from the start. That clarity prevents us from wasting time on tools that won’t scale with our growth.
— Marcy, CMO (1001–5000 employees; SaaS/Software)
We typically begin with a long list—about five to seven vendors. Then we narrow it down to three finalists once we see which solutions check the boxes on security, budget, and integrations.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, (5001–10,000 employees; SaaS/Software)
We quickly eliminate vendors that can’t integrate with our existing marketing stack or meet our security requirements.
— Randy, Chief Marketing Officer, (201–500 employees; SaaS/Software)
We start every vendor conversation by mapping the product’s capabilities to our core challenges—if it can’t solve our most pressing pain points, it doesn’t make the shortlist.
— Dawn, Chief Marketing Officer (1001–5000 employees; SaaS/Software)
03.
Building the consideration sets
Having mapped out their core requirements the consideration set starts to build. This list is the initial group of vendors that marketing leaders think might solve their problem. It’s their “first draft” list of possible solutions. It typically starts larger (often 5-7 vendors) before getting narrowed down to the final 3 contenders that make the short list.
When building their consideration sets CMOs tend to follow a clear pattern. We’ve named it the three pronged approach. Most (72%) start by asking people they trust before moving to public sources. Next are review websites (54%), and finally Google to further verify what they’ve learned (51%).
Vendor searching: the three-pronged approach
Private communities lead the way (72% of CMOs start here)Every software purchase starts with a problem.
When looking for new software, the majority (72%) of marketing leaders first turn to private groups like Slack channels and WhatsApp groups to seek out honest conversations with peers who’ve solved similar challenges.
This marks a shift in buying CMO buying behavior. Just one year ago in our first version of this report, most CMOs began their search on Google. Today, they’re heading straight to dark social where candid conversations happen beyond the reach of marketing teams.
Why are CMOs turning to “dark social” as the first touchpoint? The answer is simple: trust. Marketing leaders are craving unfiltered truth from peers, it’s word-of-mouth for the digital age. And while you may be thinking that the buzzword of ‘dark social’ has somewhat faded, the behavior has become more important than ever.
I talk to the other CMO’s I know . I am in a few broad groups—Chief and one other—and then a WhatsApp group of similar-sized company CMOs in my vertical.
— Alison, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
There are three key factors are driving this trend:
- The trust advantage: CMOs want the complete picture, both successes and failures, from people who’ve actually used the software, not just vendor-approved testimonials.
- Stronger professional communities: Groups like CMO Coffee Talk have evolved into knowledge hubs where leaders openly share what worked, what didn’t, and why.
- Better quality insights: Private spaces foster candid conversations about potential implementation nightmares, hidden costs, and workarounds that would never appear in public reviews or case studies.
I ask for recommendations… To select a product I would get multiple reviews from people I trust. To select a vendor who I need to engage with, I would do multiple reference checks. My number one problem is selecting a vendor that initially appears to solve all my problems and later delivers subpar results after I’m stuck in the relationship.
— Peter, Chief Marketing Officer, 201-500 employees, SaaS/Software
For software companies, getting recommended in community spaces is now make-or-break for getting considered. Your first impression is likely to no longer come from your website or sales pitch, instead, it comes from what existing customers say.
I’m likely to start in a peer community like CMO Coffee Talk Slack. Then I’d reach out to individuals that have used different tools.
— Shawn, Chief Marketing Officer, 501-1000 employees, SaaS/Software
Our advice? Invest in customer relationships, they are your most powerful advocates. When your users become genuine advocates in private communities, they open doors that your sales team simply can’t reach.
While these trusted recommendations provide a powerful starting point, they’re just the beginning of the buying journey. What happens next is equally important: marketing leaders need to validate what they’ve heard and expand their understanding beyond individual experiences.
For me, I always check in the CMO coffee talk group for peer insight.
— Wendy, Chief Marketing Officer, 501-1000 employees, SaaS/Software
Review sites: the trust verification layer
54% are using review sites to validate peer recommendations.
After getting recommendations from peers in private spaces, marketing leaders turn to review sites to verify what they’ve heard. G2 has emerged as the clear leader in this validation step, followed by Capterra and Trustradius. CMOs typically use these platforms not as their primary discovery tool, but as a crucial second opinion that helps them:
- Cross-reference peer recommendations.
- Compare features across vendors.
- Read about implementation challenges.
- Understand pricing expectations.
- Spot potential red flags.
Aside from cohort recommendations, I’d start with G2.com & also Capterra; both have the option to select and compare multiple options and easily view overall ratings, general costs & real customer reviews.
— Ben, Chief Marketing Officer, 201-500 employees, SaaS/Software
G2 matters as a checkbox… social proof over marketing claims.
— Allison, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, 501-1000 employees, SaaS/Software
It’s this layered approach that combines the best of both worlds: candid insights from trusted peers, backed by broader market feedback. For B2B SaaS companies, this means review site presence isn’t optional, it’s a critical checkpoint in today’s buying journey.
When potential buyers arrive at G2 or similar sites, they’re not just browsing, they’re looking to confirm specific recommendations they’ve already received.
I start within the Pavilion community for recommendations, then go straight to G2, It’s not about finding new options—it’s about validating what I’ve already heard.
— explains Peter (Chief Marketing Officer)
The message is clear:
While dark social might spark initial interest, review sites help build the confidence needed to move vendors onto the shortlist. It’s not enough to be recommended in private communities, you need the public validation to back it up.
Google: no longer the first stop
The role of Google in software buying has shifted dramatically from being last year’s primary stop in the vendor search process. This year 51% of CMOs are using Google. While still important, it’s no longer where most marketing leaders begin their search.
Now, the majority use google search as a verification tool in their consideration journey.
This represents a fundamental change in how CMOs approach software buying. Google has evolved from a discovery engine to a validation tool, helping buyers:
- Research specific vendors more deeply
- Find independent articles and reviews
- Uncover potential red flags
- Verify information heard from peers
I rely on Google to quickly generate a list of vendors, which I then refine using insights from my dark social channels and peer recommendations.
— Shawn, Chief Marketing Officer, 501-1000 employees, SaaS/Software
A quick Google search lets me see which vendors are trending; then I use that data to decide which demos to schedule and which names to investigate further.
— Adam, Chief Marketing Officer, 201-500 employees, SaaS/Software
Google is my go-to tool for initial vendor discovery. It helps me identify who’s out there, and I validate that list with additional research on review platforms and through my network.
— Michelle, Chief Marketing Officer, 201-500 employees, SaaS/Software
It’s a foundational tool that supports all other research, a way to quickly verify claims, gather independent perspectives, and fill in knowledge gaps about vendors.
CMOs have revolutionized how they evaluate software, and vendors are missing a crucial insight: the first touch almost always happens in private communities, not through marketing. Marketing leaders start their journey in the shadows of “dark social” before moving through review sites and targeted Google searches.
These findings show the effectiveness of:
- Community discovery: Being recommended in community spaces has become crucial for making the shortlist. Invest in customer relationships, they are your most powerful advocates.
- Maximizing Impact: The real magic happens when you layer multiple channels strategically. Your review site presence and customer advocacy are non-negotiable - they’re universal touchpoints.
04.
AI has entered the decision making process
Here’s what’s new: 24% of CMOs are now using AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to help them consider software purchases. In last year’s version of this report, we had zero mentions of AI. We predict it’s going to more than double next year.
Before the integration of AI tools, CMOs would spend a lot of time reading websites, talking to other companies, and looking through reports to compare their options. Now, they can ask AI platforms to quickly synthesize market information and give an overview within seconds.
From our Wynter survey, we learnt CMOs are using AI in two main ways:
- Quick research: They ask AI to summarize and compare different software options in seconds instead of spending hours reading through websites.
- Extra verification: They use AI alongside recommendations from other companies to double-check their choices.
Important to note:
AI isn’t replacing talking to peers - 76% of CMOs still prefer getting advice from other real people. Instead, AI is becoming an extra helper in the process:
These days I’m using Perplexity so I can do a natural language search to find the types of software I’m looking for. I would also use ChatGPT or Claude. I would use Google only if I have certainty about which specific software types or products I want.
— Dave, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
LLM recommendations like those from ChatGPT and Claude—are now a standard part of my initial vendor discovery process.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, 5001–10,000 employees, SaaS/Software
I find that ChatGPT can often summarize complex vendor information into a digestible format, which is a huge time-saver in our fast-paced environment.
— Kevin, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
Our advice? Software companies need to pay attention to how their products appear in AI comparisons:
Key action steps
- Check how your software shows up when people ask AI tools about your category.
- Make sure your product information is clear and easy to find online (time to focus on AIO).
- Keep building strong relationships with customers, as their recommendations still matter most.
In my research process, I ask ChatGPT to lay out the pros and cons of each solution, which saves me a lot of manual legwork.
— Shawn, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
The bottom line:
AI is now an important new step in how CMOs do vendor research, but it works best when combined with traditional research methods, and when it validates what customers say about products.
05.
Shortlisting: how CMOs pick their final contenders
After looking at many software options, CMOs face their next decision - picking just a few shortlisted vendors to seriously consider buying from. Our research shows that while CMOs might start by looking at 5-7 different options, they usually narrow it down to just 3 top choices for their shortlists.
What makes a vendor stand out enough to make this shortlist? We asked leaders exactly how they choose their finalists, and their answers might surprise you.
The power of brand recognition
Being well-known gives vendors a big advantage. In fact, 79% of CMOs say brand fame matters when making their shortlist, with 45% calling it a major factor. For them, a familiar brand name acts like a stamp of approval. When they recognize a vendor from industry events, peer conversations, or market reports, that vendor gets an automatic edge, signaling to CMOs:
- A track record of success.
- A strong support network.
- The ability to grow with their company.
- Easy access to experts and contractors.
- Lower risk of the company disappearing.
I don’t have time to vet every new startup; I usually favor established brands that I recognize from my industry, much like choosing Apple for reliability.
— Allison, Chief Marketing Officer, 501–1000 employees, SaaS/Software
I believe brand fame can be a deciding factor. If a vendor is a market leader, it gives me confidence they can scale with us—making them rise naturally to the top of my short list.
— Carol, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
A well-known brand acts as a shortcut in our evaluation process. If it’s a name recognized by our peers, it gets extra weight on our shortlist.
— Randy, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
When building my shortlist, if a vendor has a strong, familiar brand, it’s an automatic plus. It’s like choosing a computer—I go with the brand I know works.
— Kevin, Chief Marketing Officer, 501–1000 employees, SaaS/Software
Brand fame matters—a recognized vendor instills confidence and signals that there’s a robust support network, which is crucial for our strategic needs.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, 5001–10,000 employees, SaaS/Software
Playing it safe vs taking risks
It’s clear bigger brands have a clear advantage - and for good reason. Our research shows that 20% of CMOs specifically worry about the risks of picking unknown vendors. The logic is simple, established vendors reduce risk in several ways:
- They’re likely to still be in business years from now.
- They have proven customer support systems.
- It’s easier to find experts who know their products.
- They have a track record of successful customers.
Ultimately, I weigh the potential for innovation against the risk of failure. In our market, playing it safe with a trusted brand often outweighs the allure of an untested, innovative vendor.
— Irina, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employee, SaaS/Software
I consider brand fame as a form of risk mitigation. If a vendor is a market leader, I have more confidence in their ability to deliver and maintain support over time.
— Carol, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employee, SaaS/Software
While taking risks can sometimes lead to innovation, the stakes are too high in our purchasing decisions; I prioritize established brands to avoid potential pitfalls.
— Randy, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employee, SaaS/Software
A recognized brand is a signal of stability and proven performance, which is why I usually favor them over lesser-known, riskier alternatives.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, 5001–10,000 employees, SaaS/Software
For me, brand reputation is essential; I tend to trust well-known names because they deliver on their promises, which is my way of playing it safe in a risky market.
— Marcy, Chief Marketing Officer, 1001–5000 employees, SaaS/Software
Size matters
Company size also plays a big role in risk tolerance. Larger companies with 500+ employees tend to be more cautious and prioritize brand safety. This makes sense as they often have more complex needs, bigger budgets, and more stakeholders to please.
Smaller companies, on the other hand, are usually more willing to try newer vendors. They might have tighter budgets, simpler needs, or more flexibility to experiment.
The innovation vs stability trade-off
Many CMOs face a tough choice: go with a safe, established vendor or take a chance on an innovative newcomer. For business-critical tools like CRM systems or IT infrastructure, the stakes are especially high. When budgets exceed $30,000 per year, CMOs strongly prefer familiar names.
However, this careful approach can sometimes mean missing out on cutting-edge solutions. The challenge for CMOs is finding the right balance between innovation and risk - a balance that often depends on their company’s size, budget, and specific needs.
This caution doesn’t mean new vendors can’t compete - but they need to meet specific conditions to earn CMOs’ trust.
38% explicitly said they would consider unknown vendors
BUT there’s a catch - almost all mentioned specific conditions:
- Must come through trusted peer referrals or communities (most important).
- Needs to pass security/compliance checks.
- Often limited to smaller budget items first.
- Required to offer easy trials/proof of concept.
- Bring innovation where legacy players are weak.
- Much better pricing than established players.
We might give a newer vendor a shot if they come highly recommended from a peer or a private group like Pavilion. But we’d test them on a smaller project first and see if they can handle compliance.
— Ben, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
Sometimes an unknown vendor has that innovative edge. If a peer says they’re great and they can pass all our compliance hurdles, we’ll give them a shot on a smaller contract first.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, 5001–10,000 employees, SaaS/Software
We consider unknown vendors if they come with glowing references from our network, have a strong security posture, and are willing to do a limited proof-of-concept. That’s how they earn our trust.
— Irina, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
I’ll consider a vendor I’ve never heard of if they can demonstrate a unique approach or significantly better pricing. That said, they need to show us real ROI in a short pilot before we invest big.
— Patrick, Chief Marketing Officer, 5001–10,000 employees, SaaS/Software
Building brand awareness is huge and tremendously helps you getting into the shortlist. But in the end it’s just your entry ticket.
What happens next depends entirely on substance.
06.
The evaluation process how B2B buyers make decisions
In our study, we discovered 88% of CMOs will come to a sales call already familiar with the vendor.
This means they already have opinions and expectations when they show up for the demo. But where are they evaluating and learning about your product?
Their first stop: your website
100% of CMOs will visit the vendor’s website before making a decision. This isn’t just a quick stop; it’s where buyers consolidate their first impressions.
They’re looking for two main things:
- Clear explanations of how you can solve their problems.
- What makes your product different from others.
When I’m on a vendor’s website, I’m looking for a clear explanation of how they address my pain points. If that’s not front and center, I’ll move on.
— Shawn, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees; SaaS/Software
If a vendor’s site doesn’t clearly articulate what they do differently from everyone else, I assume they’re just another ‘me too’ solution.
— Carol, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees; SaaS/Software
It’s more proof that your website messaging is THE most important marketing asset. And that you need to communicate your differentiated value.
Their site needs to show me exactly what’s unique about their product. If I can’t quickly see how it’s better than the alternatives, I’m not interested.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, 5001–10,000 employee, SaaS/Software
The first thing I check is whether they talk about the challenges I’m facing. If I can’t map their solution to my problem from the website alone, I’ll skip the demo.
— Allison, Chief Marketing Officer, 501–1000 employees, SaaS/Software
We expect a vendor’s site to speak directly to our use cases. If they can’t differentiate themselves clearly online, it’s unlikely their product will stand out in a crowded market.
— Ben, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
Interactive tools and virtual demos:
Whilst they are on your website, nearly half of buyers (46%) want to try out your product there and then. CMOs are actively seeking hands-on product experiences before engaging with sales teams. Their message to vendors is consistent: interactive product experiences have moved from “nice-to-have” to “must-have.” They want to explore your producton their own terms, validate its user-friendliness, and assess its potential impactbefore committing to a sales conversation:
We prefer vendors that let us poke around an interactive environment without forcing a sales pitch. It’s more transparent and saves everyone time.
— Randy, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
Having a clickable demo or sample workflow on the site is a differentiator. I want to confirm it’s user-friendly before I jump on a sales call.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, 5001–10,000 employees, SaaS/Software
Our team checks for a self-service trial or any interactive tool on the vendor’s homepage. That’s how we decide if it’s worth a deeper dive.
— Kevin, Chief Marketing Officer, 501–1000 employees, SaaS/Software
If there’s a virtual/interactive demo or at least a sandbox environment, it proves the vendor’s confidence in their product—and that’s something we value.
— Marcy, Chief Marketing Officer, 1001–5000 employees, SaaS/Software
How you can put this into action:
Prioritize self-service discovery
- Roll out interactive product demos that showcase core features.
- Create sandbox environments for risk-free exploration.
- Ensure these tools are prominently displayed on your website.
Demonstrate value upfront
- Develop product simulators that showcase real-world applications.
- Create sample workflows that highlight ease of use.
Remove friction
- Ensure demos load quickly and work flawlessly.
- Provide clear pathways to deeper engagement.
Build trust through transparency
- Let your product capabilities speak for themselves.
- Include realistic use cases and scenarios.
- Show actual product interfaces, not just mockups.
This shift in buyer behavior presents a clear opportunity: vendors who embrace interactive product experiences and self-service discovery will stand out. Those who don’t risk being filtered out before they ever get the chance to make their pitch.
Your website isn’t just a digital brochure, it’s becoming your product’s proving ground.
The human touch
It’s clear relationships matter, both online and face-to-face. Whether it’s following a founder on LinkedIn or meeting at a trade show, or scouring the dark social for reviews, buyers want to connect with the humans behind the product.
We’ve learnt today’s buyers are doing deep research long before any sales conversation. They’re piecing together their impression of you through every available source - your website, social media, customer reviews, and personal interactions. Each touchpoint shapes their decision.
Today’s buyers engage through multiple channels:
Follow companies on social media.
Read the supplier’s blog.
Follow founders on social media.
Meet representatives at events.
When all these channels work together, telling a consistent story about your value and difference, that’s when magic happens. The good news? You’re in control of this story. With your website, demos, blog, and social media at your disposal, you have the tools to shape how buyers see your solution.
The key? Clearly communicate the problem you solve and your differentiated value. And don’t forget, your customer relationships and candid reviews make all the difference.
07.
The decision makers
While marketing teams do much of the heavy lifting, their leaders, the CMOs, play a crucial role in decision making. They want to make sure the proposed solution checks the boxes and solves the problem.
Here’s how they decide when to step in and when to let their teams take the lead:
Context driven involvement
CMO participation scales with the strategic importance, cost, and complexity of purchases. For bigger budget purchases, many CMOs conduct comprehensive research personally, while delegating smaller purchases to their teams with minimal oversight.
For purchases over $30,000 annual expenses, I do 100% of the research. For purchases that are less, I participate in roughly 20% of the research.
— Brandon, Chief Marketing Strategy Officer, 501–1000 employees, SaaS/Software
For smaller tools, I let the team do 85% of the research and I do 15% to validate their findings and recommendation. End of day, I own the decision and I must be comfortable.
— Peter, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
I delegate the initial legwork to my team, but for critical investments I step in early to set the criteria and participate in key vendor presentations. My involvement is non-negotiable when the tool could significantly impact our growth.
— Irina, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
Team centered approach
79% of CMOs emphasize team involvement in software evaluation. This collaborative strategy ensures potential tools meet practical daily needs while allowing CMOs to maintain oversight of strategic objectives.
The team does about 80% and presents their findings and recommendations, I always do the last 20%.
— Mark,Chief Marketing Officer, 501–1000 employees, SaaS/Software
The marketing ops team narrows the field, but I’m always in the final demos for the top two or three vendors. That’s where I confirm the bigger picture fit and sign off.
— Allison, Chief Marketing Officer, 500-1001 employees, SaaS/Software
I jump in once we’re down to two or three, because that’s where my input can really steer the final choice.
— Nipul, Chief Marketing Officer, 501–1000 employees, SaaS/Software, IT Services & IT Consulting
Expertise based engagement:
CMOs take a more hands-on role in areas where they possess deep knowledge or previous experience. This targeted involvement ensures that purchasing decisions benefit from executive expertise when relevant, whilst ensuring CMO’s specialized knowledge is applied where it adds the most value.
Stage-gated process
39% of CMOs describe a clear stage-based process, where the team does the initial shortlisting and maybe the first round of demos. The CMO gets directly involved when it’s down to the final few vendors.
In this approach, marketing teams handle the early stages of research. CMOs strategically enter the process when choices narrow to finalist vendors. This ensures executive attention is focused where it adds the most value - evaluating strategic fit, negotiating final terms, and making high-stakes decisions.
I rely on my team’s recommendations, but for any tool that could change the way we operate, I personally validate the vendor’s claims. My expertise is the final check before we commit.
— Dawn, Chief Marketing Officer, 1001–5000 employees, SaaS/Software
My team brings me a refined shortlist, and then I conduct a final review to ensure the vendor meets our strategic and technical requirements. Ultimately, I’m the final safeguard in our buying process.
— Kevin, Chief Marketing Officer, 501–1000 employees, SaaS/Software
Even though the team does the bulk of the research, I always join the final demos for high-impact tools to ensure that the solution aligns with our overall brand strategy and long-term goals.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, 5001–10,000 employees, SaaS/Software
Understanding how CMOs make decisions is crucial for anyone working with marketing departments.
Our findings show the CMO’s role is more orchestrator than delegator - setting direction, empowering teams, but staying deeply involved in strategic decisions:
Money matters:
- The more expensive a tool is, the more involved the CMO will be.
Teams do the groundwork:
- Marketing teams often narrow down choices before the CMO steps in.
Expertise counts:
- CMOs take charge in areas they know well.
The CMO has the final say:
- Even with team input, CMOs usually make the final decision.
When it comes to high-stakes or strategic tools, I personally review the vendor proposals and join the demos to verify that the solution truly solves our core problems.
— Marcy, Chief Marketing Officer, 1001–5000 employees, SaaS/Software
08.
How CMOs like to buy in 2025
The demo rules (55%)
More than half of all CMOs want to see your product in action before buying. They want someone to walk them through how it works, answer their questions on the spot, and show them exactly how it’ll solve their problems. They’re also looking out for how your customer service flows, professionalism of the team and the quality of your sales process.
Why do they prefer demos?
Marketing leaders value demos because they provide immediate answers to specific questions and clearly demonstrate how solutions address their unique challenges. Beyond product functionality, demos offer CMOs a window into your customer service quality, team professionalism, and overall sales process which all contribute to their final decision.
I enjoy seeing live demos so I can ask a lot of questions.
— Gayle, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
With purchase decisions involving multiple stakeholders (typically five people, but sometimes as many as twelve for larger purchases), CMOs find demos to be the most efficient way to bring everyone up to speed. This becomes especially valuable during the final decision stage, when most buyers have narrowed their options to just three vendors and need to build consensus across their team.
Demos rule the day. You need a self-service demo, and then a sales-assisted, personal demo… I take the online demo (usually over Zoom) very seriously. It’s your chance to show me that you understand my business challenges and then show me how your software can address them. The demo is usually the #1 factor in picking a vendor
— Justin, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees; SaaS/Software
We also get demos where available and applicable, mostly, online demos. After that we pick 2 or just 1 for on-site demo. So choosing one vendor over other depends on: features, price, ease of integration, scalability, ease to work with the team, and potential for growth.
— Carla, Chief Marketing Officer, 10,000+ employees, SaaS/Software
We will engage in conversation with around 3 to hear what they have to say, be pitched, and demo the product. Flexibility and clear pricing is key. Quality of the sales process and professionalism of the sales team running the pitch can also sway decision making particularly when the capabilities are comparable across vendors.
— Juliette, Chief Marketing Officer, 201–500 employees, SaaS/Software
It’s important to note that 21% seek out rep assisted self-service and prefer a middle ground. They want access demos to try things themselves, but with a helpful guide nearby to answer any questions and address pain points. A smaller group of 17% just want to explore on their own through self service. This option is most popular for smaller purchases (under $5K especially).
They’d rather not talk to anyone, they want clear information, easy signup, and to be left to their own devices to make their decision.
09.
What makes CMOs say "yes" in 2025
Our research revealed a clear pattern in how CMOs make buying decisions. Four key factors consistently determine whether your software makes the cut, with a fifth emerging factor that’s rapidly changing the landscape:
1. A website that focuses on differentiated value
100% of CMOs visit your website before deciding to move forward. This isn’t just a quick stop - it’s where they form their crucial first impression. Our data shows CMOs are specifically looking for:
- Clear problem-solution explanation
- Differentiation against category leaders.
2. Real feedback from trusted peers
The most surprising finding? 72% of CMOs start their search by asking people they trust in private groups. This “dark social” approach has overtaken Google as the first stop in the buying journey:
- Private communities lead the way with unfiltered recommendations.
- 54% go to review sites like G2, Capterra and Trustvarius mainly to verify peer suggestions.
3. Demos help win them over
By the time a CMO requests a demo, they’ve typically narrowed their options to just three vendors. 55% prefer a guided demonstration before making their final decision, and here’s what they’re looking for:
- Problem-solution focus, they need to know if, how and why your solution will help them.
- Question-answering opportunity, they want personalized solutions to pain points.
- They’re evaluating more than features, they’re seeking good customer service and a seamless sales experience.
- It’s worth noting that 21% prefer rep-assisted self-service demos (where they can explore but get help if needed), while 17% want purely self-service experiences, especially for smaller purchases under $5,000.
4. What really sets winners apart
Brand recognition gives you a significant edge, with 79% of CMOs saying brand fame matters when making their shortlist. However, our research shows that lesser-known vendors can still compete if they:
- Come highly recommended by trusted peers.
- Pass security and compliance checks.
- Offer easy trials or proof-of-concept opportunities.
- Bring innovation where established players fall short.
- Provide competitive pricing.
Above all, regardless of your brand fame, buyers want to see that you understand their specific problems and can solve them better than anyone else.
10.
The future: AI and the buying process
One of the most dramatic shifts we’ve uncovered is the rapid adoption of AI tools in the CMO buying process. In 2024, no CMOs were reporting using tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude to research software vendors. Today, 24% are actively using these AI assistants to help evaluate their options.
What’s driving this change? CMOs tell us AI tools help them:
- Map category landscape quickly.
- Compare options without visiting all the websites.
- Cut through marketing noise.
- Synthesize information quickly.
- Discover new options at speed.
This trend shows no signs of slowing. If adoption continues at the current pace, we expect that more than half of CMOs will be using AI tools for vendor research by 2026. This creates both challenges and opportunities for software vendors. So with AIO in mind:
- Make your product information clear, structured, and easily discoverable online.
- Ensure your differentiation is explicitly stated where AI tools can find it.
- Monitor how your product appears in AI comparisons and adjust your digital presence accordingly.
While AI is becoming an important research tool, it’s not replacing thehuman element.
11.
Conclusion
If we could sum up the ‘How CMOs buy software in 2025’ research study by Wynter, this quote would be it:
No sales pitch beats a happy customer shouting your name in their group chat.
In the days where backchannel research rules, the way to control the narrative is to actually deliver. CMOs still rely heavily on peer recommendations and third party reviews.
Overall brand awareness, SEO and LLM optimization dictate your chances of getting into the initial consideration set of 5-8 tools.
Your website messaging and interactive tools on the website determine your chances of getting into the final 3.
Sales demos close the deal.
Survey methodology:
We surveyed 100 B2B SaaS Marketing leaders (CMOs and VPs of marketing) from $50M+ companies. The survey was conducted using the Target Customer Survey product inside Wynter.
You can launch your own research studies within minutes inside Wynter, and get full results back in under 48 hours.
