Dean Nolley, President and Founder of Sales Growth Imagination, appeared as a featured speaker on GrowthSutra’s “202X Vision: What B2B Buyers Want – Sell Smarter, Win Bigger Across Markets.” The LinkedIn Live session, streamed on March 20, 2025, tackled a critical challenge for B2B companies: B2B buying behavior isn’t universal, and what works in one market may fail in another.
The Global Buyer Challenge
Global buyers have different priorities, risk tolerances, and decision-making processes. To win across regions, sellers must adapt their approach to fit local business cultures, procurement dynamics, and buyer expectations. The panel broke down how B2B buyers think across North America and emerging markets like India, revealing key strategies for tailoring sales and growth playbooks to close deals anywhere.
Session Breakdown
The discussion was organized into five strategic segments:
Regional Buyer Mindsets (00:09:00)
Dean and the panel examined how decision-making, risk appetite, and purchasing behavior differ across global markets. The conversation explored why the same value proposition lands differently depending on regional business culture and economic conditions.
Selling to Stability vs. Selling to Innovation (00:23:23)
A critical segment addressed why some buyers want efficiency improvements while others prioritize transformation. The speakers shared how to position solutions accordingly, adjusting messaging and proof points based on whether buyers are optimizing existing operations or driving fundamental change.
Procurement & Budget Cycles Across Markets (00:37:10)
The panel explored how corporate structures and local regulations impact deal timelines. Dean contributed insights on how these differences affect sales process design, pipeline velocity, and forecasting accuracy when selling across multiple geographies.
Transaction vs. Relationship Buyers (00:51:27)
A key discussion point was identifying why some buyers demand long-term engagement while others focus on transactional efficiency. The speakers shared frameworks for recognizing buyer types early and adapting sales motions accordingly.
Winning Playbooks from Top B2B Sellers (00:59:15)
The session concluded with practical playbooks from successful cross-market sellers. Dean shared how to document these regional variations in sales playbooks so teams can execute effectively regardless of which market they’re selling into.
Key Strategic Insights
Adaptation Over Standardization
While companies need consistent processes, the panel emphasized that successful global sellers adapt their approach to regional buyer expectations rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all methodology.
Risk Tolerance Varies by Market
Understanding how different markets assess and manage risk is critical. Buyers in mature markets often have different risk calculations than those in emerging markets, affecting everything from proof requirements to contract structures.
Procurement Complexity
Corporate structures, approval hierarchies, and local regulations create significantly different procurement dynamics across markets. Sales teams need to understand these differences to set realistic timelines and navigate deals effectively.
Relationship vs. Transaction Orientation
Some markets and industries prioritize long-term partnership building, while others focus on efficient transactions. Recognizing this early prevents misaligned sales approaches that waste time and resources.
Target Audience
The session was designed for B2B leaders selling or expanding across markets:
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B2B tech founders and growth leaders expanding into new geographies
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Enterprise sales and GTM teams closing deals globally
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Marketing teams adapting messaging to different buyer expectations
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Sales operations leaders building playbooks that work across regions
Practical Application
Dean emphasized documenting regional variations in sales playbooks so knowledge doesn’t stay locked in the heads of reps with international experience. By capturing these insights systematically, companies can scale their cross-market capabilities and onboard new team members more effectively.
About GrowthSutra
GrowthSutra helps B2B companies build predictable growth systems through strategic frameworks adapted to diverse markets and buyer types. Learn more at growthsutras.com.
About Sales Growth Imagination
Sales Growth Imagination is a Sales Xceleration practice serving B2B companies across Atlanta and the Southeast. With experience spanning multiple geographies from the founder’s background in technology and global markets, the firm provides fractional VP of sales leadership that builds sales systems adaptable to different buyer cultures and market dynamics.