Today’s B2B industry is facing unprecedented economic uncertainty due to the geopolitical climate. Stocks are currently on their fifth straight week of losses and the United States is facing massive government restructures. Due to this, our Ecosystems’ Customer Value Community Value Disruptors, an invite-only group reserved for leaders in value, are seeing strong shifts in the market. In a recent small group discussion led by Eric Ranta, Senior Business Value Executive and Google Cloud alum, our Value Disruptors spoke on the current economic climate and how this is affecting how organizations deliver value and their go-to-market strategy.
1. The Cost of Inaction
Amid economic uncertainty, many organizations are delaying or altogether halting purchasing decisions, causing deals to stall in a cycle of indecision. B2B companies are increasingly hesitant to commit to new investments, fearing that taking action in an unpredictable market may result in financial loss. As a result, they default to maintaining the status quo—opting to stay the course rather than pursue change.
Even when companies recognize a challenge, the pressure to reduce spending often prevents them from perceiving the issue as urgent enough to warrant immediate action. They assume that waiting for market stability is the safer bet. However, research from Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna reveals a critical insight: 44% of stalled deals are lost due to status quo bias, while 56% succumb to indecision.
What many organizations fail to realize is that inaction carries a cost of its own. By maintaining the status quo, companies risk inefficiencies that drain time, productivity, and revenue. The hidden expenses of doing nothing can be far greater than the perceived risk of change.
As a seller, it is your responsibility to illuminate the true cost of inaction to potential customers, helping them recognize the financial and operational risks of delaying key decisions—even in uncertain economic conditions. A value-selling platform like Ecosystems.io enables sellers to quantify and articulate these costs effectively, empowering buyers to make informed, confident choices.
To dive deeper into the impact of inaction, watch our on-demand webinar featuring Jen Allen-Knuth, Founder of DemandJen, and Alex Schrager, Vice President of Sales at Ecosystems.
2. Value Delivered
“In the last six months, the CFO is in every single deal.”
With tighter budgets and widespread spending constraints, Customer Value Community Value Disruptors have observed a significant surge in CFO involvement across all deals. CFOs are scrutinizing expenditures, seeking clear justification for new investments, and—when it comes to renewals—demanding tangible proof of value delivered.
Beyond CFO oversight, there is also a notable increase in stakeholder participation earlier in the sales cycle. Given that the average B2B deal already involves six to ten decision-makers, this heightened engagement amplifies the pressure on sales teams to demonstrate value at every stage of the process.
Today’s stakeholders expect a transparent, quantifiable understanding of the value they receive. As a result, frontline teams must not only articulate their impact effectively but also tailor their messaging to resonate with each stakeholder’s unique priorities.
Ecosystems’ platform empowers sellers, customers, and partners to collaborate seamlessly on value realization, ensuring alignment with key business objectives. The Collaborative Success Plan enables organizations to structure success through defined tactics, measurable metrics, targeted outcomes, and clear timelines—helping sales teams secure buy-in and drive long-term customer success.
3. Doing More With Less
As economic uncertainty persists, B2B organizations are intensifying efforts to cut spending and optimize existing resources, seeking ways to do more with less. Rather than investing in new tools or services, many companies are scrutinizing their current expenditures, evaluating which subscriptions or solutions can be eliminated. This trend aligns with a recent Gartner survey, which highlights CFO concerns over slower top-line growth—often prompting preventative cost-cutting measures.
In response, Value Disruptors are reimagining value delivery, shifting the conversation from cost to strategic impact. By demonstrating how their solutions align with their customers’ core business objectives, they reinforce the indispensable nature of their offerings. Additionally, many are leveraging partner ecosystems to illustrate how their technology stacks complement and enhance their customers' existing investments.
For deeper insights into value-based partner strategies, explore our on-demand two-part webinar series, Building a Value-Based Partnership Strategy & Putting Value with Partners into Action.
Ecosystems’ enterprise value platform enables sellers, customers, and partners to collaborate in real-time—aligning on tactics, metrics, targets, and timelines to drive measurable success. To learn more, contact our team today.
