Joining the conversation was Liz Wood, Global VP of Demand at MOI Global, and Matt Levine, Commercial President at LeadScale Group. Both spend their time deep in performance marketing, buyer insight, and data-led activation, which made their perspectives especially useful for teams planning for 2026.
The goal of this session was to help B2B marketers refine their lead generation efforts, get closer to what buyers respond to, and walk away with a clearer plan for 2026.
(If you missed the session, you can watch the replay here!)
New research reveals buyer-marketer disconnect
As a thank you for joining the webinar, attendees were encouraged to download the new Voice of the Buyer: The Great Disconnect report.
The findings underpin the entire conversation. With 2600 respondents across geographies, company sizes, and functions, the research uncovers the biggest gaps between how marketers communicate and how buyers make decisions.
It explores the themes driving demand generation next year, including AI, trust, and the shifting dynamics of decision making. Most importantly, it highlights where alignment breaks down and how marketers can start resonating with today’s buyers.
To warm up the room, our moderator Madelaine Oppert launched a quick poll: “What is driving the greatest pressure on your demand gen efforts right now?”
The response was striking. 54% said the pressure is coming from leadership expectations for short term results.
Buyers want clarity and proof. Marketers are being asked to deliver more, faster. And those competing forces often pull strategies in opposite directions.
What do buyers really want?
Before moving into tactics, Madelaine shared a key insight from the Voice of the Buyer research. Buyers want proof. Marketers keep selling promise. 54% of buyers care most about features and functionality, while marketers lean toward innovation and scalability. It is a clear disconnect and it slows decisions.
When Madelaine asked Matt where demand gen breaks first when markets tighten, he pointed to cost pressure. Teams push for more leads at lower rates, which brings bad data into the mix. As he put it:
“It costs a lot more to deal with bad data than it does to deal with good.”
Matt Levine, LeadScale Group
Bad data damages targeting, weakens follow up, and becomes even more costly as AI models rely on it.
Liz saw the same issue from a different angle. Short term expectations collide with long buying cycles, and the push for volume often comes at the expense of quality.
“There is pressure to deliver higher volume at lower cost, but what does that do to quality?”
Where focus creates more impact
The session kept coming back to one practical point. Focus your effort where buyers pay attention.
Liz put it simply: “Be present in the places that you can.” When teams try to show up everywhere, budgets stretch too far, visibility drops, and performance becomes harder to recover. Her advice was to put more weight behind the channels where you can genuinely stand out, and ease off the ones that drain time without giving you anything back.
“Do not play in the channels you cannot compete.”
When you simplify the mix this way, buyers notice you more easily and your message lands with far less effort.
Answering your B2B marketing questions
Just like the first webinar in our series, this session surfaced questions that many teams are wrestling with as they plan for 2026.
How can marketers forecast pipeline when historical data keeps losing accuracy?
How can long-term demand investments be defended when short-term pressure keeps rising?
Where are budgets overspending, and where are they underspending heading into 2026?
Which demand gen tactics have fallen off faster than expected, and how should teams adapt?
Where should teams focus first when cycles stretch longer than expected?
B2B marketers: 3 lessons to remember
- Buyers want proof, not promise
The research showed that more than half of buyers prioritize features and functionality. They want to know what something delivers today, not what it might deliver later.
- Data quality is non-negotiable
Matt highlighted that cost pressure leads to bad data entering the system. Once it does, targeting weakens, trust drops, and AI models struggle.
- Focus beats coverage
Liz reminded the group that teams gain more by showing up where they can stand out. Concentration creates real traction, while chasing every channel drains impact.
What’s next for B2B marketers
If you missed Demand Gen in Disruption, the on-demand replay is now available. Pair it with the Voice of the Buyer 2026 report to dig deeper into the data behind buyer priorities and trust signals.
After a much needed Christmas break, the series continues in January with: The Great Syndication Debate: Quality vs Quantity
This session looks at what truly drives lead quality and how B2B marketers can refine programs without chasing volume. We hope to see you there!
