Fireside Chat: Understanding the Digital Buyer and the Power of Behavioural Nudging

That question set the tone for the opening session of the latest Copperberg Select Virtual Academy, where Managing Director Lisa Hellqvist sat down with a Digital Transformation Manager from the chemical sector to explore the evolution of the digital buyer and the strategic role that behavioural nudges can play in shaping their journey.

Copperberg Select is a handpicked series of sessions that focus on the core challenges our community is facing today. Each discussion sits at the intersection of people, process, and technology.

Digital Buyers and the Shift in Power

Tanja Tschech began by recalling her own path into digital transformation. With a background spanning financial services, data protection legislation, digital banking, and multi-country rollouts, she has spent more than 15 years translating complexity into measurable outcomes.

Today, her role involves implementing AI and automation across the organisation to stay competitive in demanding markets.

From her vantage point, the buying journey now moves in a different direction. Sellers no longer lead B2B customers. They now operate in a digital-first environment where tools like large language models provide instant research, supplier comparisons, and evaluation criteria.

This has created what Tanja calls a zero-touch paradigm, where buyers may never even visit a supplier’s website. They arrive informed, often with arguments in hand, shaped by the information they have already gathered elsewhere.

In her words, “We are only touching the tip of the iceberg.”

Marketplaces, Time Pressure, and Just-in-Time Demand

Customer evaluation criteria are changing fast. Tanja sees three major shifts:

• Power has moved to the buyer, who now leads the journey digitally
• Evaluation is happening on procurement platforms and marketplaces
• Decision-making takes longer, with more stakeholders involved and greater pressure on delivery times

The expectation for transparency and speed has grown rapidly. Amazon has helped establish that baseline. Buyers want to compare, validate, and purchase with minimum friction. 

They expect visibility over pricing models, lead times, and order status, often without speaking to anyone at all. As Tanja noted, it should not be difficult to spend money. Yet for many customers, it still is.

Rethinking the Customer Journey

In B2B environments, transactions are often viewed as isolated events. Tanja believes this must change. Organisations need to look beyond a single order and instead examine how every interaction contributes to customer loyalty.

Using tools such as Net Promoter Score surveys, her team studies customer pain points and tracks progress in meeting expectations. 

Deliveries were one example. Customers wanted better visibility into order tracking, prompting internal process changes. The goal was not only to measure satisfaction but to reduce effort and build trust across the entire journey.

A McKinsey study cited in the session points to a critical reality. More than 70% of buyers would consider switching suppliers if they feel their customer journey is poorly managed. That statistic alone reinforces why experience now drives retention.

The Digital Nudge: A Subtle Force With Strategic Impact

One of Tanja’s most recognised topics is behavioural nudging. She returned to it again in this session with a memorable visual: a large elephant gently nudging a smaller one.

Nudges do not restrict choices. They guide them. They don’t pressure the user. They help them find the most suitable decision. This concept, grounded in behavioural science, enables organisations to subtly influence behaviour in digital environments.

On platforms like Amazon, we see it every day. Labels such as “Amazon’s Top Choice” offer instant social proof. They reduce cognitive load and guide behaviour without removing any freedom to choose.

To use nudges effectively, an organisation needs a choice architect. This role involves embedding cues within content, design, and interactions. Examples discussed in the session included:

• Social proof using NPS scores or customer ratings.
• FOMO messaging such as “order within two hours to receive dispatch today.”
• Guidance on best-fit products, based on buyer behaviour and needs.

Nudging is not manipulation but rather customer support, delivered at the right moment

Personalisation and Misconceptions

A recurring misconception within organizations is that buyers care most about price. Through internal and external interviews, Tanja and her team found that productivity tools and self-service capabilities often matter more. 

Buyers want confidence, clarity, and ease, particularly when market conditions are unstable.

Messaging, therefore, needs to reflect expectation rather than assumption. Tailored pricing, automated RFP processes, and relevant information based on role and behaviour are key contributors to perceived value.

Customers now expect personalisation before they even realise they’re expecting it.

Fidget: Where Human and Digital Meet

The conversation also highlighted the need for a careful balance between automation and human interaction. Buyers will choose their preferred touchpoint, and routine tasks such as reordering and tracking can be digitalised.

Yet when something is critical, urgent, or unclear, the individual expects a person who speaks their language and offers support in real time.

Tanja refers to this as fidget, where the physical and digital blend. Sales teams, therefore, need to evolve from order takers into strategic advisors. Technology can enable it. Data can support it. But trust still comes from people.

Data Buckets and Signs of Intent

To personalise experiences and apply nudges effectively, organisations must develop clearer structures for using data. Tanja outlined four types of customer analytics that matter most:

• Behavioural data: Touchpoint behaviour, signals of interest, and signals of intent. Often the most valuable category
• Transactional data: Order frequency, history, and patterns that guide communication or timing
• Segmentation data: Customer grouping, priority tiers, and lead times. Used for strategy alignment and workflow efficiency
• Industry and role data: Contextual insight into who is buying, why they’re buying, and how their expectations differ by segment

The intersection of these data buckets enables meaningful personalisation and helps shape relevant nudges during key decision moments.

AI’s Role in the Next Era of Buyer Engagement

Toward the end of the session, AI reappeared as a key enabler. Teams are already using it for intelligent document processing, demand forecasting, predictive maintenance, and to support sales and customer service teams.

The strongest takeaway was the blend of machine learning and generative AI. Machine learning spots patterns and potential churn. Gen AI then helps craft the right message, at the right time, for the right contact.

In Tanja’s view, this will not replace roles. Instead, it will make human expertise more focused, more relevant, and more strategic.

The Leaders of Tomorrow

Looking ahead five to ten years, Tanja expects deeper human rapport, powered by data and AI. Not artificial exchanges, but real conversations informed by better insight. Buyers will stay in control, and organisations will scale through data rather than headcount.

With customer centricity expected to move from slogan to standard, leaders will need a growth mindset, comfort with new tools, and a clear view of how data should serve the buyer.

As Tanja summed up, it starts with mindset. Technology supports the strategy. The customer defines it.