Why selling deep tech and reaching the people who decide is so hard, and how LinkedIn helps
If you work at a deep tech company, this will sound familiar. You have a technology nobody else has, you present it with flawless data and the meeting ends with "very interesting, we'll get back to you". Weeks go by and nothing happens.
The problem usually lies in how B2B buying works today and, above all, in how companies buy something your client doesn't yet know they need. In this article I explain why it is so hard for you to reach the people who decide, what the data says and what you can do on LinkedIn to change it.
- 95%
- of B2B buyers are not looking for a supplier at any given time.
- Source: Ehrenberg-Bass, 2021 (opens in a new tab)
- 5 to 16
- people, from up to four functions, make up a B2B buying group.
- Source: Gartner, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- 74%
- of those buying groups have internal conflict during the decision.
- Source: Gartner, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- 75%
- of B2B decision-makers have looked into something they had not been considering after reading expert content.
- Source: Edelman and LinkedIn, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
What holds you back when selling deep tech
These are the six sales problems that come up most often in deep tech. Read them and count how many apply to you.
| The problem | How you experience it | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Your market isn't looking for you | Nobody searches for a technology they don't know exists. You have to explain the problem before you can sell the solution. | Content that educates on the problem, how it works and the results. |
| A committee decides, not one person | You win someone over and the proposal gets stuck inside the company, because the others don't know you. | Connect with at least three people at each company. |
| Long sales cycles | Between the first meeting and the contract come trials, pilots and quality validations. | Keep the relationship going with the whole committee for as long as the trial lasts. |
| You come from science or engineering | You know everything about your technology, but selling wasn't your job. | A prospecting and conversation method you can repeat. |
| You talk about the technology instead of the result | Engineering gets excited; the person who signs can't see what their business gains. | Translate each feature into its impact, with proof. |
| Pilots that don't move forward | The trial goes well, but nobody knows what comes next. | Success criteria and the next step agreed before you start. |
It isn't just you. When BCG and Hello Tomorrow asked more than 400 deep tech startups what help they needed, market access came first (61%), well ahead of technical expertise (39%).
Why LinkedIn suits you
The people who decide at your client, in technical management, R&D, innovation, operations, procurement or general management, are on LinkedIn. That is where they do their research before talking to anyone. According to Gartner, 61% of B2B buyers prefer to buy without a sales rep involved. By the time they finally talk to you, they've already done their homework.
- You can reach the whole committee, the person who has the problem, the person who validates the technology and the person who decides.
- You can educate your market. The 95% who are not looking for a supplier today will still read you, and they will remember you when their time comes.
- Your scientific credibility carries weight. If you explain your field well, you build more trust than any company page.
- You spot signals in time, such as investments, new plants, sustainability targets, job changes or innovation calls.
What you can do starting this week
- Pick your ten target companies and map the buying committee of the first three.
- Connect with one person at each, with a specific reason, such as something they posted or a challenge in their industry.
- Write three sentences that translate what your technology does into what changes in your client's business.
- Publish a first piece about the problem you solve, written for someone who isn't a specialist.
- If you have a pilot running, agree with your client now on how success is measured and what happens afterwards.
This is how a deep tech company with good technology starts having more conversations with the people who decide.
Sources
- Gartner: "Gartner Sales Survey Finds 74% of B2B Buyer Teams Demonstrate “Unhealthy Conflict” During the Decision Process" (2025)(opens in a new tab)
- Gartner: "Gartner Sales Survey Finds 61% of B2B Buyers Prefer a Rep-Free Buying Experience" (2025)(opens in a new tab)
- BCG and Hello Tomorrow: "What Deep-Tech Startups Want from Corporate Partners" (2017)(opens in a new tab)
- Ehrenberg-Bass Institute: "The 95:5 Rule: Why B2B Growth Starts Long Before the Purchase" (John Dawes, for the LinkedIn B2B Institute)(opens in a new tab)
- Edelman and LinkedIn: 2024 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report(opens in a new tab)