As B2B marketers, we tend to rely on market research, industry reports, sales and partner feedback in order to shape our marketing strategy and mix. While all of them are valid approaches to understanding customer behavior, in my experience, marketers need to spend time in person with customers in order to validate our operating hypothesis and keep in touch with emerging trends.

At Cisco Connect India in Goa, I had the opportunity to listen to our customers and host a roundtable on marketing to B2B Technology buyers. We came together with a cross section of senior technology leaders to discuss the buying process, the role of marketing, and the best approaches to engaging customers that will drive a superior customer experience (CX).

Some of the notable themes and key takeaways, in no particular order, were as follows:

1. Helping customers navigate the hype cycle:As marketers, we love to talk up the latest technology trends. While creating awareness is important, we need to help customer demystify complex technologies. We need to  balance marketing the