Buyers have changed — we know this — and one of the most significant changes is the rise of the self-service buyer.

The self-service buyer is a relatively new concept in B2B professional services. These buyers prefer to gather information, research, and make decisions independently before ever engaging with a service provider. According to recent research, virtually 100% of buyers want to self-educate and manage the buying experience on their own, up from 87% in 2021. This shift is revolutionary in an industry like legal services, where trust and personal relationships have traditionally driven business development.

Law firms and companies in the professional services space must recognize that clients are conducting extensive online research before making contact. Prospective buyers are no longer waiting for meetings with partners or business development professionals to understand the firm's offerings. Instead, they are seeking out information on their own, and they want to do it quickly and efficiently.