Demand Decoded - Demand Generation Podcast Hosted by Blend

Silent Shortlisting: Why Most B2B Buyers Have Already Decided Before You Reach Them

Written by Dan Stillgoe | Feb 23, 2026 8:13:20 AM

Episode summary

Most B2B buyers don't start from scratch when they come to market, they already have a shortlist. And if you're not on it, you're fighting for just 10% of available deals.

In this episode, Dan and Phil unpack the growing reality of silent shortlisting: how buyers form vendor preferences long before they're ready to buy, why demand capture alone won't cut it, and what marketers need to do to build the brand presence that gets them on that day one shortlist.

From LinkedIn ads and trade show strategy to intent data and buyer intelligence, this episode gives you a practical framework for rethinking where your budget and resource should really go.