Introduction

Buyers pick from a small set of vendors on day one. If you are not on that list, you lose deals before you start.

What’s the problem it solves?

Many B2B companies miss tracking if they appear on buyers’ first shortlists. They fight for deals they have already lost.

Quick Summary

A recent survey of marketing leaders shows that 92% of buyers buy only from their day-1 shortlist. By the time prospects ask for demos, their vendor choice is fixed. Yet half of companies do not even check if they make these lists.

Three groups emerge: those who center their plans on day-1 shortlists, those who never talk about it, and those who use other names like “mental availability.” Without knowing your spot on early shortlists, all brand work can waste time and money.

Measuring brand impact is rare. Over half of firms do no tracking, and most of the rest rely on rough Google Trends data. Few run real surveys or link brand strength to RFP invites. This gap makes it hard to prove brand value, secure budgets, and win deals.

Key Takeaways

• Buyers decide who to buy from before they contact you.
• Not tracking day-1 shortlist status means you miss vital feedback.
• Only a few firms run proper brand tracking to see if they are in the running.
• Relying on share-of-search is not enough to show real buyer choice.
• Without proof, leadership won’t fund brand work and you lose deals.

What to do

• Survey about 100 people in your market to check awareness and shortlist inclusion.
• Track how many RFP invites you get and compare win rates when you are on early lists.
• Focus on “being in the running” not just “being found.”
• Give someone clear ownership of brand tracking and strategy.
• Start talking about day-1 shortlists in every marketing meeting.

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