Wading in the riverbanks of Bariloche, Patagonia Argentina, I had my first fly fishing experience. It ranged from several hours of nothingness, to continuous catch and release of beautiful rainbow trout. As every angler will claim, "I caught a big one!" I did, and a lot of them. I learned that these fish are anadromous, migrating from the ocean to breed in fresh water, making them highly adaptable to changing conditions. My challenge was to read the myriad of data accurately to anticipate their behavior and precisely execute the correct response. When I'm asked about the changing B2B marketing landscape, I compare the new, emerging B2B buyer to anadromous fish.

The first hour I spent just looking at the horizon and waiting for the fish to come to me. Not a single bite meant there were few fish in the river, or so I thought. One look across the water and I watched my relatives reeling in sizeable fish. To catch some fish, I realized that this was going to require some serious technical applications of reading data, real-time pivoting, accurate timing and precision.

So, I began to develop strategies to read changes in the water and execute tactics for every different scenario. As a fly fishing evangelist, I encourage strategic thinkers to try the sport, and sharpen their skills of taking in changing data and improvisational tactics. With equal passion, I'll tell any B2B marketer that now is the time for you to fully understand the new anadromous buyer and likewise, adapt.