As a CMO selling to enterprise learning and talent leaders, your primary buyers - CLOs, Chief Talent Officers, and CHROs - may be visible in your CRM, but they’re only part of the story.

According to the 2025 Edelman–LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report, more than 40% of B2B deals stall due to misalignment within buying committees. That’s because decision-making isn’t confined to titleholders anymore; it’s distributed across “hidden buyers” like finance, procurement, IT, DEIB officers, and operations leaders. And in HR and L&D deals, these stakeholders are particularly influential.

The big takeaway? Your brand's ability to reach and influence these hidden buyers often determines whether you close the deal or lose to someone else who better understands their world.

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What the Research Says

The Edelman–LinkedIn report reveals three significant insights relevant to CMOs marketing to HR and learning buyers:

• Hidden buyers are actively consuming content:
  63% of these influencers spend more than an hour each week with B2B thought leadership content. They may not be your initial contact, but they’re doing their homework, often silently.
• Thought leadership is the bridge to trust:
  95% say high-quality thought leadership makes them more receptive to outreach. For vendors trying to break into HR or L&D teams, content is your Trojan horse.
• Generic content loses deals:
  71% say most thought leadership doesn’t stand out, and only 17% say it’s “very good” or “excellent.” If you’re publishing surface-level or overly salesy content, you may be closing doors rather than opening them.
  

(Source: Edelman–LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report 2025)

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Why It Matters in the Learning and HR Market

HR and learning leaders are navigating massive complexity: skills gaps, workforce transformation, leadership development, employee retention, and DEIB commitments. Buying decisions, especially for tech, consulting, or training solutions, often require cross-functional buy-in.

That means the CLO or CHRO you’re targeting is rarely the sole decision-maker. You also need to win over:

• DEIB leaders, who are evaluating the cultural and accessibility impact of your offering
• Finance, asking about ROI, reskilling costs, and impact on retention
• IT is concerned with integrations and security
• Frontline business leaders, assessing usability, adoption, and real-world value
  

Without content that speaks to these stakeholders, your funnel narrows, no matter how strong your brand is.

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What Great Thought Leadership Looks Like in This Space

To influence hidden HR buyers, CMOs need content that reflects the complexity of today’s learning and talent environment. That means shifting away from product-centric messaging and embracing:

• Bold insights that challenge assumptions and reveal new problems
• Strategic storytelling grounded in data, case studies, and industry research
• Practical value - frameworks, checklists, or mental models that stakeholders can apply
• Credibility - content that references trusted sources like Josh Bersin, Harvard Business Review, Deloitte, and Edelman itself
  

This isn’t just about building awareness - it’s about shaping internal consensus within HR buying teams.

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The B2B Opportunity: Expand Your Reach, Deepen Your Influence

For CMOs in the HR and learning space, the real marketing advantage lies not just in brand visibility but in brand utility. Hidden buyers respond to vendors who help them navigate uncertainty and move initiatives forward.

That’s what thought leadership does when it’s done right: it equips your buyers to advocate for your solution, even when you’re not in the room.

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Final Thought

In a complex, consensus-driven HR market, selling starts long before the RFP, and far beyond the CHRO’s inbox. If you want to influence the deal, influence the dialogue. Thought leadership is your most potent tool for reaching the hidden buyers shaping the future of learning and talent.

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📣 Interested in Reaching CLOs and HR Buyers Through Strategic Thought Leadership?

BetterWork Media Group’s Corporate Membership helps B2B brands like yours publish expert thought leadership, amplify it across trusted platforms, and engage with our global community of learning and talent decision-makers. Learn how to position your brand at the center of the conversation.

👉 Explore BMG Corporate Membership