Harbour’s Mining Buyers’ Research – based on interviews with 75 stakeholders across the world’s top 150 miners – reveals that selling into mining is a lot like being Indiana Jones. The boulder is always behind you, and if you’re not the pre-favourite, you’re already in the Temple of Doom with the wrong people.
Mining companies are ready to spend, so the timing is good
Let’s start with the good news. Underground mines are ramping up investment, with 76% planning to increase spend on equipment and technology. Even surface operations are moving, with 53% forecasting budget growth. The wallet is open. The question is whether you’re the one it opens for.
The biggest investment priorities? Predictive maintenance systems top the list at 51%, with real-time data analytics close behind at 43%, and evaluation and planning software attracting 37%. If your solution sits in any of these categories, the market appetite is there in abundance – the challenge is being in the room when decisions are made.
The buying team is bigger than you think, and you need to reach all of them
Here’s where it starts to feel like Twelve Angry Men. The average mining buying team isn’t two people wearing hard hats making a decision at the wet mess – 63% of buying teams comprise 11 or more stakeholders, with tier-one miner buying teams at around 20. That’s a lot of people to convince, each with different priorities and different levels of influence. This is where some marketing and sales teams get it wrong by focusing exclusively on the budget holder.
For equipment, the Mine Manager (77%) and Site Manager (76%) are most heavily involved. For technology decisions, the power shifts toward Digital Transformation leads (75%) and Chief Innovation Officers (73%). Operations, engineering and finance all holding significant influence.
The diversity of that buying committee is exactly why Account-Based Marketing with clear account segmentation proves so powerful in this sector. One message for everyone is a message that lands with no one.
Buying teams spend relatively little time assessing options before making a decision – you need to engage early
Think of the buying process like The Italian Job. Most of the planning happens before the gold moves.
Buyers allocate roughly 30% of their time to the early stages – general education and needs assessment – before the bulk of the process shifts to vendor evaluation and final decision-making.
The implication is significant: the brevity of that part of the process means many will have already formed a view on who they want to engage before formal evaluation begins. This is where brand does its quiet, powerful work. Visibility and credibility before the RFP lands isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s often what determines who makes the shortlist.
Previous vendors have a massive head start, but you can close the gap
If you’re a new vendor, the research is frank about the mountain you’re climbing. A 75% majority of buyers say previous vendor experience significantly influences their final decision, and nearly half build shortlists based directly on peer recommendations. In fact, buyers rate peer feedback more highly than input from their own buying team, which tells you everything about where trust really lives in this sector.
That said, the door isn’t closed. Mining companies are genuinely frustrated by previous project failures, lack of transparency, poor integration and weak post-sales support. The incumbent isn’t always the hero of this movie.
For new entrants, the priorities are clear: compliance is the single-most critical factor when evaluating new suppliers for 39% of buyers, with 28% citing reliability. Proof of concept, established business history and funding credibility also register strongly. Free trials and competitive pricing alone won’t get you over the line.
Buyers are risk-averse, and they really don’t want to look bad
Here’s the emotional truth that underpins all of this. Mining procurement is not a purely rational process. Three quarters of decision-makers say feeling a genuine connection to a supplier’s brand matters to them. Buyers don’t want to make mistakes in front of colleagues, and 68% say previous project failures at their organisation directly shape future purchasing plans.
The chief villains driving scepticism? Lack of transparency (75%), concerns about expertise (69%), and failure to deliver on time (60%). Complexity of solutions triggers doubt in 44% of buyers. The message is simple: overpromise at your peril.
Your marketing is probably annoying them
This one stings a little. Most (57%) mining buyers view supplier marketing messaging as too optimistic, exaggerated and confusing. That’s more than half your audience reading your materials and quietly rolling their eyes. Mining buyers are technically rigorous and professionally accountable – they respond to evidence, not enthusiasm.
The fix isn’t a rebrand. It’s calibration. Realistic claims, transparent language and honest acknowledgement of implementation challenges will build more credibility than any product-focused webcast. Breed trust, not scepticism.
Your website and search presence matter more than you might think
Despite drawing on up to 15 different information sources during a buying journey, 76% of buyers still rely on independent search and 73% use supplier websites directly. When asked which source they value most, supplier websites came out on top at 31%, with independent search close behind at 28%.
The lesson: your digital presence is not a brochure – it’s often the first serious conversation a buyer has with your brand. Content that is hard to navigate, out of date or generic will cost you. Buyers are doing their homework long before they pick up the phone, and if your website doesn’t answer their questions clearly and credibly, a competitor’s will.
The AI question: helpful tool or trusted adviser?
Mining buyers are using AI — More than you may think, but with a caveat. Almost two thirds (63%) report using large language models daily or weekly to support their search for solutions. But 68% also have trust issues with it. In a sector governed by regulation, risk and compliance, AI search is part of the process rather than the whole of it. Heavy industry in general is reluctant to embrace AI in the buying process, with 67% allowing it to play a central role compared to a cross-industry average of 89%.
In mining, technical expertise, critical IP and human judgement still carry significant weight. This is reflected in the fact that more than 50% of buyers continue to rely on in-person engagement as a key information channel. AI search has joined the buying journey. It hasn’t taken it over.
Six things worth acting on now
The research points to six practical steps for METS suppliers looking to sharpen their approach:
The boulder is always moving. The good news is that with the right preparation, you can stay ahead of it.
The Harbour Mining Buyers’ Research was conducted in 2025 with 75 procurement stakeholders across the top 150 global mining producers. If you’d like to explore the full findings or talk through what they mean for your go-to-market strategy, we’d love to hear from you. Reach us at contact@askharbour.com or visit www.askharbour.com.