B2B sales relies a lot on personal interactions but somehow when it comes to marketing and promoting products and services, B2B marketers don’t focus on personal relationship-building as much. According to a recent study by Corporate Executive Board (CEB), 86% of B2B buyers are of the opinion that they are all being sold the same things without any personalization or real-connect. The study demonstrated how brands that connect with their buyers on an emotional level will see 2 times more impact than the ones who focus solely on selling business or functional value instead, with 71% more willing to purchase and 69% willing to pay a higher price for brand experiences that deliver some form of personal value. What does this mean for B2B marketers? Unless, they’re willing to identify and communicate value to their customers on a more personal level instead of a generic and superficial one, they will not be able to retain them or build enriching relationships with them which is the core of B2B marketing and selling.
Yes, it’s time to get personal.
How can you make B2B marketing more personal?
Marketers can follow the given steps to ensure that their marketing and promotion connects with their buyers on a more emotional level:
- First and foremost identify customers’ personal needs/goals through open observation and an objective analysis of customer interviews which will help create different customer personas that you can speak to
- Secondly, speak to these customer personas communicating personal value to each one of them by using customers’ natural language
- Encourage buyers to move forward and drive action by reminding them that their current pains are worse than the pain of change
- Communicate to your buyers information that teaches them something new about their needs so as to make them appreciate your differentiating value
Do you believe in building a personal connect with your buyers?
