The ballad of B2B buyers

B2B markets are a battlefield. There are landmines to sidestep, weapons to deploy and unchartered lands to conquer. While the same could be said for B2C markets, there is something wholly unique about this particular sector. It is arguably more complex than its B2C counterparts, and though it is driven by similar patterns and persuasions, it requires a different approach. While a consumer has only himself to answer to, B2B decision making units are not so simple. They are made up of a number of individuals, each with a different skill-set, and each with a separate agenda. Of course, consumer buyers are just as responsible for their actions, but the consequences of a B2B transaction is not so clear cut: they impact not only the individual, but the business as a whole. The stakes are higher, the pressure is greater. B2B buyers need to be certain of their bet before they lay their cards on the table.

With this risk in mind, can we make the assumption that B2B buyers are likely to be more rational than the average consumer? At face value, it would seem so. They arguably approach the decision to buy with a clearer strategic process, comparing budget against outcome, and impact against cost. With so much to lose, the concept of impulse is lost here, and caution becomes the instinctive response. The greater the decision, and the weight of responsibility it carries, determines the level of diligence and analysis applied to it. How then, if we consider B2B buyers from this perspective, can marketers entice them into buying, and more importantly, buying big?

Generally B2B marketing is designed to reach the rational. Talking in a language of measureable ROI in a tangible way to satisfy the cautious consumer. The rational mind wants cold hard facts that can attest to its decisions, and Bray Leino, one of the largest B2B agencies, argue that ‘internal stakeholder management is as crucial to success as external.’ They discuss the significance of quality content that is easily accessible, and how vital it is to have a skilled workforce behind the scenes. If a buyer is being driven by rationality, competence and clarity are going to be essential factors in swaying their decision.

However, Bray Leino’s recent insight paints a different perspective of B2B buying. They identify a number of trends in B2B marketing that are less about rational thought, and more about emotional connection. They argue that, with particular reference to engaging the B2B audience on mobile and social media, ‘we need to get personal.’ Or as they also phrase it, ‘getting human.’ B2B decision making units are not robots who only function on quantitative data. They are made up of individuals whose preferences and personalities are intrinsic in every decision they make. Trends in B2B marketing portray this. Bray Leino indentify that investing time in building trusted partnerships and truly understanding your audience are integral in this field. Though we may think we are making a decision based on rational analysis, the influence of others and the way we interact with them will always play a part: it is human nature.

This statement is long understood in B2C markets, where individuals often buy based on emotional involvement or connection. Perhaps, B2B buying is not as rational as we first thought. MTD, in a recent insight, declare that B2B decision makers are certainly the more rational of the two, but perhaps, also the more emotional. They argue that such high risk buying decisions reflect, not only on the stature of the business, but on the integrity of the individual too. If the stakes are higher in B2B buying, why wouldn’t the emotional involvement be also?

MTD urge marketers not to ‘confuse a more structured, rigorous and rational decision-making approach with a lack of emotional attachment;’ after all, they have a lot to gain, and a lot to lose. With this mind, MTD suggest daring to be different, focusing on the emotional and making things personal as a way of engaging with B2B buyers. They argue that B2B marketing ‘still lacks the insight, understanding and sheer balls to be bold and different’ and that, if you really want to engage B2B decision makers with ‘stories they take notice of, relate to and believe in’ you need to consider the emotional side of the story.

Ultimately, the B2B market is a battle for balance. Certainly B2B buyers rely on the more rational factors than the average consumer. With so much at risk, and with consequences that reverberate way beyond the individual, they would be irresponsible not to. But, marketers are missing a trick if they view B2B buyers from this perspective alone. The weight of such responsibility, and the prospect of failure, would cause any consumer to act cautiously. Their rational mind will always urge them to play it safe. It is the emotional connection that will encourage them to take a chance. B2B buyers need a reason to take a risk, and appealing to their rational side is not enough. To put it simply and succinctly (as B2B content should always be): the head will weigh up the odds, but it’s the heart that will take the gamble.

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