The B2B buyer world is suffering from a delusion, and it’s this: that the B2B buyer always acts in a rational, logical, and economic way. That’s why most B2B marketing efforts are focussed on pushing product features and benefits with very little use of emotion to create engagement with the B2B buyer.
Contrary to what seems to be the accepted view, B2B buyers respond to “the language of emotion” and will happily pay more for your products and services if they’re spoken to in that language.
What is the language of emotion?
It’s the language of feelings, influence and clarity, encouraging your customers to buy again and again because it makes them feel positive about you.
Here are two reasons why:
Trust is one of the most important factors when it comes to a B2B buyer’s decisions. If a customer trusts you, they’re more likely to buy from you – and continue buying from you in the future. And emotional language helps build that trust by making them feel like they know you better as a person, which leads them to believe that they can trust your products and services too.
When a B2B buyer feels confident about a brand, they’re going to be more likely to buy from it. This is especially true when it comes to B2B sales because people are often buying on behalf of their company rather than themselves, so if their company needs something then they need it too!
When it comes to B2B marketing, what does “speaking the language of emotion” mean in reality?
For starters, it means that your audience wants more than a dry, logical presentation of product features and benefits (or “speeds and feeds,” as the jargon goes).
They want to be entertained. They crave recognition and approval. Their decision is going to be judged by their peers. They want to be educated on how products can transform their lives. They want to see you demonstrate an authentic sense of purpose and values so they can gain a feeling for your company’s culture, people, and character.
In short, they want you to treat them like human beings who don’t exist solely to buy things.