Emotion Influences B2B Buying

In our experience, CEOs of B2B businesses get one thing EXTREMELY wrong about potential buyers: they’re emotionless. This is especially prominent in spaces where buyers are highly educated, like law firms, the medical field and the tech industry. We’ve watched (and bit our tongues) as many of our past clients insisted on sending “robot messaging” to leads. Messaging with no tone, no humanity and no emotional appeal. This approach will NEVER close a sale. Because the truth is, no matter how educated or sophisticated a person or a business may be, at the end of the day, they’re still human. And humans run on emotion.

Marketing to B2B buyers is part business value, part personal value. If a decision maker (B2C or B2B), doesn’t have a positive emotional connection to the product or service, don’t expect a sale.

What Really Goes into B2B Purchases?

Emotion’s Power

We realize a lot of thought goes into making a purchase and that emotion plays a big role in making the right decision for the business. In the B2B space, if a poor decision is made, not only is the decision maker’s job on the line but there are a slew of people within the organization that won’t be happy.

Generally speaking, emotion is associated with B2C purchases but decision makers in a business setting have a lot more at stake when deciding on a purchase. In the B2C space, the purchaser knows what will happen if/when they make a final decision but a B2B decision maker has a lot more to be concerned about. When making a decision, B2B decision makers fear the following,

Time and effort lost if a purchase decision goes poorly
Loss of credibility if a recommendation falls flat
Job loss if the purchase fails

Business Value Boosters

A number of factors drive the emotional side of a B2B purchase. However, the business’s values are just as important as the personal views of the decision maker(s). Business value includes all the intangible, abstract and (sometimes) unquantifiable services and values that businesses offer to buyers.

B2B businesses often sweep these values under the rug or communicate them improperly: “WE are the fastest,” “WE are the best,” WE save you money!” It should be the other way around and showcase how THEY (the customer) benefits. This approach appeals to their emotions and shines a beautiful spotlight on THEM instead of YOU.