(Photo by Andrew Ashton)
If your business is marketing its services to another business (B2B = Business-To-Business), it is vital to know that B2B’s needs are very different from B2C’s (Business-To-Consumer) emotional issues. Do you know the top 6 B2B needs?
- Increased Profitability. While obvious, it’s important to remember that businesses exist to make money.
- Increased Power. Business want power (influence) over their markets. Business employees seek power within their company.
- Decreased Risk. Businesses seek a “sure thing” to minimize wasted resources.
- Decreased Hassle. An business opportunity may be a sure thing that’s highly profitable, but the amount of effort to break into that market may be cost prohibitive.
- Increased Praise. While praise comes from individuals, it’s a core group individuals that create a target market. That’s why it’s important for a business to both focus on top-down (leadership/management) as well as bottom-up strategies.
- Increased Fun. Building a business takes time. The long-term motivation of money and power isn’t generally enough to guide a business owner through short-term problems. That’s why in the midst of all the work, there needs to be a vision for why people choose to come together to do great things.
Be sure that your B2B marketing is conveyed using facts (see: Marketing Foreplay), and touches upon many of a business’ “pain points”.