Part 1 | How to Market in a Low-trust Environment – Personalization

In today’s challenging B2B marketing and sales landscape, response rates have hit rock bottom, and the few responses that you do elicit are curt or even hostile. It’s a tough time, and you’re likely searching for fresh ideas to turn the tide. Here is the first of three blog posts where I’ll share strategies to revitalize your lead generation and engagement efforts.

Tip 1: Get Personal Like a B2C Marketer

One powerful idea is to borrow a page from the B2C marketing playbook and treat your prospects as individuals, rather than mere business targets. By putting the consumer at the center and leveraging data-driven insights, B2C brands create personalized experiences that resonate with individuals on a deep level.

Engage B2B Prospects on a Personal Level

B2C brands understand that customers are not just transactions but unique individuals with distinct preferences and needs. So, see your prospects not just as a title within a company looking for specific product features, but as people with a job they’re trying to accomplish. Adopt the mindset of a B2C brand and consider how you can assist them in improving their lifestyle or advancing their career.

Say your company offers data analytics software aimed at c-level executives. Your prospect, in this case, might be a newcomer to their role, feeling unprepared for an upcoming board meeting where they must present quarterly results. Their main goal is to impress and feel confident at the meeting by leveraging data—not to integrate a group of data sources into a customized dataset with 150 variables.

While your company’s software is undoubtedly valuable, understanding the prospect’s specific job-to-be-done allows you to provide deeper assistance on a personal level. Offering a board presentation template or tips on visualizing data may prove more helpful and establish greater credibility than information about your product’s features and benefits. By addressing their immediate personal needs, you prevent a hostile response to an overt sales pitch and earn permission to fulfill their future business needs with your data analytics solution.

Moreover, adopting this mindset can help you discover new prospects. In the above example, prospects searching for data-driven board presentation templates or downloading data presentation guides may indicate they have an immediate need for help you can provide with both your content and solution. Targeting these specific keywords allows you to find new prospects and address their pressing problems effectively.

Additionally, thinking about the job-to-be-done can uncover product innovations that delight customers—such as including a reporting feature that automatically creates board slides with integrated talking points.

“To truly connect with and create value for your B2B prospects, focus less on your solution and more on your prospects’ personal needs and goals.”

3 Steps to B2C-style Personalization

1. Focus on their work: Go beyond showcasing your solution and highlight how you can assist prospects in achieving their unique objectives. Demonstrate how your product or service supports their success and career growth.
2. Provide educational content: Shift away from a purely sales-focused approach and offer valuable content that aids prospects in their professional journey. Share insights, tips, and resources aligned with their goals, showcasing your expertise and building trust.
3. Meet them where they are and speak their language: Instead of making prospects hunt for your content, meet them on the channels they already frequent for advice and solutions. Leverage search engines, social media platforms, and community forums. Take the time to understand their language by interviewing customers and observing their social media interactions. Avoid the usual jargon and technical terms, and tailor your content and messages to their preferences.

By embracing these B2C-inspired strategies, you’ll forge stronger connections with your B2B prospects, build trust, and position your company as a valuable resource within their industry.

In the next post, I’ll explore another tip to successfully navigate today’s challenging B2B market. Stay tuned!

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Tip 2: Build Authentic Connections

Tip 3: Coming Soon

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