B2B needs a makeover

Emotion has long been understood to be a critical factor in consumer buying behaviour. But with B2B purchasing, there's plenty of assumptions bouncing around that the serious context of these decisions means they are typically well-thought through and value-driven.

We need to reframe how we view B2B decision making. A serious context does not strengthen the rider's control over the elephant. Emotions still occupy the driving seat.

THE B2B ILLUSION

Business value drives B2B decisions

Nope.

Marketing and sales bend over backwards to demonstrate the superior business value of their brand compared to the competition to purchasing teams.

The reality is, buyers from across industries don't see a whole lot of difference between brands when it comes to business value, as shown by this chart from Gartner.

So how do we make decisions, if not based on business value?