With B2B marketing, it’s all too easy to fall into the numbers and acronyms trap.
Selling your services to a CEO, you throw out ROIs, KPIs, profit margins, costs per click and all sorts of other stats and financials, and sure, they SAY something to your potential buyer … but do they really MEAN something?
It’s doubtful.
This is a common problem in the B2B world. Marketers think that because B2B customers are buying on a large scale or with corporate cash, they’re only concerned with the details – how much it’ll cost, what it will cost them and what the return will be. For sure, that data is important, but B2B customers want much more than that.
They want a connection.
B2B buyers may be representing a business, but they’re still human. And just like you’d make a connection with a B2C buyer, gaining their trust and earning their business, B2B buyers want that, too.
So how do you do it? How can you connect with a B2B customer like a B2C one? We’ve got a few tips.
Listen to them.
What problems, issues and hurdles are they facing? What do their buyers want? What are their competitors offering that they can’t? Show them you care about their business just as much as they do.
Give them what they need.
Respond to those needs and wants. Offer them custom-fit products and services to help them overcome their obstacles. Give them a helping hand in installing, selling or using the products you’ve sold them. Remember: When they make money, you do, too. It’s worth your time.
Over-deliver.
Don’t just send out their order and close the book. Go above and beyond. Check in and make sure their order was on time and as expected. Follow up and see how you can add value to their purchase. Have customer service reps reach out to answer any questions.
Keep in touch.
Check in with your B2B customers regularly, not to tell them what sales you’ve got going on, but to ask what they need and how you can support them in their goals. Add them to your email list. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Interact with them online and in trade shows, and keep your brand top of mind.
Don’t assume.
Many B2B marketers assume once a customer, always a customer. Though it may be easier for a B2B buyer to use the same vendor time and time again, don’t take it for granted. Show your customers you’re willing to work for their business – and not just the first time around. Give them your full attention at every touch point, and keep providing value. That’s how you’ll lock them down for the long-term.
The Connection’s What Matters.
Whether you’re a B2B or a B2C company, success all comes down to the connections you make with your customers. Make them feel valued and heard, and you’ll have their business for life. Make them feel like just another number in the ledger, and you can bet they’ll find another vendor next time the contract’s up. Want help connecting with your B2B buyers? Haley Aerospace can show you how.
