B2B Buyers: Just Consumers at Work?

Most of us make dozens of seemingly irrational or illogical choices every day. Quiet acts of defiance or indulgence or indifference or laziness or just habitual behavior that cost us time and/or money. Why? Because the vast majority of our choices go unexamined or unchallenged. Many consumer brands live off this irrationality. The candy section at the checkout, infomercial weight loss plans, parking in the handicapped lane, a second cookie, another hour of TV, and on and on.

Now what if suddenly all those decisions were suddenly open for review or examination. What if your spouse reviewed all your little irrational decisions and gave you a grade.

"Lets see David, your choice to stop at Starbucks on the way to work vs drinking the free coffee at the office cost you 23 minutes and $3.49. How often do you do this? Twice a week? That's $350 and almost 4o hours a year (a work week!). Do you really think that's a good investment of our money and your time?"

If we came under this scrutiny, it's inevitable that we would start becoming much more rational in our choices. Examination, or the potential for examination, changes the dynamic of the purchase behavior.

I have recently transitioned into B2B marketing. While many of the B2C marketing precepts apply, I am finding the "threat of examination" as a major factor in buying decisions. The potential that you will have to justify your choice to your boss, makes people behave much more rationally. Facts and figures carry extra weight. Emotional appeals carry less. The insight here is not that people behave more rationally in a B2B context...but WHY they behave more rationally.

Does that mean there is no room for emotional benefits in B2B marketing? No. In fact, I would say that there is huge competitive opportunity in most every B2B category in more emotive branding. But it does mean that emotional appeals must be combined with solid functional benefits. And the easier it is for your buyer to "rationally justify" their decision to their boss, the greater your chances for success.

Yes B2B buyers are human, "just consumers at work" and susceptible to many B2C strategies, but don't make the mistake of thinking B2B buyer behavior is identical to B2C. We behave differently when someone is watching or when we fear they might be.

That's what I'm thinking... how about you?