For as long as I can remember, business-to-business (B2B) marketing communication has rested on the assumption that decision-makers are rational. We now know this assumption to be a fallacy, seemingly stemming from the notion that a procurement manager (or any other B2B professional, for that matter) replaces his or her brain as soon as they step into the office. All of a sudden, the brain makes decisions purely on rational analysis, technical specifications, and return on investment (ROI).
That’s not how the human brain works, however, and any assumption to the contrary overlooks an essential truth: that emotions play a powerful role in almost every business decision—even in highly technical fields like mining, manufacturing, and heavy equipment procurement.
In this article, I will elaborate on the balance between rational and emotional decision-making. How subconscious factors influence buying behavior and why logical arguments aren’t enough to secure long-term customer relationships, which is usually what we’re after in heavy industry marketing.
A long-lived myth
It’s easy to think that B2B buyers are purely logical; after all, they’re professionals with (often) large budgets and deal with highly technical products. Most of the time, tender processes follow a well established and rigorously regulated procedure—one of the main reasons being to remove the emotional factor from the equation. However, studies show that emotional and psychological factors influence even the most technical of purchases. It’s just the way our brains function, and it’s deeply rooted biology. Ask Charles Darwin. Actually, that will be tough—ask Kahneman, instead.
Research from Google and CEB (Corporate Executive Board, now part of Gartner) shows that B2B buyers are more emotionally connected to the brands they choose than business-to-consumer (B2C) customers. Why is that, one might ask? Because the risk of making a wrong decision in B2B is significantly higher and often comes with heavy consequences. A failed supplier partnership can lead to production delays, safety hazards, or great financial loss. This, in turn, can damage the trust in entire purchasing teams.
This means that B2B buyers don’t assess brands solely based on logical or rational attributes, like price and performance. I’ve experienced first hand that factors like trustworthiness, reliability, and alignment with corporate values play a crucial role in this type of decision-making.
Emotion-driven decision-making
Even in industries where tech specs, features, and performance dominate the conversation, emotions form perceptions. And this is how.
Fear of risk
If you partner with someone you trust, the likelihood of failure is reduced. If failure happens, it’s easier to mitigate or fix it with someone you trust.
If the choice is between an unknown or unproven supplier and a familiar one, the unproven one has a steep uphill battle. “Familiar” doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve previously done business with this supplier. The familiarity can come from smart and strategic marketing communication, creating that “I feel like I know this company” feeling.
Also, loss aversion is real. The fear of making the wrong decision beats the potential benefits of switching suppliers or going with the unproven. A safe harbor is a safe harbor.
A brand’s personality and reputation
Companies that can establish a position as reliable and experienced are more likely to be chosen, even if they don’t come with the lowest price tag. There’s a bit of a “total cost of ownership” thing going on here. Yes, one supplier or partner might be cheaper today, but can we trust them to be there for us when the shit hits the fan? Or will we end up in a situation where they actually become more expensive than the other option?
Heavy industry companies can reinforce their emotional connection with stakeholders by communicating case stories, testimonials, and word-of-mouth recommendations. It’s always more powerful and convincing when our customers tell prospects about how good we are, than if we do it ourselves. It’s like the situation at a pedestrian crossing: If someone who looks credible starts walking, others will follow.
Which brings us to my next point: A strong brand reputation helps buyers feel comfortable in their decision. There’s something different about working with an industry leader, like a “what can possibly go wrong?” type of notion.
Cognitive dissonance is also real
The saying “sour grapes” comes from a fable about a fox who couldn’t reach the delicious grapes. So, he convinced himself that they were no good anyway. This mechanism in human consciousness works both ways. When you’ve taken an important decision, you inherently want to back that up. Buyers seek confirmation that they made the right choice. They might do that based on logical factors such as ROI, efficiency, and tech specs. But they’re often based on initial emotional responses. This post-purchase rationalization makes emotion-driven decisions appear to be based on sound logic.
On the other hand, if an important opportunity is missed, we’ll convince ourselves that it was probably for the best anyway. Our brains don’t like the dissonance between behavior (or result) and opinions (or desire). Remember the fox.
In trust we trust
Unlike in B2C, where impulse purchases are common, B2B sales cycles are oftentimes long and complex. That means building trust is a key factor in securing repeat business and loyal customers.
Exceptional products and services, transparency, and industry expertise are the main ingredients for a strong emotional bond with your customers. Your brand’s ability to consistently deliver on its promises is what sets it up for long-term customer loyalty. To effectively communicate that this is happening in the market—in one way or another—will be the ultimate determining factor.
A study by McKinsey (2021) found that brands with strong customer relationships are 30% more likely to be recommended to others. That’s a huge number in this context, and it reinforces the importance of trust in industrial marketing and sales.
Companies that put genuine focus on customer relationships and brand loyalty are more likely to achieve consistent revenue streams than those who don’t.
Brand affinity is a common catchphrase among communications professionals. Simply put, if your customer feels a sense of belonging to your brand (i.e., if they like hanging out with you), then they experience brand affinity. This can then translate into multi-year agreements and long-lasting partnerships.
So, what should we do?
Let’s assume that you’re delivering quality products. Here’s how your brand can cultivate emotional appeal:
- Consistency in messaging and visual identity.
- Earn your customers’ emotions by turning features into benefits.
- Thought leadership. Claim the role of an expert in your field.
- Tell the market your story, or rather, let your customers tell the story of how your products and services made their lives better.
- Company culture matters. If it’s positive, it will show on your topline. If it’s toxic, it will poison everything.
While rational factors like price, performance, and efficiency are crucial, they’re only part of the equation. Our brains are not primarily logical. Logical thinking takes up a lot of energy and attention.
Trust, reputation, and emotional security play an equally (if not more) vital role in B2B and heavy industry decision-making. Tap into that in your marketing communication, and you’ll be rewarded.
Cover image: Agnormark