Influencing B2B decision makers in fields like bio tech, healthcare or high tech is tricky, because it takes much more than a logical argument to sway them.
“You can’t simply tell them what to do, because knowledge workers want to make their own decisions,” writes Hamid Ghanadan, founder of LINUS, in an article on Forbes.com. “You can’t just provide them with data, because they will get caught on interpretation instead of decision or action. And you can’t just show them the facts because they will methodically tear apart the evidence. This, after all, is their job.”
As one might expect, technical pros make decisions in a predictable pattern, so marketers need to understand the sequence and deliver messaging in an order that mimics their decision-making processes, writes Ghanadan, noting that the typical pattern has three phases.
“Each phase satisfies a specific psychological incentive on the technical professional’s journey toward a decision,” he says.
More on Reaching B2B Decision Makers:
- 5 Martech Ideas for Engaging Decision Makers
- B2B Buyers Rely on Emotions: Survey
- The Battle Against Boring in B2B Creative
The first phase is to stroke their curiosity and creative impulses, to engage them in whatever you are trying to promote. Next, it can be valuable to let them learn on their own. No audience can be more skeptical than technical pros, to provide them with information they can use to form their own opinions.
“Providing them with the answer, or worse, trying to convince them to take action at this stage can heighten their skepticism, leading them to disengage,” he writes.
The third stage is to give them evidence to support their hypothesis, such as case studies, demos or reviews from key industry influencers.
For the complete article, visit Forbes.com.
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