{"id":1923,"date":"2021-11-10T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T13:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/2021\/11\/10\/humanising-b2b-and-leading-with-empathy\/"},"modified":"2021-11-10T08:00:11","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T13:00:11","slug":"humanising-b2b-and-leading-with-empathy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/humanising-b2b-and-leading-with-empathy\/1923\/","title":{"rendered":"Humanising B2B and Leading with Empathy"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- shortcode [asyncjs] -->\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">if (!window.AdButler) {\n                (function () {\n                    var s = document.createElement(\"script\");\n                    s.async = true;\n                    s.type = \"text\/javascript\";\n                    s.src = 'https:\/\/servedbyadbutler.com\/app.js';\n                    var n = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0];\n                    n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n);\n                }());\n            }<\/script>\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            var AdButler = AdButler || {};\n            AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || [];\n            var abkw = window.abkw || '';\n            var plc376258 = window.plc376258 || 0;\n            document.write('<' + 'div id=\"placement_376258_' + plc376258+ '\"><\/' + 'div>');\n            AdButler.ads.push({\n                handler: function (opt) {\n                    AdButler.register(167788,376258, [300,250], 'placement_376258_' + opt.place, opt);\n                },\n                opt: {\n                    place: plc376258++,\n                    keywords: abkw ,\n                    domain: 'servedbyadbutler.com'\n                }\n            });\n        <\/script>\n        \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>B2B audiences are people, not robots. Do not treat them like machines.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>By Ben Bush, Partner and Head of Strategy at <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theframeworks.com\/\"><strong>The Frameworks<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/dgmg_marketing-understanding-people-activity-6852611935301705728-ksPu\">A LinkedIn post that caught my eye the other week \u2013 and generated a modest wave of approval when I shared it with my own network \u2013 was this repurposed tweet from Boston-based B2B marketer Dave Gerhardt calling out the real difference between B2C and B2B. Spoiler alert\u2026 there isn\u2019t one. They\u2019re both about selling to people; it\u2019s just that some of those people work at a company.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I shared it because it\u2019s simultaneously both so blatantly obvious and so easy to forget, especially if you look at the way B2B marketers have historically approached their brief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My first proper job, back in the early 1990s, was in B2B journalism, writing about a niche and very technical subject matter for a small UK publishing house. I recall my boss dressing me down one day when, under pressure from an advertiser, we had accepted a feature article and run it more or less verbatim, without even tagging it as advertorial. It was, he said, devoid of any kind of spark that would capture and hold our readers\u2019 attention, in stark contrast to another piece from the same edition over which some time had clearly been taken. (Fortunately, as the author of that other piece, I got to keep my job).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<!-- shortcode [asyncjs] -->\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">if (!window.AdButler) {\n                (function () {\n                    var s = document.createElement(\"script\");\n                    s.async = true;\n                    s.type = \"text\/javascript\";\n                    s.src = 'https:\/\/servedbyadbutler.com\/app.js';\n                    var n = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0];\n                    n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n);\n                }());\n            }<\/script>\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            var AdButler = AdButler || {};\n            AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || [];\n            var abkw = window.abkw || '';\n            var plc428354 = window.plc428354 || 0;\n            document.write('<' + 'div id=\"placement_428354_' + plc428354+ '\"><\/' + 'div>');\n            AdButler.ads.push({\n                handler: function (opt) {\n                    AdButler.register(167788,428354, [300,250], 'placement_428354_' + opt.place, opt);\n                },\n                opt: {\n                    place: plc428354++,\n                    keywords: abkw ,\n                    domain: 'servedbyadbutler.com'\n                }\n            });\n        <\/script>\n        \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though that article may have ticked all the right boxes as far as the subject features and benefits were concerned, it did so without any appreciation or respect for its audience as human beings. It was essentially a puff piece crammed with keywords \u2013\u00a0rather lost on a readership who didn\u2019t yet use search engines every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This dry, straight-down-the-line approach was pretty common in those days. Whether in press releases, advertising or even live events, messaging and content invariably assumed that the B2B audience was some kind of machine, and it was just a case of finding the right buttons to press to make it spit out an enquiry or a fully-fledged sales deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, those keywords have become all-powerful, campaigns are driven by AI and B2B audience behaviour is tracked and analysed in real-time, rather than by counting how many torn-out bits of cardboard got sent back to the magazine in the post (yes, really). Despite \u2013 or perhaps because of \u2013 these advances, though. human interest still seems elusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If anything, B2B marketers \u2013 in thrall to KPIs \u2013 are guiltier than ever of a by-numbers approach to campaigns and tactics. \u201cWhat\u2019s the ROI?\u201d they ask, forgetting that the action they\u2019re trying to trigger is based on a decision made by someone who\u2019s probably having a difficult Thursday and can\u2019t remember if they turned the oven off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The B2B landscape will always be filled with gloriously niche propositions targeted at audiences with specific challenges or opportunities, and the businesses making those propositions will always need to demonstrate their relevance. But they cannot afford to forget that those audiences are real people with busy lives and are not just sitting there waiting to be sold to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some ways to maintain that human connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Know your audience<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To engage your audience, try putting yourself in their shoes. Don\u2019t just think about the specifics of the product or idea you\u2019re trying to sell them. Think instead about what\u2019s keeping them up at night, where and how you might have permission to interrupt their day and \u2013 above all \u2013 why they should care. A little respect here goes a very long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a recent project, we were asked to revamp the way a software vendor was trying to push a particularly niche capability. The main \u201cexplainer\u201d asset was a particularly gnarly white paper that even the most technically minded prospect would have to be in the right mood to want to read in full. We dug a little deeper into the paper\u2019s themes and spoke to people who had had a chance to interact with the intended audience, some of whom, it turned out, were not technically minded at all. Based on these insights, we created an experience that echoed the paper\u2019s contents in a far more graphical and engaging way, couching the key points in terms of relatable practical challenges rather than abstract software features. Crucially, we also provided different layers of detail and complexity to suit different levels of expertise or available time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So don\u2019t just make assumptions, rely on instinct or take anonymous audience data as gospel. Speak to sellers. Use social profiling. Look at how the competition is trying to engage the same audience. Think about how you could do it better when it comes to tone, narrative and overall content experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Know your subject<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking that being accessible and engaging in the way you speak to a particular type of audience means you should be dumbing things down. If anything, knowing how to pitch things right requires knowing <em>more<\/em> about the subject than the lazier alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/OWJCfOvochA\">this example<\/a>, from a <em>Wired<\/em> series where experts break down a subject according to different levels of audience age and experience. It\u2019s not specifically a B2B play \u2013 although it certainly deals with the kind of niche topic B2B marketers have to grasp. But it shows perfectly how someone sufficiently versed in a subject can find new ways to help different people get to grips with it. That\u2019s exactly the challenge a B2B communicator often faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good mantra \u2013 even if you didn\u2019t start your career on the kind of trade magazine that crops up as a guest publication on <em>Have I Got News for You? <\/em>\u2013 is to try to think like a journalist. Find an expert and ask them the kind of questions someone coming to the subject for the first time would find interesting. Focus, above all, on why your \u201creader\u201d should want to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So do some homework, write yourself a list of those key questions and try to stay on script. But don\u2019t be afraid to break off and dig a little deeper, especially if you find you\u2019ve touched on a nuance that your expert gets particularly enthusiastic about. Get to the heart of that passion and you\u2019re a long way towards making your audience care too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Get creative<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, be bold in your creative decisions. Think about what\u2019s inspired you recently, whether it was something you heard on a podcast, saw in a movie or dreamt up over dinner with friends. Just because this inspiration didn\u2019t come from a B2B channel, there\u2019s no reason the thinking behind it won\u2019t inspire a B2B audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are a couple of takes on different aspects of cybersecurity. First IBM, playing out a high-production, only slightly tongue-in-cheek <a href=\"https:\/\/mediacenter.ibm.com\/media\/Every+second+countsA+Rapid+recovery+for+finance\/1_26acteuj\" aria-label=\"dramatic scenario, read on media center\">dramatic scenario<\/a> that might have come from <em>Spooks <\/em>or <em>24<\/em> (safe cultural references, I think: I\u2019ve already shown my age). And here\u2019s Kaspersky, exploring the value of protecting our data through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.uk\/blog\/data-dollar-store\/11854\/\">a thought experiment experience<\/a> that should appeal to businesses and consumers alike. Both deliver a serious message in the kind of creative, show-not-tell style we see so often in the B2C world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, think about what would inspire you, not just what may have worked in the past. The sweet spot for deep engagement probably lies somewhere between education (knowing you stuff), and inspiration (thinking beyond it). If you are confident in your underlying message, be confident in the result. Don\u2019t be afraid to take a chance or to have a bit of fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re only human, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<!-- shortcode [asyncjs] -->\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">if (!window.AdButler) {\n                (function () {\n                    var s = document.createElement(\"script\");\n                    s.async = true;\n                    s.type = \"text\/javascript\";\n                    s.src = 'https:\/\/servedbyadbutler.com\/app.js';\n                    var n = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0];\n                    n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n);\n                }());\n            }<\/script>\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            var AdButler = AdButler || {};\n            AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || [];\n            var abkw = window.abkw || '';\n            var plc376259 = window.plc376259 || 0;\n            document.write('<' + 'div id=\"placement_376259_' + plc376259+ '\"><\/' + 'div>');\n            AdButler.ads.push({\n                handler: function (opt) {\n                    AdButler.register(167788,376259, [300,250], 'placement_376259_' + opt.place, opt);\n                },\n                opt: {\n                    place: plc376259++,\n                    keywords: abkw ,\n                    domain: 'servedbyadbutler.com'\n                }\n            });\n        <\/script>\n        \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>B2B audiences are people, not robots. Do not treat them like machines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3],"topics":[2],"class_list":["post-1923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-brands-marketers","topics-editorial"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Humanising B2B and Leading with Empathy | AW360<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/humanising-b2b-and-leading-with-empathy\/1923\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Humanising B2B and Leading with Empathy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"B2B audiences are people, not robots. 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