The Frustration of the 95%
Picture this: you're a founder with a fantastic solution. You're confident that it'll change the lives of your clients for the better. Yet, despite your best efforts, you keep hearing the same old story: 95% of buyers just aren't ready to buy.
It's like waiting for the stars to align, and when they do, it's an absolute miracle. But why do businesses take so long to pull the trigger on a solution that's clearly in their best interests?
Well, let's put on our detective hats and explore the minds of B2B buyers. If you ask them why they haven't committed yet, you'll hear some familiar refrains:
- It wasn't a priority.
- There were other pressing fires.
- You aren't important (yet).
Ouch! That last one stings a bit, doesn't it?
But here's the thing: companies often believe that if a "pain" exists for a customer, they will pay money to solve it. However, most of the time, and especially if you are selling to other businesses, people with just "deal with things." They make do with what they have. They try to preserve capital. The status quo is fine.
And then, maybe months or years later, after they've dealt with all their other priorities, they're finally ready to evaluate your solution. So, what can you do during that time? Buckle up, because we're about to dive into a few actionable strategies that'll keep you on their radar.
Here are a few strategies to win the hearts and minds of the 95%:
1. Stay Top of Mind by Being Helpful & Relevant
You know how they say "out of sight, out of mind?" Well, let's make sure that doesn't happen to your business. While your potential clients are busy fighting fires, you can keep popping up in their peripheral vision like a friendly, helpful neighbor.
How? By sharing relevant and valuable content that resonates with their needs and pain points. This could include blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, webinars, or even social media updates. Just make sure you're not spamming them with sales pitches - nobody likes a pushy neighbor.
Instead, offer advice, insights, and resources that genuinely help them with their challenges. That way, when they're finally ready to make a decision, they'll remember you as the helpful expert who's been there for them all along.
2. Build Credibility & Trust
In the B2B world, trust is like gold. But unlike gold, you can't just dig it up - you have to earn it. Building credibility and trust with your potential clients is crucial if you want to be the go-to solution when they're ready to buy.
So, how do you earn trust? It's simple: Show up where they are, be consistent, be transparent, and be authentic. By consistently being in their spaces and sharing valuable content, you'll demonstrate your expertise and show potential buyers that you know what you're talking about. And when they're finally ready to buy, they'll trust you to deliver on your promises.
3. Understanding Your Place on the Priority List
Now, let's talk about priorities. It's important to know where you sit on your prospects' list of priorities. Are you at the top, in the middle, or (gulp) at the bottom? By understanding your position, you can tailor your content and messaging to help move up the list. For example, if your product is viewed as a "nice-to-have," you might need to focus on showing how it can solve urgent problems and deliver a positive return on investment.
5. Creating Opportunities: Make It Easy to Work with You
Alright, let's dive into the magic of creating opportunities for your prospects to move you up their priority list. What's the secret? Making the act of solving their problem feel so simple, fast, and low-effort that it seems like less of an investment than inaction.
Think about it like this: Let’s say you're offering them all the bells and whistles they could ever want but they are attached to a shiny new bicycle.
But if they have to learn how to ride a bike first then your solution is already a non-starter. Figure out if you really need the bike to sell your bells and whistles. Or maybe training wheels are an important part of the package.
The Winning Combo: Demand Gen + Content Marketing
By focusing on demand generation and content marketing, you can ensure that you're the first solution the 95% think of when they're finally ready to buy. It's all about staying top of mind, building credibility and trust, understanding your place on the priority list, and creating opportunities for your prospects to move you up that list.
Just think of your B2B strategy as a delicious sandwich. Demand generation is the bread that holds everything together, while content marketing is the tasty filling that keeps your prospects coming back for more. And the best part? When you combine these two ingredients, you'll create a mouthwatering masterpiece that your potential buyers simply can't resist.
The Art of Storytelling: A Content Marketing Must-Have
Oh, and one more thing. When it comes to content marketing, storytelling is a must-have skill. You see, humans are wired to love stories. They help us make sense of the world, and they make complex concepts easier to understand. So, as you're crafting your content, try to weave in engaging narratives that resonate with your audience.
For example, you might share a customer success story that demonstrates how your product or service solved a real-life problem. Or, you could use metaphors and mental models to help your readers grasp complex ideas.
A Handy Checklist
Alright, before we wrap things up, let's review to ensure you're on the right track with your content marketing strategy:
- Stay top of mind by consistently sharing helpful and relevant content.
- Build credibility and trust by demonstrating your expertise and commitment to your prospects' success.
- Understand your place on the priority list so you can tailor your messaging and content to move up.
- Create opportunities by making it as easy as possible for your prospects to work with you.
- Use storytelling techniques to craft engaging content that resonates with your audience.
Happy strategizing, and here's to your success!
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