B2B decision-makers:
How to evoke emotional impulses logically to
move them into action

How do you influence logical B2B decision-makers emotionally so they take action?

Traditionally we've believed that B2B decision-makers cannot be swayed by feelings at all.

This thinking comes from evaluating the lowbrow emotional appeal of consumer advertising and, as such, holds water well.

It's true enough that the B2B decision-makers are by far too intelligent to be moved by the kind of "irrational emotional reasoning" that is the bread and butter of consumer advertising.

Or, to be absolutely exact here, they ARE influenced but as consumers... and certainly very little as such also.

Yet it is obvious that consumer-advertising type of reasoning will not sway the logical B2B decision-maker when evaluating alternatives in his OWN area of expertise.

But does that prove that the B2B buyer is totally immune to his own emotions? Just because he is not moved by lowbrow consumer advertising (which frankly insults his intelligence) mean that he cannot be influenced at all by emotional impulses in his decisions?

Does the existence of one fact prove the nonexistence of the other?

Right you are. It does not.

But it does prove one thing:

To move B2B decision-makers emotionally requires definite skill

You cannot make a dent in the rationality of a B2B decision-maker with consumer-type emotional appeals. He sees through those and if you were to ATTEMPT these worn-out gimmicks would only serve to LOWER his opinion of your company.

But you CAN influence his emotions through rationality. That's to say that you need to "piggy-bag" the emotional flow with the logic of your message.

You need to be discreet and do it with moderation, of course.

But it is possible... and actually quite doable provided you have the experience and data to do it.

But why is it necessary then?

Action is always precipitated by an emotional impulse

As discussed elsewhere on this site, action is brought about by an emotional impulse of one kind or another.

This can be difficult to recognise because we tend to rationalise our actions after the fact.

Our mind is sort of built that way that it hides the emotional impulse from our own view, but not from the eye of an aware observer.

Thus, we see when others are "hit" with emotional impulses, but when it happens to us we rationalise it and thus it tends to remain hidden.

This is easy to see when someone becomes angry. Have you ever noticed how he FIRST receives the emotional impulse, becoming angry... and THEN looks around to find WHAT he is going to be angry about?

Of course one can be angry about something and address the correct source of this irritation, but this example is merely to illustrate how HIDDEN the influence of emotional impulses is and how it is sort of shielded from our own view.

In reality, emotions influence every human being and thus also the B2B decision-maker.

One needs only to see how a happy client places an order or an upset one launches a complaint to realise that what moves the person is definitely connected to his FEELINGS.

Thus, B2B decision-makers CAN be influenced by emotional impulses in marketing.

If anything, it works even BETTER than with consumers — provided you have the considerable skill required to do it "B2B-intelligently" — because the B2B buyer is usually absolutely certain that he cannot be moved by emotions at all.

And that's why you FRONT with the rational message and spice these with emotional impulses to move him by emotions... and all just so he could TAKE ACTION.

Action is always precipitated by an emotional impulse regardless of whether or not the person himself is AWARE of this.

Being aware is not required. Not being aware of how or why vegetables are essential in our nutrition won't change their positive effect for your body.

Obviously, having such a hidden way of influencing decision-makers brings certain responsibilities to use this power correctly.

This is not just some high moral standing but an actuality. Misuse the trust gained by the use of this "secret power of influence through emotional responses" delivering less than what you promised (and they expected) and you'll be dead in the water.

Word of mouth works both ways and it can bring either success or problems, all depending on how your deliveries compare with the expectations created (or allowed to remain in effect) within your target group.

That's why it's so VITAL to plan your approach based on accuracy and certainty of knowledge on what your target group wants, what they expect, HOW they see things, what they feel about this and that within your industry... and so on.

But we've discussed market research surveys in length elsewhere on this site (see the directory at the end of the page for the article "Market research B2B" if you've haven't read it yet), so I won't go into that here... other than stating that it is not rational to plan your approach WITHOUT FIRST doing a survey... the chances of going terribly wrong without a survey are just astronomical.

Equally, the insertion of emotional triggers and impulses into your message can ONLY be done IF the knowledge of those feelings within the target group has been acquired first.

All right, so let's assume a survey has been conducted and we know what moves the target group... so how do we put that in the message?

Oscillate the emotions, offer a scenic route and take them on a roller-coaster ride

First let me say what does NOT work if you ever want to create emotional impulses that trigger the desired action in your readers.

Conservative, minimal text that's scientific, brief and to the point.

That does create an emotional impulse — EVERYTHING does, see? — but the emotion is boredom at best and irritation or apathy at worst... and the action precipitated is "leave it" or "forget about it" or "boring... bin it" or something alike.

It's NOT the action you WANT to initiate, in other words.

Now, presuming that the emotion you want to create is "HIGH INTEREST," which would generate the action of CONTACTING YOU FOR MORE INFORMATION, then here's what you need to use in your message.

You need to PLAY those emotions in a rational disguise.

You take the BIGGEST problem that you KNOW your target group has and TALK ABOUT IT. You take THEIR SIDE in it, agreeing with what you've found out in the survey on how they word whatever is the CAUSE of this problem... and, trust me, it won't be THEM... not in THEIR emotional view. It's got to be someone ELSE, see?

Now, you need to have absolute PROOF that the problem you go with is really the one THEY consider the biggest problem (or one of the biggest). Do NOT suppose you know what they think.

You know the OBJECTIVE truth but — and you're not going to like this — as seen subjectively from your viewpoint. YOUR emotions also influence your views... how could they not?

You've tried helping clients, some of which have then turned round and played victim, making a big song and dance about how terribly you've affected them. You've had clients who ordered but didn't pay. You've had customers who belittled your quality when you called to collect the money.

You may have had some complete nutters on your lines. You've danced around with prospects who put you through the grinder only to reject your bid so close to the end. You've had leads who criticised everything that moved, making you feel hopeless about being able to sell.

You've had all kinds.

So, how could that NOT affect your view of your target group, at least in some way?

While I certainly know that your view of what clients need is far more accurate than theirs, we won't know THEIR views without a thorough and professional survey.

Look-a-here: It's not just YOU who thinks that your take on the situation is the correct one.

It's the way of human thinking. It's part and parcel of the human survival mechanism.

So, just because you happen to be right doesn't mean that the decision-makers in your target group would EVER agree that they're WRONG.

They KNOW they're right. They know it with absolute and utter certainty. Their conviction is absolute and unchangeable.

So YOU need to decide which you want more: Do you want to stick with being right and face losing clients... or do you want to let them feel they're right, gain new clients and THEN gradually make them see the light?

All right, so let's get back to the "how" of it.

You boldly take a stand, taking the side of your future customer. You state what the problem is — because you KNOW what they think is the problem since you've found out in advance — and you do so without hesitation.

This boldness cannot but impress them emotionally. "Hey, now here's finally someone within (your specific industry) who actually UNDERSTANDS..."

You take THEIR SIDE on it, stating courageously how "it is WRONG that (suppliers within your industry) do not take responsibility for what they cause..."

...which will impress the HELL out of them, because all your competitors will RESIST their accusations with rocklike obstinacy... so they cannot but think "WOW, here's someone who IS responsible!"

Of course, you need to know exactly HOW this is executed. You take responsibility for your whole industry which, in the minds of your target group, actually gives birth to the idea that YOU DO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and you CAN BE TRUSTED.

You then progress to explaining HOW these vendors (within your industry) SHOULD handle it.

Here you just feed back to the target group their own pet theories about "what should be done about it" which you've ascertained through a survey first.

Next, you explain HOW YOU DO THIS... and you follow THEIR "demands" on this.

And you know how to find out what they demand of your industry... right, by a survey.

Next, you present a special solution that offers the prospective client a way to contact you, have his individual needs and wishes measured fully without fear of commitment. How this is done and what it contains... well, you know what's needed for that.

A survey, not surprisingly...

All right, it's getting boringly monotonous so I'll give it a rest here.

But you see the idea here.

You first find out for certain what they feel, how they think, what their pet theories is concerning your expertise and products, what they want you to do... and you then flow that back to them.

This enables you to commit the biggest sin of sales... voice your own strong opinions, which is what all salesmen know to avoid.

But if you can be absolutely certain that your "own" strong opinion will meet with unreserved agreement at the other end, then you SHOULD state it and state it boldly.

That will move the target person.

It cannot fail to create a strong emotional impulse that's positive towards you. It might be negative in the connotation but its side-taking vector will always include you, as in "you and I together against the big bad world..."

Another aspect of creating emotional impulses is to author your message descriptively. You don't even try to be brief but ooze it on, go over this and that from their viewpoint... and do you best to give ample opportunities for the reader to have realisations.

The more great new ideas he gets reading your text, the smarter he feels and the higher his emotional tone climbs. And the higher he gets on that scale, the nearer he comes to the point of taking action.

Creating a mirror effect with your message to B2B decision-makers

As you see there's a definite two-way pipeline employed here. We find out what they think and then send it back to them... and so on.

Now, this technique of "facing mirrors" — finding out what's there and flowing it back — covers a lot more in our life-experience than just this narrow application.

We also have a natural yearning to find people who are like us in at least some respects.

We want people to agree with us. We want to find someone with whom we can communicate freely. We want to find someone who understands us. We long for someone to acknowledge our achievements, recognize our intelligence and abilities... well, you know how it is.

Here's the important part: If your text is written so that it does not spell out everything but/and allows the reader to get realisations while reading it, he will feel smarter and...

... he will return the favour quite naturally.

Thus, the more realisations, acknowledgement, recognition you grant HIM, the more positive characteristics he will GRANT TO YOU IN RETURN.

Reversely, if your message concentrates on stressing YOUR OWN importance, bringing forth YOUR cleverness, stating YOUR excellence and superiority... well, need I go on?

And that's why it quite upsets me that fancy big boys in their fancy suits peddle the B2B sector with such campaigns that SO violate this principle of mirrors.

Whatever you feed into the communication line will come back because of this "facing-mirrors" phenomenon.

It doesn't come back exactly alike though, since it is another being with his own viewpoint of things who returns HIS version of the effect you sent out... but who cares?

For instance, if you fall for the ad agency "traditional approach" which means you self-aggrandize yourself in your publications, trying to create as formidable an image of yourself as possible...

...then he will "mirror" it and the emotional impulse thus created is one of irritation, envy, disgruntlement, or something to that effect.

Or he might experience that your communication comes with a snide side-spin of contempt and that you feel he is insignificant compared to your excellence.

I don't know exactly WHAT the prospect will put there as an emotional impulse.

But both you and I know that it's not going to be what you WANTED.

And I don't think you're too pleased if you pay an arm and a leg for "expertise" that "helps" you create a negative image of your company and its services / products.

Works on everyone but not always the way you want

Now, these techniques will not leave anyone cold, but that's not the same as promising you'll achieve the DESIRED effect on everyone.

With some it will create an irresistible impulse to contact you immediately. These are the best clients.

With the majority, it will create a very positive image which will play in their mind in future and now they will evaluate the service of their current provider with a more knowing eye.

Some of these will inevitably come to the conclusion that they want to change service providers... and IF you've kept your direct mailing going (or have some other way or reminding your target group of your existence and your special service concept), they'll contact you.

Some won't. I wish I could say that all your potential customers are hardworking and ethical people who truly want to do a good job... but that would be an untruth.

Some of them don't have what it takes and these guys will steer clear of your services, simply because YOUR message conveys responsibility and "making things go right" which will scare them off.

Also, it takes a lot longer to create the desired effect than what people generally expect.

So this system is not going to produce an avalanche of new clients immediately... probably not.

But you never know.

If everyone else in your industry hangs onto the traditional self-promotion techniques, who knows what will happen if you change your colours in this respect?

Whatever it is, it will be both positive and highly interesting.

Whether or not you go for it is up to you.

But I think here the most important thing is that it actually gives you AN ALTERNATIVE to the traditional marketing communication.

If you're interested in the idea of customer-oriented "mirror effect" marketing and the methods of creating positive emotional impulses to precipitate action in B2B decision-makers, please read the presentation of our Marketing Analysis introductory service.

It could be the first step to take toward such marketing communication.

And if web site presentation is more important to you at this point in time, click here to read about our Internet Marketing & Search Engine Optimization Analysis.

Last but not least, trust your own common sense in these matters and let the fancy ad boys with their fancy theories say what they like.

The correct route to marketing is through rational thinking and your thinking comes from the exact sciences... so my bet is it's by far better than anyone else's theories!

Best wishes,

Harry Kafka
HDK Consultants Ltd
32 Manning Close
Richmond Square
East Grinstead RH19 2DR
West Sussex, United Kingdom
Tel. 01342-328 116
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