the yes factor: how to persuade business buyers to say yes

www.earnest-agency.com

In B2B marketing,we’re in the business ofPERSUASION

Image: Unsplash.com <Alejandro Escamilla>

Everyday we persuade people we often don’t know to:

Open our emails

Visit our websites

Download our white papers

Watch our videos

Follow us on Twitter

And even once in a while, buy something from us.

It’s all about persuading people to say‘YES’

Image: Flickr <Creative Commons>

“The buyers pipeline requires a series of micro-yesses before getting to

that macro yes.”

[Brandon Stamschrar, MECLABS]

The thing is:

So what makes people

say ‘YES’

Image: Earnest

“Each micro yes is about

perceived value v perceived cost.”[Brandon Stamschrar, MECLABS]

But when making micro-yesses buyers don’t:

Evaluate all the options

Investigate each option fully

Apply everything they know

Assign a value and cost to each option

Image: Unsplash <Dietmar Becker>

Because…> They haven’t got the time> They’re subject to biases> They’re stifled by choice> They’re inherently lazy thinkers

And the big one:

“When making any choice our first instinct is not to choose the ‘best answer’

but the answer which minimises the harm we personally can suffer in the worst case

outcome.”

Aka. to MINIMAX

[John Von Neumann via Rory Sutherland]

Others call this “SATISFICING”

(To Satisfy + Suffice)

CHANCE Where buyers opt for the low risk, easy solution rather than searching for the best possible solution.

No thanks

And they’re not even aware of it.

Because 85% of decisions are made by the unconscious part of the brain. [Martin Lindstrom, Buyology]

It means the micro-yesses even for the biggest decisions

are lessRATIONAL

than we think

Image: Unsplash.com <Maria Carrasco>

So the big question is what makes business buyers

more likely to say

YesYes

Essentially, we need to be aware of how people

think because it influences

how they make decisions.

Image: Shutterstock

There are two ways:

SLOW[Thanks Daniel Kahneman]

FASTAka. System 1 or

Autopilot• Operates

automatically• Assesses what’s going

on in our environment• Determines whether

we should direct more attention to a task

Image: Unsplash.com <Anna Dziubinska>

It helps us makeSNAP JUDGEMENTS

Serving asOUR FILTER OF THE WORLD

P.SIt also determines

whether buyers pay attention to your communications

or not *

* Unfortunately typically not

Because without it, things like this would

kill us.Image: Unsplash.com <Thomas Lefebvre>

And then there’s the other way of thinking…

Aka. System 2 or Pilot

Image: Unsplash.com <Todd Quackenbush>

THINGS

SYSTEM

HARDTO

PROCESS

[OUCH]

It means System 2 requires:

ATTENTION

EFFORT

But remember we’re

LAZY THINKERS(you, me & even your buyers)

so we try to make our lives

easier by substituting

difficult questions with

simpler ones

Image: Shutterstock

So when it comes to asking the question:

Which of these service

providers will do the best job?

Buyers can end up asking:

Which of these sales people do I

like the best?

Which of these brands will my

boss have heard of?

Isn’t it easier to go with the guys

we’ve always used?

SYSTEM 2

As B2B marketers we tend to design for System 2, but it’s POINTLESSif we never break through System 1.

Score:000

Especially when in most cases, people make decisions like this…

Input Decision

System 1Autopilot

System 2Pilot

The fact is even if you sell something that’s BIG,COMPLEX and CONSIDEREDyou’ve got to break through their System 1.

Image: Unsplash.com <Martin Wessely>

Because if they don’t:

Open your emails

Download your content

Attend your events

Take your calls

The Micro-Yesses

You’re being filtered out

How long have you got?

Ad in popular magazines – 1.7 secsAd in trade journals – 3.2 secsPoster – 1.5 secsMailing – 2 secsBanner ad – 1 sec

You need to make first impressions count

[Via Phil Barden, Decoded]

Image: Unsplash.com <Sonja Langford>

So how do you make the cut?

EASY does itImage: Unsplash.com <Loudge>

Make it easy for buyers

so you secure that micro-yes

EVERY TIME

Because if you make it easy

they’re more likely to Like

what they see and

BELIEVEwhat you have to say

DO NOTHING

[Some call this Status Quo bias – the fact is most people just hatechange]

As the easiest thing in the world for them is to:

Image: Unsplash.com <Caleb Thal>

COMPLEX=COGNITIVE STRAIN=HARDER TO

UNDERSTAND=PAINFULHIGHER PERCEIVED =

What does EASY look like?

Feels familiar

Feels true

Feels effortless

Feels good

Repeated experience

Clear display

Primed idea

Good mood

[Causes and Consequences of Cognitive Ease: Thinking, Fast and Slow]

And this is where BRANDING pays dividends

Image: Unsplash.com <Mario Calvo>

It’s all about building…

FAMILIARITY and

FAVOURABILITY[See it’s not going to kill you this time]

Image: Unsplash.com <Thomas Lefebvre>

And it’s why we prefer brands

we KNOWrather than

brands we’ve

NEVER heard of before

EASIER TO PROCESS

Because the things we are MORE FAMILIARwith are

“The experience of familiarity has a simple but

powerful quality of ‘pastness’ that seems to indicate that it is a direct reflection of prior

experience.”[Larry Jacoby]Image: Unsplash.com <Griffin Keller>

And simply being EXPOSED to one

BRAND more than another can have the

desired effect.

Research shows that people tend to develop

PREFERENCEfor things simply

because they are more familiar with them.*

* The Mere Exposure Effect [Robert Zajonc]

Research shows that people tend to develop

PREFERENCEfor things simply

because they are more familiar with them.*

* The Mere Exposure Effect [Robert Zajonc]

Novel stimulus leads to afear and avoidance response.

But with REPEATED EXPOSURE,

the stimulus causes less fear. We even react fondly to it.

[Often without knowing it.]

It may explain why you can have the

best proposition in the world.

Yet know one knows you.

So they choose to go with one ofyour better known rivals.

[Even the one with the half baked offer.]

The thing is in B2B, brands are just about equal in INFLUENCE and only just behind price and product.

Strong brands outperform weak brands by 20%.[McKinsey]

Image: Unsplash<Wojtek Witkowski>

This is where your content marketing, search and social media strategy could pay dividends.

CAN’T AFFORD A BIG BRAND CAMPAIGN?

Making you visible. Useful. Relevant.

YES YES YES

Increasing your exposure.Reducing cognitive strain.

What other ways can you make it EASY for buyers?

Make your message simple for buyers to understand

If you want to be seen as credible and intelligent, don’t use complex language when simpler language will do.

[Want scientific proof? Check out ‘Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity:Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly’ by Danny Oppenheimer]

JARGON

Don’t overload your buyers with too many options.

Too much choice is the same as no choice at all.[Barry Schwarz]

Aka. Paradox of Choice

Be relevant.

Information that stands out - and is novel and salient - is more likely to affect the way a buyer thinks and acts.[P Dolan, Mindspace]

Ensure a seamless journey for buyers, every step of the way.

X Let people accomplish tasks as easily and directly as possible.[Don’t make me think: Steve Krug]

And get to the

of what’s really motivating people to buy from you

Because they’re sure as hell not buying your products or services for the sake of it.

They’re a means to an end.

“To understand people one needs to understand what leads them to act as they do, and to understand what leads them to act as they do one needs to know their goals.” [Motives and Cultural Models, edited by Roy G. D'Andrade, Claudia Strauss]

Image: Unsplash.com <Daniel Ruswick>

And that end is ultimately about convincing them you can satisfy their goals more effectively than your rivals.

. EXPLICIT

IMPLICIT&

Image: Unsplash.com <Sunset Girl>

Think of them like this…

EXPLICITgoals

IMPLICIT goals

CATEGORY SPECIFIC

DRIVEN BY ORGANISATION

NEED TO DEMONSTRATE YOU CAN SATISFY THESE GOALS IN ORDER TO COMPETE

BUYER SPECIFIC

DRIVEN BY INDIVIDUAL

USE TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR OFFER AND BOOST YOUR APPEAL

As B2B Marketers we tend to focus on the explicit goals.

But there’s only so far promising to:

Transform their business

Deliver greater efficiency

Lower cost

Improve productivity

Increase revenue

Demonstrate ROI

& all that jazz will take you

* Delete as appropriate

Especially when every other chancer in your market is professing to do

MUCH THE SAMEAlbeit it a slightly different way.

Image: Unsplash.com <Brownie>

That’s where being able to satisfy not only their explicit but also their implicit goals can pay dividends.

The stuff that motivates people PERSONALLY(whether they know it or not)

Image: Unsplash.com <Timothy Muza>

So what do these implicit goals look like?

Research shows there are two basic motivational drivers

PROMOTION

Emphasis => Gaining > Benefiting> Progressing in some way

PREVENTION

Emphasis => Avoiding loss> Protecting status quo> Living up to expectation

It provides their FRAME OF REFERENCE and determines whether its best to position what you have to offer as avoiding loss or gain.

is starting from.What’s their anchor point?

Think about where your audience

How can this inform the way you THINK about your audience…

Image: Unsplash.com <Craig Garner>

…Adding another dimension to your personas that can help inform and shape your

messaging, campaign

& content strategies?

Image: Unsplash.com <Ilham Rahmansyah>

Progress

Recognition

Stimulation

Avoidance

Control

Obligation

I need to do this to get ahead

I need to do this to look good

I need to do this to learn / because it looks interesting

I need to do this to avoid losing out / losing something

I need to do this to stay in control

I need to do this because it’s expected of me

Gain an advantage over others; Innovate; Lead the field

Receive acclaim; Advance career; Win awards/accolades

Personal discovery; Learning experience; Challenge myself; Helping others

Be secure; Prevent losses; Avoid threats

Stay on top; Maintain status quo; Be empowered

Need to comply; Fulfil promises; Be true to my word

Go-getter

Status seeker

Adventurer

Worrier

Controller

Box-ticker

Implicit goals Primary driver Motivations Persona

Earnest Goal Matrix: It’s yours to use and abuse

Psst.Different decision-makers and influencers (even within the same organisation) will have different motivations and biases.

Work to identify which personas they fit – and tailor your story to hit the right implicit & explicit goals.

So when all your competitors gather here…

EXPLICITgoals

So when all your competitors gather here…

EXPLICITgoals

IMPLICITgoals

You win by differentiating here…

Yes. Yes. Y

CONVIN

“More C-Suite execs are increasingly making decisions about

technology purchases they know nothing about.

As a result, many decision makers choose suppliers based on personal

value.”[O&M, Admap]

Image: Unsplash.com <Liam Andrew>

STILL NOT CONVINCED?

“Buyers who see personal value are not only much more likely to

purchase that brand, they are even more likely to pay a higher price.”

[CEB Marketing Leadership Council / Google 2013]

Image: Unsplash.com <Vladimir Kramer>

Finally, never lose sight of the influence of others.

People (your buyers) learn by copying others.

Image: Unsplash.com <Jonas Nilsson Lee>

And it’s still true when people buy things today. They copy the behaviour of others, as it reduces perceived risk.

When we were in fear of predators, it allowed us to determine what was safe (and what wasn’t).

THE ME-TOO EFFECT

the more likely you are to get even MORE.

It’s why the more:> Case studies> Client reference sites> Testimonials> Positive Reviews> Followers> Likes> Shares

…you have,

YESYES

[And lots of YESSES can go

an awfully long way.]

So business people are not quite as rational as you think, even for the biggest business decisions.

“The next revolution will be psychological – not technological.”[Rory Sutherland]

Image: Unsplash.com <Jake Givens>

ARE YOU READY

earnest-agency.com@earnestagency

Sign up to the next installment:

Email:Behave@earnest-agency.comwith the subject line: Yes

Cover image: Unsplash.com <Sebastian Muller>

the yes factor: how to persuade business buyers to say yes

breakthrough system

business buyers

choice theyre

buyers pipeline

thesesales people

people makedecisions

people thinkbecause

biases theyre

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