Copywriting
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B2b Copywriting
 

Let's cut to the chase: B2B (Business to Business) sales are a different breed of animal.

 

    Hype won't work.

     

    Gimmicks won't work.

     

    Neither will razzle-dazzle state of the art video animations. Sure, cutting edge graphics are great as supporting cast, but never make the mistake of using them as lead actors.

 

But far too many B2B websites take the stance that all marketing is like selling toothpaste. If it's not in your face and glitzy, it won't work.

 

But in B2B just the opposite is true, and I'm going to let you know why. In plain, unadorned black & white - with just a bit of deep red to keep it spicy!

 

Reason #1

Your Typical Prospect WON'T Be Buying Now

 

On a retail website, the action is all geared to one thing: Getting the prospect to part with their cash before they leave the site. It's a "push-push buy-buy" mentality.

 

Of course, because once a prospects leaves without taking you up on your offer, it's going to be mighty difficult to close the sale at a later date.

 

But in B2B sales, your average prospect not only will NOT buy immediately, but in many, many cases they CAN'T do so.

 

They have a chain of command to report to, and any purchases must be approved beforehand. So a hard sell is basically worthless.

 

The trick here is this: Slow and easy wins the race!

 

Reason #2

Your Typical Prospect ISN'T Swayed By Glamour

 

Is your site filled with whirling images and confusing, frantic action? If so, my suggestion to you is simple:

 

Lose it fast. What you don't want are distractions taking anything away from the initial sales process.

 

Here's another pointer: There's an old adage that says sex sells. Yes it does, but ONLY if what you are selling is sexy or can be made sexy.

 

99 times out of 100, industrial or commercial B2B products aren't sexy - and you shouldn't be trying to make them so.

 

 
 

    Real Life Example: Turning Mailing Lists into Whores

    Great Caesar's Ghost! Sometimes I look at a print ad and wonder: "What the thunder was in their minds?"

    Take this print magazine example for a B2B company selling direct sales mailing lists.

    Here's what the prospects sees:

    A woman's bare legs atop transparent plastic platform high heels.

    Then what?

    The small headline on the top says - in reverse type on an orange background no less:

    "ARE YOUR DM LISTS stripped down to the bare minimum?"

    Then - in vertical type on the left side is the maxim:

    "Get a leg up on the competition."

    You see a large subhead that says "Get Moving." And a sub-sub head with the copy:

    "Let XYZ Exclusive Lists SPIKE YOUR BUSINESS to New Heights.

    Duh .... The rest of the copy is basically worthless because you really can't read it. Eleven line paragraphs that couldn't be skim read if you tried.

    And this was inserted in a Direct Mail Trade Publication! In whatever one holds holy - what were they thinking?

    Who does their ads? Some pimply-faced teen that gets off on streetwalkers in high heels? With copy that would get a novice fired in any third rate ad agency?

    This entire ad is just plain garbage.

    I know a way they could have gotten even more people to look at their next ad. By inserting a picture of a dancing gorilla - in pink bra and panties.

    That would sure garner attention. No one in their right mind would buy the service - but they'd look sure at the ad.

    Not read the copy, mind you. You could put anything you wanted in the copy and no one would read it.

     
 

Yes emotions do play a role in the B2B sales process. Fear, frustration, even envy have a part. Being an impetuous chick magnet doesn't!

 

Reason #3

Your Typical Prospect NEEDS a Solution

 

Most retail products are "wants" based. Simply put, the prospects doesn't actually need the service or item being promoted - but they sure would like it!

 

With B2B customers, the prospect is looking for a solid solution to a current problem. More often than not, the person behind the browser has been tasked to iron out a dilemma or difficulty their company is facing or experiencing.

 

Either what is currently being used:

     

    Isn't working anymore,

    Has become too expensive

    The customer service has deteriorated beyond acceptable levels, or

     

    The company needs a whole new solution to an entirely new set of problems.

 

In any event, it's not just a desire motivating the search for a vendor, it's a basic business necessity.

 

 

Reason #4

Your Typical Prospect HAS Money To Spend

 

Well, in all truthfulness, it's not actually his or her money. It's their company's cash - your prospect is the one entrusted in making sure it's spent right.

 

In typical fashion, the needs have been outlined, a budget has been set, and your prospect now has to find a company that can fit both the needs and the company's wallet.

 

If push comes to shove, the expenses are not set in stone because cost savings, deliverability issues, quality controls all come into the picture.

 

But the needs are almost always non-negotiable. If you don't convince your prospect you can fit their bill, it won't matter If you're the cheapest kid on the block. You won't get the order.

 

Also remember - B2B sales are typically LARGE income tickets. Several well placed orders can make or break your yearly projections.

 

 

Reason #5

Your Typical Prospect Is ALREADY Knowledgeable

 

With B2B sales, you're almost always dealing with someone who knows at least something about your industry or product line. Many times, these corporate buyers are experts in their own right.

 

That's why you absolutely MUST go into detail about your service or product. It's an axiom in marketing that people don't buy features - they buy benefits. True, but with B2B sales, they buy both.

 

It's not enough to explain why your prospect will benefit from your product or service, you have to spell out how as well.

 

This means facts, figures, industry tests, expert testimonials, real life verifiable examples… and anything else you can add to the mix.

 

You have to think of this from your prospective customer's point of view.

 

Eventually they'll be sitting in a meeting with their peers or their bosses and will have to justify their decision. Now… what do you think will happen if they say…

 

"You know, ACME INC. promised me this would fix our production bottleneck… I just don't have the facts and figures backing it up."

 

Sure… and the unemployment line just grew one statistic larger.

 

Reason #6

Your Typical Prospect Does MUCH More Research

 

Even though your prospect may be already quite knowledgeable in their field of expertise, they will go over every purchase with a fine toothed comb. You can rest assured you will NOT be the only website they visit.

 

You'll be one among several - maybe many - they'll be investigating.

 

FACT: Do you know how long it takes for the average B2B prospect to evaluate whether or not your site is worth pursuing? Less than 10 seconds! If you can't grab their interest in this ridiculously small window of opportunity - you never will. (But don't feel too bad - because with retail sites that interest must be grabbed in 5 seconds - or less!)

 

Reason #7

Your Typical Prospect Is IMPRESSED By Reputation

 

In your typical retail (B2C) website, few venture into the "About Us" page. Even if they do, it's a quick visual scan and then back to the buying decision.

 

Not so with B2B! Your prospects will definitely want to know whom they may be working with. They need to know the people behind the curtain. If that curtain remains closed, you've just dealt a big blow to your credibility - and credibility means everything in the world of B2B sales.

 

Reason #8

Your Typical Prospect Is NOT Impressed

By Corporate Newspeak

 

Ever get to a B2B website and thought you entered a parallel universe, where common language was outlawed and only $25 dollar words were allowed?

 

Believe me, if your sales content reads like a chapter form a yearly corporate shareholders report, forget it. Instead of having a conversation with your prospect, you're lecturing them. And no one on this green earth wants to be lectured to.

 

 

Reason #9

Your Typical Prospect's Interest WILL

Be Piqued By Your Site's Headline

 

I can't begin to tell you the number of B2B websites I've seen that don't have a headline. I guess they think their prospects should just intuitively know what (and why) they should be investigating further.

 

Nope! We live in the real world, and in the real world the rule of thumb is this:

 

"80% of your eventual sales will come as a direct or indirect result of your headline."

 

4 out of 5 people visiting your site will decide to stay and investigate further, or leave and never come back just because of the headline alone.

 

Scream, rant and rave, jump up and down… but those are the cold hard facts.

 

If your site is lacking a headline, or employs a wishy-washy lackluster one, don't be surprised when prospects aren't knocking down your door.

 

 

Reason #10

Your Prospect May Very Well Think YOUR Copy Just Plain Stinks!

 

I have to put it bluntly… many B2B websites spend a small fortune on website design, load it up with enough applications to make a techie swoon with delight, but then have sales copy that couldn't sell a fundraiser to a politician.

 

    Maybe the webmaster thinks they are marketing gurus, plastering anything that comes to mind on the pages,

     

    Maybe the CEO fancies him or her self a master wordsmith, and begins to write page upon page of unintelligible gobbledygook,

     

    Or, as in all too many cases I've seen, no one actually planned out ahead of time what sales message they were going to put on their site once it was up & running.

 

In the last case, what's usually done is lifting existing verbiage off corporate brochures and placing it on the website.

 

Wrong… those hounds don't hunt. The web is not a paper media or a glorified TV. If you think you can get away with rehashing old material - forget it.

 

The web has rules all of its own. Follow them and you'll do well. Don't, and you'll end up with a White Elephant site. Nice to look at, expensive to maintain - but utterly useless at producing sales.

 

Reason #11

Your Typical Prospect NEEDS A Reason To Return

 

You've got a killer website, with great copy and a strong presentation. Make sure your prospects takes away your greeting card as well.

 

How? Simple, give them something to download for free. An INFORMATIVE, WELL WRITTEN white paper or even eBook will do the trick. In return for the information, you get their email address - and a method & reason to keep in contact.

 

Especially with B2B sales cycles, it can take up to 8 or more contacts before the decision to buy is made. If your company is not making a concerted effort to stay in their minds, you'll just be leaving money on the table.

 

Basically, it's about building relationships - and relationships take time.

 

 

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