B2B Buying Stage 2: The Tentative Buyer

Is your buyer standing quietly on the edge of the market, trying not to be noticed? Research shows that most B2B projects start without a budget or purchase authority—when the potential buyer does a web search to solve a problem. This is the Tentative Buyer, and she wants to learn as much as possible about the best solution—without being sold anything. Your content has to serve as one of her most helpful resources, minus the pitch.

Content for the Tentative Buyer must be educational. It has to give the buyer a feeling of control over the research process, while gently, almost subliminally guiding her to your solution. It has to be about her problem and how to solve it—not your solution and how great it is.

Because the Tentative Buyer must feel she has done her due diligence, she won’t get on board with your product before she has researched all the alternatives—so don’t expect her to. Help her learn, compare, and self-qualify to be your customer.

The blessing and curse of the web in B2B marketing is that the buyer has taken control of the research leading up to the buying decision. The curse: she has fast access to a virtual conversation that you can’t control, featuring others in the market, your customers, your competitors, and your competitors’ customers. The blessing: she insists on doing the research herself—so let her self-qualify, using the content you provide.

How do you provide content that educates, and preserves the buyer’s feeling of control?

• Make the shift internally. Is your marketing department operating on pre-Web 2.0 assumptions? Here’s a simple test: look at your search keywords. Do they describe the buyer’s problem, or your solution? If the latter, root out those assumptions in your search campaigns and copy. Provide knowledge first, solutions second.

• Make your web site a self-qualification tool. It’s not difficult to add a little interactivity that gives your web site visitors a feeling of control on your web site—and it lets them do the work. Let the buyer choose paths into your web content, using questions such as, “Are your stores in one city, or multiple cities?” Interface with your analytics or marketing automation system, and capture valuable lead information even while the buyer takes charge. (One of our favorite examples is this interactive presentation from Eloqua. It does include the sales pitch, but it makes it fun.)

• Be guided by a spirit of generosity. Develop an educational series that is truly educational. White papers and webinars are effective, but notorious for their marketing pitches. To attract Tentative Buyers, lead with learning, and ditch the pitch. The title “What Financial Regulation Means for Main Street Bankers” has more educational appeal than “Streamline Banking Customer Care with the XYZ Solution.”

• Don’t talk about babies on the first date. Long registration forms for white papers, overzealous email drips, and too many commands to “Call us now!” conspire to make a Tentative Buyer feel less in control of the buying cycle. Don’t push for the lead. Let her get to know you.