Closing Deals and Building Loyalty with B2B Storytelling

Centuries ago, Plato proclaimed that the ones who tell the stories, rule the world.

Storytelling is an intrinsic part of the human experience, transcending time and cultures. For humans, stories are not merely entertainment; they serve as a means of communication, making sense of the world and most importantly, building a deeper connection.

What Storytelling Means for Businesses

For businesses, storytelling means going beyond selling products/ services. A compelling business or brand story engages customers on an emotional level and outstrips a transactional relationship.

Businesses need to make sales. Sales require persuasion. Storytelling is an indispensable tool for persuasion because it speaks directly to our heart and soul.

The Misconception

One common misconception among marketers is the belief that human behaviour has drastically evolved, leading them to overlook our primal urges, instincts, and emotions that remain deeply ingrained within us.

The medium through which we receive information, be it social media, VR, smartphones, or traditional media like television and radio, may have evolved. Still, it does not alter the essence of who we are as human beings.

Understanding and harnessing these fundamental aspects of human nature can lead to more effective and resonating marketing strategies.

What B2B Can Learn from B2C

For far too long, B2B marketing has been plagued by a reputation of being dull and drab. Traditionally, the focus has been on presenting dry data, complex jargon, and uninspiring visuals.

Do you know where I take my inspiration from? It’s hiding in plain sight in the advertising campaigns of B2C juggernauts like Apple, Coca-Cola, Nike and so many more.

As a marketer, I understand and wish to remind you that presenting facts and figures is beneficial but not enough. Just like a B2C customer, think of B2B buyers as humans on the other end. Even they seek an experience, a story that resonates with their challenges and aspirations.

And when most of the B2B landscape has still not opened up to brand storytelling, it gives you an edge, a chance to lead in a competitive market with a well-thought story-driven strategy.

How to Begin with a Story-Driven Approach?

1. Profile Your Customer: The circle starts with empathy. Understand your customer inside-out along with the challenges they face. Think of the solution before the transaction. A tried & tested marketing copywriting technique is to ask “So what” until you get to the base of why your customer should care about what you’re saying. This insight will become your cornerstone for crafting a compelling product message that resonates emotionally.
2. Find the Core Emotion: Facts may be forgotten, but emotions stay etched in memory. When mapping your customer’s journey, delve into the emotional landscape. Identify the core emotions attached to your product — whether it’s a sense of security, excitement, or empowerment. By infusing these emotions into your storytelling, you create a relatable and memorable brand experience.
3. Humanize Your Brand: What this means is simply what it says. Make your brand feel more human and less like a faceless entity. Showcase authenticity by being transparent, and sharing unscripted moments or even failures. Tell your brand’s origin story by using your customers, partners and employees as your brand ambassadors.
4. Use the Classic Storytelling Structure: Follow the time-tested storytelling structure: setup, conflict, and resolution. Further, outline these 7 components in detail: hero, blocker, desire, competition, relationships, adventures and the truth. You’ll already start seeing better clarity, better content and better marketing stories for your brand.

To drive home the effectiveness of storytelling in B2B marketing, let’s revisit a Lenovo campaign “Users Happen” that introduces a story with fictional characters who seamlessly embody its customer’s real-world office predicaments, aligning with Lenovo’s mission to solve those issues through its computer hardware products.

By ingeniously bringing in a “subject”, setting up the conflict and creating a desire for the solution (their product), Lenovo evades mundane exposition of product features, numbers and data.

The campaign employs storytelling techniques to bridge the gap between the technical nature of B2B products and the viewer’s need for engaging content.

Creating Differentiation

In a scenario where two brands may offer similar products to the same target audience, the art of brand storytelling becomes an even more important differentiator.

Brand storytelling is using a narrative to connect your brand to customers, with a focus on 2 things: what you stand for (why you exist) and the values you share with your customers. This is where two brands with identical products and overlapping audiences can carve out their unique identities.

As Simon Sinek’s famous TED Talk quote goes, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

Ask yourself these six questions to draw out your unique brand stories:

• What’s your reason for being?
• What’s your history?
• Who are your main characters?
• What’s your corporate mission?
• How have you failed?
• Where are your gaps?

The Far-Reaching Impact of Storytelling on Sales

1. Engagement and Attention: Stories captivate your audience, ensuring your brand doesn’t get lost in the noise. Engaged prospects promote goodwill and are more likely to become loyal customers.
2. Differentiation: With compelling stories, you differentiate your brand from competitors, making it more memorable and recognizable.
3. Increased Conversions: Emotionally connected customers are more likely to convert, leading to a higher ROI on your marketing efforts.

The power of storytelling in B2B marketing or any marketing strategy cannot be underestimated. Adopt more stories in your business message and communication and watch your marketing efforts soar to new heights!