Editor’s note: Andrew Dalglish is a director at Circle Research, London.
Even though they’re at work, B2B buyers are people. Seems obvious, right? Yet researchers often treat B2B buyers as automatons making careful, logical and completely rational decisions during the buying process. Sure, their decisions do tend to be more carefully considered than in consumer markets but just as in their personal life, B2B buyers are influenced by their emotions too. It’s essential that any research into the B2B buying process recognizes this or it will give an overly rationalized, superficial picture.
But what emotions should you be looking out for?
In my experience, I’ve found there are 11 emotions B2B buyers might have, four of them positive and seven of them negative.
On the positive side we have:
Ego-expression. Positive feelings come about when we associate ourselves with a brand that says something we like about ourselves. For example, an executive may choose to work with the most prestigious law firm not just because of their expertise but also the cachet of being associated with them.
Excitement. The prospect of buying a solution which promises to make them look good, make their working life better or allow them to do new things can be an invigorating prospect for a buyer.
Affinity. We like to associate with people we like, or who are simply like us. A B2B brand that shares the values and mind-set of a buyer can create positive sentiment and a pre-disposition to buy.
Trust. Making the wrong decision can be professionally or commercially damaging. Working with a known, popular and solid brand can alleviate any concerns in this respect and give a sense of mental comfort.
In the negative emotional corner we have:
Fear, anxiety and apprehension. There are many aspects of a B2B purchase which can trigger uncomfortable feelings. What if it’s an expensive, bad choice? What if I need to have difficult discussions telling the incumbent they didn’t get the contract? What if it causes colleagues pain and this reflects badly on me?
Dissonance. Sometimes the right choice commercially means working with a brand or people we don’t especially like. This creates a sense of mental dissonance which can be psychologically uncomfortable.
Anger. The buying process can be painful, especially if potential suppliers seem not to care (slow, unresponsive, etc.), don’t understand the buyer’s needs or just make the process more complex than it needs to be. This can create feelings of frustration.
Guilt. In B2B environments strong relationships between individuals in buyer and supplier organizations can form as they often need to work together very closely. So when the buying decision goes against someone the buyer has a close personal relationship with, this can cause feelings of guilt.
Apathy. Let’s face it, some buying decisions are boring especially if the product is of limited interest and importance This can create negative feelings as the buyer knows they should care but quite frankly don’t.
Confusion. Many buying decisions are complex and, while mentally invigorating, this can also create confusion especially if there’s a lack of information, a lack of expertise on the buyer’s part or there are very different solutions to the same problem. And nobody likes to be confused, do they.
Schadenfreude. Buyers can be motivated not by what’s best for their company or even themselves but by the desire to make a point. Removing a major contract from a supplier who the buyer feels has wronged them in some respect creates a sense of schadenfreude – feelings of delight at someone else’s failure.
Next time you’re exploring the buying process in a B2B market, keep your eyes peeled for emotions like these and be sure to build them into your model alongside more rational, functional aspects of the decision.
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