REAL CONNECTION IN THE B2B WORLD.

“You can say the right thing about a product and nobody will listen.

You've got to say it in such a way that people will feel it in their gut.

Because if they don't feel it, nothing will happen."

--William Bernbach, Advertising Hall of Fame

Emotional connection and differentiation are the keys to capturing your audience. When you successfully achieve connection on the emotional level, you can continue dialogue with a truly engaged, attentive audience.

Everyone knows the core drivers of loyalty are more emotional than rational. That’s why companies like Hallmark and Coke spend millions on advertising that evokes emotion over value. The concept of cultivating emotional connection is easy to understand in the business-to-consumer world. But the challenge is accomplishing this same success in the professional, B2B environment. Some assume it’s not even possible.

According to Robert Passikoff, founder of the Brand Keys 2012 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, “loyalty now hinges more than ever before on the degree to which a brand has established a clear core value proposition -- a differentiator that goes beyond the basic utility of a product or service.”

Passikoff states a brand needs to show how it “delivers benefits that enhance the consumer’s day-to-day life in small or significant ways.” The key lies in understanding what your customer really cares about in each context. That, in turn, comes from cultivating a good understanding of your ideal customer in their professional role.

Effective messaging moves beyond copy points about quality, features or pricing. It demonstrates a clear capability to satisfy the client’s deeper needs. Distilling your messaging to this core value creates an emotional connection when it speaks to an outcome your customer truly cares about.

When you successfully utilize core values to make a connection to your customer, your message will be much more effective. You will strike that all-important emotional chord.