B2B marketing in the construction sector might be less effective if it overlooks emotions and brand connections, new research shows.

B2B International conducted a survey of …..

….. 2,000 business decision-makers from organisations in Europe, the USA and China to get behind the image of construction as a trade that is driven purely by analytical procurement policies.

The research uncovered that while having the right product at the right price is vital for initial consideration, 56% of the final b2b purchasing decision is based on emotional factors.   Buyers within the construction industry rely even more on emotion when making purchasing decisions, as 74% of their final buying decision was found to be based on emotional factors.

Furthermore, 28% of construction enterprise decision-makers say they have been influenced by their consumer experiences when choosing suppliers, while 35% of SMEs reported the same.

Conor Wilcock, Director of B2B International, said, “To become your customers’ first choice it’s vital to stop seeing emotional and rational decision-making as being mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed.   Understanding customer motivation reveals that as well as being competitive, it’s important to make your brand visible and memorable, and to build an emotional connection with potential buyers.”

Some effective strategies B2B International has identified to achieve this are:

  • Creating positive word-of-mouth by delivering an excellent customer experience. Recommendations are important, so this can give potential buyers confidence from the outset in the suppliers they consider.
  • Strengthening thought-leadership positioning to connect with potential buyers. Business decision makers reported that a demonstration of expertise via content marketing was the third-most important factor in evaluating suppliers under consideration. For enterprise decision-makers, thought leadership was even more influential (ranking as the second-most important factor).
  • Communicating your point of differentiation and selling on value because although B2B buyers are not driven by price alone, the value they perceive a supplier can add to their business is crucial.
  • Building connections with relevant influencer networks because B2B decisions are rarely made unilaterally. In 80% of cases, more than one person is involved in the decision and for a third of purchase decisions, a team of four or more is required.

Click here for further information on B2B International’s Winning With Emotion report on the construction industry.