JUL 14, 2020

How B2B Must Shift From CX to HX

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B2B has always been different from B2C. The sales cycle is longer. The platforms are different. More parties are responsible in the final purchase decision. But one this has always been the same--those parties making that decision, they’re people. Sure, they have a job title and they work for a corporate entity, but the bottom line is they’re human beings, and need to be treated as such.

In our research with GlobalWebIndex, From CX to HX, we surveyed business professionals across ten global markets to understand how the B2B buyer is changing, and what brands and marketers must do to address these shifts in behavior, needs and desires. 

From CX to HX uncovered two key insights that can help B2B brands and marketers better understand, and better connect, with their human buyers:

“Tech Angst” Isn’t Just a Consumer Term

With people torn between a desire for technology’s conveniences and a concern about its influence in our lives, we’re seeing the rise of “tech angst.” Tech angst is not unique to a single region or country, it’s a global phenomenon affecting all cultures. It’s also not unique to consumers. We see similar tech angst among professions as we do with consumers. 

And the more connected they are in the workplace, the stronger their angst gets. It doesn’t matter the technology--video calls, office software tools, messaging services, collaboration tools--tech angst is significantly higher when those tools are used on an hourly basis versus just once a day. 

Source: From CX to HX, Worldwide Partners & GlobalWebIndex report, 2020

Decision Makers Gravitate Toward Brands with Human Connections

We found that professionals respond well to brands that appeal to their human nature, and enable more personal connections. Seventeen percent of office staff said they would advocate for brands that they have a one-to-one relationship with.         

These human connections become more important the closer you get to the final decision makers. Among management and supervisors, 19% agreed that they would advocate for brands with which they have that personal connection. For senior or executive management, that number jumps to 23%. 

The value of human connections also increases as companies grow in size. Professionals working in large enterprise businesses are more likely to desire human connection than smaller mid-market, ESB or micro-ESB companies. Additionally, this value increases as companies adopt more technology. Innovators are 11% more likely to value human connections than late adopters.            

Source: From CX to HX, Worldwide Partners & GlobalWebIndex report, 2020

How Can B2B Brands & Marketers Adapt?                                                                                

Our research revealed two key ways that B2B brands can create personalized, one-on-one, human connections:

Personalize Your Videos

Video can be less overwhelming and more valuable when used in the right way. Instead of pre-recording a presentation or developing a product call-out video, a more humanized alternative would be to host live product demos with real salespeople. 

Bonuses for capturing the person’s entire face and body, enabling multiple angles, and employing a high-definition stream to enhance the presentation of reality. 

Empathy Can Go a Long Way         

Rather than just understanding your customers, you need to understand how THEIR customers are changing within the current crisis. What challenges are they facing when connecting with customers? How have their customer’s behaviors and needs changed? How has it impacted their day-to-day jobs?

Making an effort to understand your B2B customer’s new reality with their own customers shows your commitment to the brand, and provides a little empathy we could all use right now.                                                                                                

Our global data reveals something we all know to be true, but can forget when too focused on performance metrics--professionals are people, too. And they’re in need of the same personal attention and human connection as consumers. Employing HX strategies in B2B can be your differentiating factor in the flood of webinars and video conferencing that is coming to define our professional interactions.                                     

For more insights on how B2B can leverage HX, and a look at data for other key verticals, download our free report.                      

Written By:
Angie Pascale

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