Personality
In B2B, most marketing feels like it was written by a machine, soulless, predictable, and instantly forgettable. That’s a mistake. Business leaders don’t connect with corporate jargon; they connect with people. Your company needs a distinct voice that stands out in an increasingly crowded and cautious marketplace.
If your brand has a bold, irreverent, or deeply insightful personality, let it show. If your team has gone through challenges to develop a new product, tell that story. People remember stories, not feature lists. When a company communicates with personality, whether through humor, directness, or raw honesty, it’s more likely to be trusted and remembered.
Personality is a trust-building mechanism. C-suite executives, like everyone else, want to know they’re dealing with real people. If your brand voice sounds like it was generated by a committee, it will get ignored.
Empathy
Customers today are under serious pressure. Budgets are tight, expectations are high, and every decision carries risk. If your company’s messaging is still pushing sales without acknowledging these realities, you’re losing the audience before the conversation even begins.
You don’t sell security software by talking about product specs. You sell it by recognizing that IT teams are overwhelmed by cyber threats, then showing them how your product helps them prioritize real risks. When your marketing aligns with the actual problems decision-makers face, it stops being noise and starts being valuable.
If your messaging doesn’t acknowledge customer challenges, it’s tone-deaf. The best companies position themselves as partners. That’s how you build relationships that last beyond a single transaction.
Humility
No one believes a company that claims to have all the answers. Markets are volatile, technology evolves, and customer needs shift. The smartest brands recognize this and acknowledge that they’re learning just as much as their customers.
Being honest about challenges makes a company more credible, not less. If lead generation is harder than ever, don’t pretend it’s easy, share what’s actually working. If your industry is in flux, admit that and explain how your company is adapting. This kind of transparency strengthens your position by showing that your insights are based on real-world experience.
Executives respect companies that are direct, honest, and willing to share both successes and failures. The old model of pretending to have all the answers is outdated. The future belongs to businesses that know how to listen, learn, and lead with authenticity.
Investment
Too many companies think in terms of immediate returns. That’s a short-sighted way to lose long-term customers. The best businesses give before they take. They share knowledge, provide value upfront, and trust that when customers are ready to buy, they’ll remember who helped them.
This means being strategic about how you build relationships. A SaaS company offering extended trials, a live Q&A with product experts, or premium resources at no cost is making an investment in future customers. When companies do this well, they create loyalty before a contract is even signed.
Executives appreciate companies that don’t just show up when they want money but also provide value when times are tough. The brands that invest in their customers today will be the ones thriving when budgets open up again.
Creativity
Most B2B marketing is boring. It’s predictable, safe, and forgettable. That’s a problem, because decision-makers are drowning in sales pitches, reports, and webinars. If you want to stand out, you need to be different.
Creativity is just as important in B2B, where differentiation is often harder. Hosting interactive “office hours” with industry experts, delivering insights through short, engaging videos, or creating personalized tools instead of another generic whitepaper, these approaches make people pay attention.
Executives value fresh ideas because they signal that a company is thinking ahead. If you’re just repeating the same marketing tactics as everyone else, you’ll blend in and be ignored. The companies that take creative risks are the ones that redefine industries.
Key executive takeaways
- Make your brand human: Buyers connect with real people. A distinct and authentic brand voice builds trust and keeps your company top of mind in a crowded market.
- Lead with empathy: Decision-makers are under pressure and risk-averse. Brands that acknowledge challenges and offer real solutions position themselves as trusted partners.
- Earn trust through transparency: Overstating capabilities weakens credibility. Admitting challenges, sharing insights, and offering practical guidance make your brand more reliable and respected.
- Invest in value before the sale: Buyers remember who helped them when budgets were tight. Offering useful resources, extended trials, or expert insights fosters long-term loyalty and future sales.
- Break free from boring marketing: Traditional B2B content gets ignored. Creative and interactive approaches, like live sessions, personalized tools, and fresh formats, grab attention and drive engagement.
