Business-to-business (B2B) copy is a specialised type of marketing communication that is focused on two similar entities in the same industry, such as a company selling equipment to another company or a service provider selling their products and solutions to other businesses.
This type of copy is usually addressed to a specific audience and contains a wealth of valuable information that can help the reader make a smarter purchase decision.
But how do you go about crafting the perfect B2B sales pitch?
The following will explore six proven tactics that you can use to write B2B sales copy that will engage potential buyers and encourage them to make a purchase decision.
1. The Appeal To The Heart
This is the type of copy that will attract individuals through the use of emotional language and quotable quotes. These types of pieces usually start with a compelling statement of some kind, such as “You’ll be surprised at how many people…” or “It’s amazing how much customers…” and then proceed to make a case as to why the reader should care about what is coming next.
These types of approaches allow the reader to picture themselves in the shoes of the person reading the piece, which in turn makes them much more engaged with what is being presented. When used correctly, this type of copy can generate some astonishing results – think of how many times you’ve heard the expression “It really is a fantastic product” or “The best thing you’ll ever do” when pitched to a purchasing audience.
2. The Offer
The offer is a crucial part of any sales pitch and forms the basis of any negotiation. In the world of B2B sales, the offer can take the form of a proposal, a quotation, a competitive price list or a range of similar products that the individual business can provide.
The offer is the “something for nothing” attraction. It stems from the basic principle that if you can give someone something for nothing, they are much more likely to be interested in your product or service. So, in principle, the most effective offer would be “We’ll give you a free trial” or “A free sample”, but many businesses in a variety of industries use various offers and discounts to attract potential buyers.
This tactic tends to work well in tandem with the previous one. The “trial” or “free sample” offered at the start of the B2B sales process can help build trust and establish credibility with a target audience. If a company is seen to be generous and honest in their approach, it can encourage other customers to feel the same way and enter into a mutually beneficial relationship with the business.
3. Solution Selling
This is essentially the “solution” part of “solution selling”, which capitalises on the buyer’s problem and focuses on providing them with a practical solution to that problem. When used in B2B sales, the solution selling approach involves using concrete examples to explain how a product or service can improve operations and boost productivity. Solutions are usually much more tangible than descriptions of features and benefits and as a result, they tend to generate a better return on investment for the buyer.
In certain situations, a product or service can solve a problem that the company themselves was facing. In these cases, the solution sells itself and the buyer has no choice but to acknowledge that the product or service is the best of its kind in the industry. When used correctly, this type of approach can generate remarkable results – think of how many times you’ve heard the expression “This is the solution to my problem” when pitched to a purchasing audience.
4. Setting The Scene
The aim of setting the scene is to create a mental picture of what is coming next in the form of a literary fiction. Like the previous one, this tactic allows you to craft an engaging piece of copy that draws the reader in and makes them interested in what is to come.
The difference is that in this case, you’re not just providing information – you’re also painting a picture of what is happening. In the same way that a story can help us identify with a character and feel something for them, we can identify with or put ourselves in the shoes of the person reading your piece and feel something for them too. So, by creating a vivid mental image of what is going on, you are increasing the odds of the reader actually taking action and making a purchase decision. This approach can be effectively used in pitches to purchasing departments, sales managers and executives – in other words, the individuals responsible for making the decision to purchase your product or service.
5. Bracketing
Another way of drawing in potential buyers is through the use of “brackets”. These are the introductory words that either precede or follow a piece of information. A well-placed bracket can make a compelling argument for or against a particular solution or feature. So, for example, if you’re pitching a product that prevents viruses and spam, you might want to include these words in one of your pitch lines – “[These products] ensure that your inbox remains free of viruses and that you never receive spam”. In this case, the bracketed words “ensure” and “free from” help build credibility by placing a statement in bold and adding “spam” to the end of the sentence.
This type of approach is often used in B2B sales, especially when describing a product or service that is somewhat specialized and requires the buyer to have an expert knowledge in order to understand and use it effectively. In these situations, the use of brackets can help create some cognitive tension or disagreement within the reader. For example, a purchasing manager who is familiar with the terminology of their particular industry might question whether or not some of the terminology used in the copy is accurate or makes sense in the context that it is being used.
6. Mirroring
One of the oldest and most effective techniques in the sales copywriting toolkit is mirroring. Essentially, this is where you take a piece of copy that you’ve already written and use it as a model to write more of the same. When used effectively, mirroring can help with the same problem – generating similar or matching content to an existing piece of copy that the reader is more likely to be familiar with. This familiarity can then be used to establish credibility with the reader.
The main issue to be wary of with mirroring is that it can often be difficult to tell where the original content stops and the mirror copy begins. So, while you might be able to use it to effectively promote a product or service that is somewhat similar to one that you’ve already marketed, you run the risk of accidentally suggesting that your product is essentially the same as the one that you’re writing about. In these situations, it’s usually best to avoid using the word “just” in one of your pitch lines – “Just like the original, the new [product name] removes the hassle of syncing calendars and sharing documents”. This type of approach allows you to avoid raising false expectations in your target audience and ensures that they understand that your product is completely unique and should not be compared to other brands or offerings in the same industry.
As you can see, there are many different ways in which you can write B2B sales copy. However, the key is to find a formula that works best for your company. It might take some experimenting to find the combination of tactics that generates the best results. But, once you do, the benefits will be clear to see.