Evolution has programmed us to ignore statistics. So how do you sell in the B2B world?
Most B2B communication resembles a stiff exchange of formulas between two soulless buildings. Instead of authentic emotions, the discussion involves faceless entities and organisations that want to appear "correct" and official at all costs. As Natalia Florek points out, this is a dead end. If your company bases its message only on cold numbers and professionalism stripped of any story, it will probably disappear unnoticed in the crowd.
Watch the conversation (in Polish).
Full episode of the SUURowo o marketingu podcast.
Your brain prefers a story about poisonous berries
Why do we forget hard data so easily? The answer lies in our biology and survival mechanisms. Evolution shaped the human mind to absorb stories, because they protected us from danger. A story about the neighbour from the next hut eating berries and dying in convulsions worked on the imagination far more strongly than a dry report saying that 8 out of 25 people were poisoned.
Numbers only activate the language centres in the brain. A good story, on the other hand, triggers an authentic physical reaction in the body - releasing cortisol when it stresses us or dopamine when it pleases us - so we begin to empathise and become participants in the story.
Take off the "talking brochure" costume
Many entrepreneurs and startup founders make the same mistake: they are so focused on their "business baby" that they can't talk about anything else. In this way they become walking advertising leaflets. They forget that investors and clients first buy the person and their credibility, and only then their solution or product.
Building authenticity around a brand doesn't mean you have to practise emotional exhibitionism. Sharing your story doesn't necessarily mean posting holiday photos with your dog or showing your children online. It's enough to reveal what really annoyed you and motivated you to start the business, or simply to talk about your unique point of view that was born during a walk with your family.
Inspire your team instead of sending it rigid guidelines
If you want employees to become natural ambassadors of the company, forget the classic corporate brief full of dos and don'ts. Instead of imposing a framework on exactly what the team should write, give them sparks.
Ask questions that naturally trigger memories: What surprised them most on their first day at work? What unusual internal rituals does your department have? It is by sharing anecdotes like these that trust is built and the image of the whole organisation becomes warmer.
AI is your assistant, not the main creator
In the age of artificial intelligence, it's very easy to give in to the temptation of taking shortcuts. Language models are great tools for overcoming the "curse of the blank page" and structuring our scattered thoughts. But typing simple commands like "make a viral post" into ChatGPT is a sure way to generate a derivative message stitched together from repetitive patterns. The machine will do a great job when you ask it to polish your style and catch typos, but the spark, the life experience and the main idea must always come from you.
What do we take away from the conversation with Natalia Florek?
To stop creating communication that clients give a wide berth, apply these principles:
Whenever you create any content online, remember one more extremely important rule. When you release something into the world, you are always playing for two prizes. Reach, likes and positive feedback are only the first of them, the one you rarely have full control over. The second prize is whether you yourself genuinely enjoy the process of creating. If your writing is driven only by obligation, your audience will sense the falseness instantly, and no strategy will save you.
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