Just a few letters...

Nearly 30 years of being a B2B marketing and sales practitioner and professor have taught me one thing: B2B IS DIFFERENT! It's just a few letters, but unlike its consumer cousin (B2C), business-to-business (B2B) largely operates in the dark, behind closed doors (or at least outside of the view of most consumers - us). B2B is different from B2C in that it deals with very few customers (sometimes as few as ONE). And the products and services are often insanely complex and customized (think jet airplanes, AI data processing plants, and shoulder-replacement surgical devices). It's not selling potato chips!

I've often said to my students, "good marketing is good marketing". And that's true! But the reality is that B2B customers are unique and different. They demand a level of sophistication and expertise that consumers often do not. Seth Godin said it best:

"The only way to consistently grow in B2B is to be better than very good. In fact, it’s to find something that organizations need and be the very best in the world at it." - Seth Godin

Upon digging deeper and going beyond the surface, we find that B2B is an incredible world of amazing customer challenges and mind-blowing technical feats. We find that it is solving some of the world's biggest problems. And for that, I think it's amazing!

Now, before any of you ask me what the icon in the newsletter logo is...it's an octopus. The octopus is one of the MOST mis-understood creatures in the world. Like B2B (if I can personify a field of business as an ocean bottom creature?), an octopus is largely out of sight, has to be incredibly intelligent to serve its needs, and is a master at solving some of the most complex problems and challenges in its environment. But very few people look at an octopus and say, "now there goes a creature that just gets me!". Instead, it looks foreign, scary, and complicated. Perhaps people look at B2B in the same way.

In this micro-newsletter, I'll break down some of the myths and misunderstandings of B2B markets, customers, and product offerings. I'll share examples and aspects of B2B that help us better understand what makes it unique and great. Consider it an ode to all the hardworking B2B marketers, B2B sales directors, and B2B product managers in the world perfecting their craft out-of-site and often un-celebrated. See you here!

#b2bmarketing