The buyers you cannot see often hold the most decision-swaying authority. In fact, according to research conducted by LinkedIn and Bain & Company, invisible buyers control nearly half of the decision-making processes for big purchases. These invisible stakeholders are a challenging component of sales because they fall outside of the typical target audience. They are internal stakeholders who significantly influence business purchases, even if they are not the primary users of a product or service, which is why PR professionals need to consider all potential prospects to close the deal.
Sealing the Deal
The final seal of approval can ultimately come from any prospective stakeholder linked to the organization, whether indirectly or not, so PR professionals need to sharpen their prospect lists and showcase brand value.
Here are five ways to uncover the invisible influence and ensure PR campaigns have the wide-reaching impact to have them on-side when the sales cycle is closing.
1. Trusted brands aren’t built overnight—it’s time to play the long game
Brand awareness is essential to secure buy-in from invisible buyers. In fact, target buyers are less influenced by brands in comparison with invisible buyers, who maintain a 70% higher likelihood of turning away a brand that is less well known.
But the ball is in the PR professionals’ court. From content marketing campaigns and brand building exercises, PR experts can use the power of thought leadership to increase brand awareness.
It’s up to PR professionals to demonstrate expertise and establish the company as a thought leader. This is where the power of executive profiling can showcase strength in depth in a key technology, market or industry.
2. Address the wider audience, even the ones you cannot see
Ensuring content speaks to a wider audience can be a challenging task, especially when the success rate of a B2B deal can drop by 22% when the group of stakeholders increases by five people. The reality is B2B buyers conduct their own research before making a purchasing decision—and this is where well-crafted content can turn the tide.
However the hurdle to overcome is pitching the content as prospective stakeholders can take many forms, from differentiating demographics to personal motives and interests. Therefore, pitching and content need to be credible yet adaptable to appeal to a larger audience pool—and that includes the invisible ones too!
3. Buyers demand brand credibility—if there are no results, there’s no substance
Buyers seek trust and credibility from brands when making B2B decisions. For brands, it is essential to remember that the consumer is still a human being with emotions and opinions that contribute to sealing large B2B product and service investments.
Brands can prove their credibility and results through customer case studies. These use cases are living proof of brand value as they demonstrate success over key pain points felt by many buyers and can help them feel more confident in making a key decision.
4. Swerving PR’s biggest adversary—forgetfulness
For brands, remaining relevant is key, especially during lengthy sales cycles. When it comes to advertising, corroding memories mean lost sales. But it is important to note that just shy of 100% (95%) of buyers aren’t ready to buy on the spot. Future buyers are the real hot spot as they will help secure cash flow down the line. So how can brands ensure they stay top of mind with this buyer group?
Sustained brand relevancy is the key. This strategy requires thoughtfully-planned campaigns that run throughout the year and include carefully curated content messaging that targets key industries across various platforms. The pay off? Brands remain on the tip of buyers’ tongues when it comes time to make key B2B investments.
5. A steady pace will win the B2B race
Once you’ve got an invisible buyer interested, what comes next? According to research, four methods can close the sale:
- Turn a single pitch into a collective buy-in: Win over the team that will directly interact with the service or product in order to secure a selling upper-hand as these can help persuade the businesses’ buyers. Here’s where networking and expanding brand advocacy are vital for strengthening a connection. Especially when 2% of buyers find value in discussing proposals with salespeople, showing they prefer another opinion.
- Sell the story, not just the product: Buyers seek context and a clear understanding of the benefits valuable to them. So tell the product’s story, place it in its most favorable context and create hype around it, emphasizing the unique selling point.
- Pull on the emotional heartstrings: Proposals should steer clear of statistic-studded strategies that could lead to a buyer switching off. Instead, tapping into emotional appeal can showcase brand value and also develop a strengthened connection to the stakeholder as a prospective client.
- Hook, line, and sinker with clarity: PR professionals need to aim for an efficient journey of approval. It is up to the brand to prove to buyers in a complete narrative why the sale is a good deal they can’t turn down. To do this, PR experts can start with a whole package in the initial outreach and then whittle features down to make potential buyers feel they are receiving a better deal.
Subverting expectations in a way that emphasizes company strengths could be the key to preventing a sale from stalling and keeping brand awareness powered up to the max!
Turn Buyer Insights into Tomorrow’s Opportunities
Earning a prospect’s trust and buy-in can be a slow journey. However, PR professionals can accelerate the sales cycle by nurturing prospects through content and prove why their brand is a necessary investment for long-term collaborative success.
This is why it’s important to consider all buyers in the cycle, even the invisible one you cannot see. In the end, sealing the deal requires a savvy brand that can appeal to all buyers involved in the sales process.
Georgia Harris is PR Lead – Themes at IBA International.