How B2B buyers can help B2B companies serve them better in saturated markets

As a B2B marketer, much of my writing comes from the perspective of the B2B organization. What can we do better? What trends are impacting us? How can we serve our audience better? While those issues are ever present on my mind, this post is focused on the B2B buyer, and what YOU can do better.

So, for all you decision makers and influencers out there, this post is going to outline a bill of responsibilities that – paired with my continual improvement as a B2B marketer – should make the whole process of buying and selling things go a lot smoother.

My inspiration for this was Fox’s cancellation of the (hit?) sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and NBC’s subsequent pickup of the show, which just “re-premiered” this month. In early May of 2018, the news broke that Fox was not picking up Brooklyn Nine-Nine for a sixth season.

And, as often happens these days on social media, all hell broke loose.

My reaction, if you can even call it that, was less dramatic. Muted apathy maybe… if that’s even a thing. I’d watched a few episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine here and there. When I did, I laughed hard. But in today’s saturated entertainment market with seemingly endless options, it never made it into my weekly rotation.

I suspect a lot of people were the same camp, but not everyone. The award-winning show was a critical daring after all, with some solid star power. But as the cancellation ultimately proved, Brooklyn Nine-Nine had a bonified cult audience – a small but highly dedicated fanbase that swears by it.

When you look at the Nielsen numbers, you see that Nine-Nine; while initially posting strong ratings in its early seasons; had been steadily declining for years. Both season over season, and within season (IE ratings would spike for season premiers, but by the time the finale rolled around, people would have checked out).

Let’s caveat this by acknowledging the Nielsen ratings system is far from perfect. It’s always had challenges getting an accurate representation of a large and diverse population, not to mention the rapid pace it needs to maintain (as we all do) with a fickle, stream-heavy audience carrying a ton of device parity. That point aside, it’s clear Brooklyn Nine-Nine was not holding its own in the ratings, and Fox was justified in giving something else a shot in that time slot.

So, how’d that work out for Fox? Let’s take a tally:

1. Fox cancels Nine-Nine
2. Fox takes massive, negative PR hit
3. *Within 24 hours* NBC picks up the show
———
4. Eight months later, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 6 premier posts it’s highest Nielsen rating in two years, and delivers a 50% increase over NBC’s current average for that time slot

Obviously these are early numbers, but with what we know about niche audiences… their passion, dedication, follow through, and loyalty… it’s safe to say NBC just poached a solid audience segment from a competitor to its platform. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Which brings me to the Buyer’s Bill of Responsibilities, or #BBR for short. We live in an incredible time. Despite the many challenges we still face as a society, we’re living in a time where lifespans are growing, barriers are breaking down, and opportunity is increasing.

This has led to exponential growth in entrepreneurship, and crowded, competitive markets across the board as a result. Pair that with social media giving everyone a voice, and you can see how Fox was between a rock and a hard place – making arguably the right call to shudder an under-performing product, but ultimately suffering tough consequences in the end.

That’s where the #BBR comes in. A new set of principles by which we, as consumers, can use to guide our purchasing and consumption behavior. Think of it like an informal code of honor.

Responsibility # 1: Use the product

Seems like a no-brainer, but it’s really the foundation of the #BBR. If you like a product, use it. If you enjoy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, watch it, stream it, DVR it, etc, every week. This informs the company the product is meeting your needs, which allows us to make more of it, improve it, and invest in other products you might like.

Responsibility # 2: Share the product

The natural next step of liking = sharing. If you laugh at Brooklyn Nine-Nine, tell your friends. Tell your family, co-workers, neighbors, Instagram followers, etc. Help us get the word out!

Responsibility # 3: Don’t cheat on the product

Every relationship has its ups and downs, but a rough patch is no excuse for infidelity. Every episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine might not be gold, but that does not give you license to abandon it in favor of the latest Chicago-themed police or fire show.

Responsibility # 4: Help us improve the product

From time to time we might want to get some feedback on the product, or here what ideas you have for it. Help us out with that! Respond to surveys, reply to our emails, hit us up on social – let us know how we’re doing.

Responsibility # 5: Get your tissues ready

This might sound a little harsh but, if you don’t want to adhere to rules 1-4, don’t have a meltdown when we cancel the product, and try something else we think will meet your needs.

After all, we’re here to serve you! The whole reason we’re a rockstar B2B company is because at some point, you started to dig our style, and gave us some of your hard earned money. It’s our responsibility to exceed your expectations, as much as we can.

Sometimes we’ll hit the mark with a product or feature you love. Others may fall flat. And perhaps, we’ll release a product you love at first, but grow apart from over time. And that’s ok!

Not everything in life is meant to be permanent. But when we start getting signals that you’re not as jazzed as you used to be about a certain product, we owe it to you to try other things that may get your enthusiasm and engagement back up.

Because that’s the promise we make to you, B2B company to B2B buyer.