Four Ways to Increase B2B SaaS Conversions With Transparent Marketing

Consumers are now incredibly sensitive to deceptive marketing. The easily accessible nature of information around the world has made shopping for solutions a breeze. Consumers can easily take their business elsewhere and find alternatives themselves within minutes.

Modern marketers need to adapt to this shift or risk ineffective marketing efforts and wasted spending. By being transparent in your marketing you build trust, loyalty and respect.

1. Be Upfront With Your Audience

There’s nothing more powerful than trust. 

When you’re upfront in your marketing efforts, consumers will gain the perception that you’re not just there to sell them something, but rather find the best solutions for their needs. You build their trust.

So you need to find a way to appeal to them through more than just their work pains, but also what they lie awake at night thinking about. Specifically for outbound, consider speaking to them as if you would a friend. Many companies are constantly worried about “nailing your brand voice”. The reality is that no consumer perceives outbound ABM emails that way. And in our modern world of spam emails, it’s refreshing to feel like they’re speaking to a real person.

In your next outbound campaign, maybe you start off by addressing that you are trying to sell them something. Maybe you say you’re “bummed out” that they haven’t responded. Maybe you attach a picture of your puppy, and promise them you’ll bring them to your first meeting. Unconventional ways often work the best, and being human is your first step there.

Note: Most spam filters today are sensitive to words like “sell,” “buy,” or anything related to sales. Be cautious in how you write and position your email to ensure that it is actually delivered to your prospects’ inboxes. 

2. Be Audaciously Honest

Consumers will shop around. And as marketers, we can’t assume they won’t see the competition. We need to stay ahead of this and control the narrative. An effective way of doing so is directly addressing the competition in your blogs and marketing material. Doing so allows your B2B SaaS company to control the narrative of how consumers will feel about the market in which you’re competing. It also shows confidence in your solution; you’re bold enough to talk about your competition honestly.

It’s also okay to show some scars. When highlighting your competition, show that you may lack in some areas. It only makes consumers trust you more. It shows them that you’re really here to be a trusted guide for them, and as a result, they will be incentivized to purchase from you. In B2B marketing, companies are looking for partners, not bureaucratic corporations. Remember that we’re marketing to people, not businesses. 

No one ever wants to cheer for the person who has it all. Show them some vulnerability and honesty, and watch your leads flow in! Plus, you wouldn’t want a customer who doesn’t fit your ideal customer profile (ICP), so don’t exaggerate to bring in the wrong leads. 

3. Frame Your Message Around Their Goals, Not Your Features

An important note on conversion. Give too little information, and people self-disqualify because they’ll feel you’re hiding something. Give too much, and people also self-disqualify before hearing your pitch because they feel overwhelmed. Finding the right balance between being completely transparent and holding back information is not an easy one. 

A simple “cheat”  is to focus on talking about their business rather than yours. This tactic will widen the threshold for balance. When considering your brand voice and copy, spend more time addressing their pains, fears, and dreams and less time on your company. And when you do have the opportunity to brag, frame it as an action the lead can receive.

For example, instead of saying, “My business will help you grow your e-commerce capability,” flip it and say, “Grow your e-commerce capability with my business.” You can also use the pain claim gain framework to improve your communication.

4. Give Value Before You Ask for Commitment

Becoming a trusted guide takes time. Don’t rush it. I often refer to this as “proposing on the first date.” Marketers may have the urge, and feel the pressure to push a sales demo every chance they get. The only result you’ll get here is scaring away your “first date.”

Take the time to nurture your B2B SaaS leads. It’s worth it. Consider utilizing a lead scoring model across all channels to effectively capture the intent and automatically turn leads into MQLs. This way, content teams won't have a conflict of interest. They won’t need to choose between writing pushy copy and instead can focus on delivering true value to your prospects.

Learn more about how to effectively nurture your B2B leads with targeted content.

Improve Transparency in Your Marketing

Use honesty in your advertising to build relationships with leads based on trust and truth. There’s nothing more powerful than being real and wholeheartedly engaging with your prospects.

If you’d like help building your marketing machine, improving strategy, and communicating your message transparently, contact Kalungi.