Today, as I look across tech, industrial, and professional services, I see hundreds of companies doing extraordinary work. However, far too often, their most persuasive, human stories are hidden from current and prospective customers.

I see marketing leaders holding onto outdated assumptions about why B2B buyers really make decisions. And I see executives, marketers, and customers missing the point about what AI does well and what it can never replace.

It’s clear that B2B marketers have never had more sophisticated tools at their disposal. Here are three myths they need to bust if they want to get the most out of those tools, and the people who use them.

B2B purchases are frequently made by multiple decision-makers, after extensive research, over months or even years of consideration. Yet the marketing to influence them is often managed by short-term metrics.

The key to better B2B sales outcomes—and better decision-making along the way—is to focus on what matters most in long-haul buying cycles: creating a memorable brand.

When I was at GE, where long cycle was the name of the game, the goal was not to explain every technical detail in our marketing. It was to create meaning and differentiation so future customers knew and trusted GE. 

Had we measured ourselves on the number of demos requested or clicks to our site, we’d have targeted only the comparatively small number of buyers in the market for a solution rather than influencing buyers for the long term. 

With this north star always in mind, we made early bets on new platforms, channels, and storytelling formats.

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