What companies do you want to work with? Not just the ones that seem safe or are good for your resume, but the ones you just want? The ones that would make your day, even if they didn’t make your wallet?

Those brands are out there in your personal live, from BMW or Louis Vuitton to Apple or Blendtec. You don’t need them, you want them.

Now consider your business. Do people want to work with you? Are you simply helping your customers justify the decision they already want to make? Or are you approaching every opportunity as if it is a level playing field and looking to win on your merits alone?

B2B Marketing That Meets Needs

Today, most sophisticated B2B marketers are focused on providing information that allows buyers to meet their business needs.

The formula is pretty simple, even if it isn’t easy to execute: identify the buyers needs and priorities and provide information that helps them determine how to best meet those needs. As you help potential buyers through the process, they will become more familiar with you and your solutions as well, leading to an opportunity to make a sale.

The outcome is really good marketing and business results. It is a level playing field you can be the best team, with the best marketing and the best solution. But what if you could have home field advantage too?

Home Field Advantage in B2B Marketing

Someday, I want to own a new BMW. I want to be quoted in the Wall Street Journal. I want to partner with Accenture. I want Goldman Sachs to be my banker (ok, not really, but let’s pretend for the moment).

Some companies are just companies. Others are aspirations.

If you compete with Goldman Sachs and your prospect aspires to work with Goldman Sachs… yeah, that’s an uphill battle! For Goldman Sachs it is an incredible home field advantage.

If you want that advantage, you need to look beyond your audience’s needs and priorities and become the company they aspire to work with. Working with you needs to become an accomplishment and a milestone they measure their success by.

Your Turn

Does your marketing set you up as the company that will meet their needs or position you as the company they aspire to work with? Is it a level playing field or are you creating a home team advantage?

Share your reaction in the comments below or with me on Twitter (@wittlake).

Photo Credit: Balance by learning_machine on Flickr