.jpg)
Whether you’re marketing an enterprise platform like cloud infrastructure, a SaaS product, or an app like a collaboration tool, buyers—CIOs, operations leads, or end-users—want clarity on one question: “How does this solve my problem?” This four-step framework shifts your messaging from product-led to solution-led, cutting through noise in complex B2B markets like AI platforms, ERP tools, or crowded app stores.
“As a CIO, I don’t care about your API’s uptime or how many integrations your app offers. I need to know how you’ll reduce my team’s operational friction and keep us free from vendor lock-in.” Hypothetical CIO Echoing enterprise buyer priorities
Step 1: Map Your Customer’s Strategic Priorities
Identify the top outcomes your buyers seek. For infrastructure platforms or ERP systems, this might be cost efficiency, IT modernization, or freedom from vendor lock-in. For SaaS startups or digital apps, it could be productivity, workflow optimization, or data portability to prevent being trapped in proprietary ecosystems. A buyer evaluating an AI tool or time-tracking app wants to reduce friction and stay future-ready—without signing up for long-term architectural lock-in.
Action: Interview your sales and pre-sales teams, or analyze RFPs and inbound requests. Look for language like “reduce IT complexity,” “avoid switching costs,” or “get product-market fit faster.” These reveal the actual problems your customers are trying to solve—not just feature requests.
Step 2: Audit Your Current Messaging
Does your homepage, sales enablement deck, or app store listing speak to those strategic problems? Too often, software companies fall into the trap of leading with vague claims like “99.99% uptime” or “AI-powered” or “50+ integrations”—terms that sound impressive but stall buyer decisions. According to Gartner, the “complex purchase loop” is extended when buyers must translate tech jargon into business outcomes.
Action: Revisit one key marketing asset. Ask: would your prospect see their challenge reflected in the first few seconds? Does your product marketing narrative clearly state how the product helps them reduce costs, accelerate workflows, or future-proof their operations?
Step 3: Craft a Solution Narrative
This is the turning point where product marketing becomes buyer marketing. Shift your copy from internal capabilities to external benefits. For example, instead of saying “Our ERP system processes 1M transactions per second,” explain how that enables “Finance leaders to reconcile books 40% faster without costly infrastructure upgrades.” The goal isn’t just to reword—it’s to reposition. The same applies to apps: saying “Real-time chat” means little, but “Keeps teams aligned without endless status check-ins” says exactly what buyers care about. This solution narrative is where sales enablement, product marketing, and growth marketing finally align.
Action: Write a one-line value proposition for each core persona. Example: “For CIOs, our platform cuts integration costs by 30% and helps you future-proof your architecture without rebuilding your tech stack.” Make it measurable. Make it real.
Step 4: Segment and Simplify
B2B marketing doesn’t mean one-size-fits-all. CIOs want cost control and strategic freedom. IT directors care about security, service levels, and ease of integration. Business users want intuitive UX. For SaaS products or AI tools, your messaging must flex depending on the audience and buying stage—from awareness campaigns to sales proposals. According to Forrester, 65% of B2B buyers prefer vendors who clearly communicate long-term business impact, not just features or hype.
Action: Create clarity between the needs of enterprise buyers and mid-market users. Test messaging variations in email campaigns or product pages. This is where messaging hierarchy and audience mapping make a difference between missed clicks and closed deals.
Why This Matters
A 2023 SiriusDecisions survey found only 17% of B2B buyers feel vendor messaging connects to their needs. Whether you're a VC-backed SaaS company looking to break through Series A growth, or an enterprise platform trying to compete with the likes of Microsoft, SAP, or Oracle, the challenge is the same: vague positioning doesn’t sell. Messaging that names the problem and quantifies the value closes the gap between what you sell and what buyers are really buying.
Start small. Audit one asset. Reframe the value. Test what works. In a market drowning in “AI-everything” noise and commodity features, clarity sells. Problem-solving wins.
Need Help Making This Real?
If your team is struggling to connect features to business outcomes, Evo3 Marketing can help. We work with SaaS startups, cloud platforms, and enterprise tech companies to develop clear, buyer-focused messaging that accelerates growth and sales. Whether you need outsourced messaging strategy, a product marketing partner, or go-to-market clarity, we’re here.
A practical guide for CROs and sales leaders to align teams, lead with clarity, and turn strategy into results.
.jpg)
Sources & Further Reading:
Gartner – The Complex B2B Buying Process
https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/why-b2b-buyers-struggle-in-the-complex-purchase-loop
Forrester – Pricing Transparency and ROI Matter
https://www.forrester.com/report/the-state-of-business-buying-2023/RES178334
SiriusDecisions / Forrester – Sales Rep Impact
https://pitchmaps.com/b2b-buyer-insights-sales-rep-role/
IDC – AI-Driven Innovation in SaaS
https://blogs.idc.com/2024/01/23/idc-predicts-2024-ai-saas/
.jpg)
.svg){kind=avatar}
.png){kind=avatar}
.jpg)
