Behavioural Marketing for SaaS: How to Influence Decision-Makers and Generate Leads That Stick
- angelikaattwood
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
By Angelika Attwood, Dje'ka Creative Director
The pressure to generate marketing leads in B2B SaaS never stops.
If you’re a marketing lead or growth strategist at a software vendor, you’ve likely been told to “bring in more pipeline” without the support of a realistic budget or cohesive strategy.
While enterprise expectations grow, the tools and resources often remain limited.
In this environment, quality always outperforms quantity. Cold emails to the wrong audiences, vague social media posts, and disconnected messaging aren’t just ineffective, they’re harmful.
B2B buyers today are informed, skeptical, and deliberate. Your approach must be just as intentional.
To connect with decision-makers in a way that builds trust and drives meaningful engagement, behavioural marketing offers powerful, proven strategies, rooted in psychology and human behaviour.
The Power of "Because" in B2B Marketing
Study: Langer et al. (1978), Harvard University [1]
In this classic behavioural study, participants were significantly more likely to comply with a request when a reason, any reason, was provided. The use of the word “because” increased compliance from 60% to over 90%, even when the rationale was weak.
Application in B2B Marketing for the IT Industry:
Decision-makers often need logical validation for every step they take. Integrating a simple reason into your calls to action strengthens your message:
Instead of: “Download our whitepaper”
Try: “Download our whitepaper because it shows how enterprise IT teams cut deployment times by 40%”
Rational justification, no matter how subtle, makes your offer more compelling in a logic-driven buying environment.
Eye Contact Builds Trust
Study: Eye-Tracking Research, Cornell University [2]
Research shows that when a person in a video or image looks directly at the viewer, engagement and perceived trustworthiness increase significantly. Eye contact triggers a sense of personal connection, even in a digital setting.
Application in B2B Marketing for the IT Industry:
Incorporate real people, your team members, your clients, your leadership, in your content:
Presenters in webinars should face the camera
Team members in testimonial videos should speak directly to the audience
Website photos should avoid generic stock imagery in favor of authentic, eye-level visuals
Trust is a key barrier in B2B sales, especially in IT. Humanising your brand through eye contact is a subtle but powerful way to build credibility!
The IKEA Effect: People Value What They Help Create
Study: Norton, Mochon & Ariely (2012), Harvard Business Review [3]
This study found that individuals place significantly higher value on products or solutions they have contributed to building. Effort creates attachment—even in business.
Application in B2B Marketing for the IT Industry:
Let prospects be part of the solution design process:
Offer interactive demos or sandboxes
Include configurable pricing tools or ROI calculators
Create workshops or working sessions where stakeholders can influence deployment planning
When buyers participate, they form emotional investment. This elevates your offering from “another vendor” to “our solution.”
Choice-Supportive Bias: We Justify Our Decisions
Study: Mather, Shafir, & Johnson (2000), Memory & Cognition [4]
Once people make a decision (no matter how small), they tend to focus on its positives and dismiss the negatives. This cognitive bias helps them maintain internal consistency.
Application in B2B Marketing for the IT Industry:
Once a prospect downloads a case study, attends a webinar, or signs up for a trial, reinforce that action.
Follow up with:
Additional use cases specific to their industry
Client success stories that align with their goals
Data that supports their choice to engage
Make them feel validated early, and they will be more likely to continue the journey with confidence!
Strategy Over Style: Why Behavioural Marketing Matters More Than Ever
Too often, IT vendors rely on surface-level tactics: cold outreach, disconnected content, and branding that lacks clarity.
This doesn’t resonate with today’s buyer.
Instead, a high-performing marketing strategy in B2B IT must be:
Cohesive across every channel
Grounded in consistent messaging
Focused on psychological relevance, not flashy design
If your sales deck emphasises rapid deployment, your website, LinkedIn content, and blog posts should echo that same value. Consistency reinforces memory and trust.
After a pitch, prospects will research you, on your website, on social media, and even through your employee profiles. If your messaging isn’t aligned, you lose credibility. If it is, you reinforce your value and move one step closer to conversion.
Brand Isn’t a Logo. It’s the Story Behind the Company
Your brand is not your design system. It’s not your colour palette or typeface. It’s the perception you create through every asset you publish, every piece of content you write, and every conversation you start.
Effective lead generation starts with brand trust. That trust is built through:
High-quality, relevant content
Messaging that reflects your actual capabilities
A team that lives your value proposition across every touchpoint
When your brand speaks clearly and consistently, you don’t just attract leads—you attract the right ones. And those are the leads that convert, expand, and stay.
References:
1. Langer, E., Blank, A., & Chanowitz, B. (1978). The Mindlessness of Ostensibly Thoughtful Action: The Role of "Placebic" Information in Interpersonal Interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
2. Cornell University Eye-Tracking Lab (Published summary in Journal of Consumer Psychology).
3. Norton, M. I., Mochon, D., & Ariely, D. (2012). The IKEA Effect: When Labor Leads to Love. Harvard Business Review.
4. Mather, M., Shafir, E., & Johnson, M. K. (2000). Choice-Supportive Inferences: When Past Choices Bias Current Decisions. Memory & Cognition.
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