Why Your Messaging Isn't Landing: Uncovering What Buyers Really Want

By Paul Slack 09-Jun-2026

In this episode of The B2B Growth Show, Grant Gooding, CEO of Proof Positioning, joins the show for a deep dive into one of the biggest challenges in B2B marketing: why messaging often misses the mark.

Grant breaks down why companies are usually poor judges of what their buyers actually care about. The problem? Internal bias. Teams often build messaging around what feels important within the business, rather than what resonates emotionally with the buyer. As Grant explains, buyers do not make decisions based solely on logic. They make decisions through the emotional, risk-averse part of the brain first, then use logic to justify the choice.

The conversation explores how B2B companies can close the gap between what they think buyers want to hear and what buyers actually need to hear. Grant shares why generic claims like “quality,” “trust,” and “great customer service” rarely work, and how marketers can translate those ideas into specific, concrete proof points that buyers can understand and remember.

Key Takeaways:

Most B2B messaging is built on internal assumptions, not buyer truth.
Grant shared that across Proof Positioning’s research, companies correctly identify the most important buying driver only about 8% of the time.
Buyers are not purely logical decision-makers. Messaging that only makes a rational argument often activates the “thinking brain,” not the “action brain.”
The best messaging reduces uncertainty. In B2B sales and marketing, buyers are often less concerned with picking the “best” option and more concerned with avoiding risk.
Differentiation works because the human brain is wired to notice what is different. But differentiation only matters when it is clear, relevant, and easy for the buyer to file away mentally.
Generic words like “quality,” “trust,” and “customer service” create messaging fog. They need to be replaced with specific examples, behaviors, and proof points.
Customer research often fails because teams do not start with the end action in mind. Data without a plan for application becomes another pie chart that goes nowhere.
Grant introduced the concept of elicitation, a questioning approach inspired by intelligence and interrogation techniques, where statements can uncover more honest answers than direct questions.
Sales and marketing teams should listen for fear and uncertainty behind buyer requests. When a prospect says they need a website, campaign, or new messaging, the real opportunity is understanding why.
Clarity beats cleverness. Simple, direct messaging is often more powerful than language that tries too hard to sound smart.

Practical Exercise:

Grant recommended a simple exercise for marketing and sales teams:

Write down the five reasons you believe customers choose you.

Assume at least two of those reasons probably do not matter as much as you think.

Identify the one or two that are most likely to drive real buyer decisions.

Then ask: how confident are we that this is actually what our buyers care about?

That gap is where better messaging begins.

Don't Miss This Session

This session is a must-watch for B2B marketers, sales leaders, and executives who want to stop guessing, cut the fluff, and build messaging that actually moves buyers to act.

Watch the full episode to learn how to uncover what your buyers really want, translate those insights into clearer messaging, and reduce the uncertainty that keeps deals stuck.