Home > Communities > Copywriting
Join Community
What’s your process for writing compelling copy for a B2B product that seems “boring”?

I work in an industry, where my audience is primarily engineers and CFOs. These are careful, detail-driven buyers; not impulse purchasers. When the product is heavily defined by specifications, performance metrics, and ROI models, how do you uncover the real motivators and craft a narrative that genuinely converts?


I’d love to hear how others approach this challenge.


Ayesha
  • 10

Sort by

Aisha 

I wouldn’t focus on making the product seem more “exciting.” Instead, I make the outcome relatable. Yes, specs and ROI matter, but behind every engineer or CFO is a person who values fewer operational headaches, reduced risk, and recognition for making smart decisions.

 I frame the message around three questions:
 • What frustration does this eliminate (downtime, compliance concerns, inefficiencies)?
 • What status or credibility does it provide (solving a long-standing problem, saving significant costs)?
 • What future does it enable (scalability, stability, predictable growth)?
  • 2
  • Reply
Show replies

Ahmed 

The key is understanding what actually matters to your audience.

When I write about cybersecurity, for example, I tap into the emotional reality behind the rational need:
 • “How good would it feel to confidently switch off on Friday?”
 • “How quickly can you pull up metrics when the board asks for progress?”

Tools like AI can help map personas, but the core work is always: What do they care about? What pressures define their day? What happens if things go wrong?
  • Reply

Pawan 

These buyers already know what they’re looking for, so appealing to basic emotions generally won’t work.

The priority is emphasizing clear benefits over raw features.

Your job is to make them believe you’re offering a solution that’s superior in quality, reliability, and long-term value compared to what they’ve used before.
  • Reply

Priya 

Whether it’s B2B or B2C, the core question is always: Who is the reader? How do they speak, what pressures do they face, and what defines success for them?

I recently wrote a sponsored article about a shrink-hood machine; hardly glamorous. Instead of focusing on the machinery itself, I stepped into the reader’s world. These are people who ship sensitive products on pallets and deal with issues like punctured packaging, damaged goods, and film that doesn’t adhere correctly. Listing those pain points clearly made the copy resonate.
  • 0
  • Reply

Yara 

There’re a couple of great insight here already. I’d only add this: “emotional” doesn’t mean “irrational.” Engineers and CFOs are highly rational buyers, yet they still have underlying concerns that influence how they interpret information.

One exercise I use is the Five Whys. Keep digging until you reach the underlying stake.
 • For an engineer: A spec isn’t just a spec- it’s protection against late-stage design changes that derail timelines.
 • For a CFO: ROI isn’t just a calculation- it’s assurance that a decision won’t backfire in front of the board.
  • 0
  • Reply

Mei 

I’m in a similar industry. What works for us is focusing less on emotion and more on clear, strategic benefits, especially measurable ones for the C-suite.

Yes, ROI calculators matter. But you can go deeper: Is it reducing energy costs? Cutting labor hours? Preventing equipment obsolescence?

And importantly: How can this purchase be justified to the board? Engineers, on the other hand, value time savings above almost anything else.

Our company is leaning heavily into AI-driven predictive maintenance and design-stage optimizations. Framing it as “less stress, more efficiency, more productivity” has worked well. Also, check competitors’ positioning and ask how you can differentiate in a meaningful way.
  • 0
  • Reply

Emily 

Once I’ve identified the pain points, I address them clearly- one by one. That’s what makes copy persuasive. It’s simple, descriptive, and makes the reader think, “Yes, that’s exactly my issue,” followed quickly by, “I hadn’t considered that solution.”

And above all: It must be scannable.
 • Subheads that convey the story
 • Bullet points that surface the key challenges
 • A clean flow from problem → solution
 
Busy technical buyers appreciate clarity more than cleverness.
  • 0
  • Reply

John 

You’re still selling to humans. The investment may be significant, but the emotional calculus doesn’t disappear; it simply becomes more strategic.

In B2B, the numbers matter, but the narrative behind those numbers matters too. What does this purchase mean for the buyer? What does it help them accomplish professionally? Why have businesses continually upgraded equipment throughout history? Efficiency is part of it, but confidence, credibility, and future-proofing play a role as well.
  • 0
  • Reply

Maria 

Even highly technical tools exist for a simple purpose: solving a problem.
 • Do they save time?
 • Reduce complexity?
 • Lower costs?
 • Prevent information bottlenecks?

 Sometimes the most “boring” products actually address the most frustrating challenges.
  • 0
  • Reply

Pawan 

I’ll admit: listening to client interview recordings can be sleep-inducing. But the stakes in B2B are incredibly high compared to consumer products. Jobs, budgets, and even promotions hinge on these decisions.

That’s what makes the work interesting. It’s about simplifying the message, focusing on real-world applications, and leaning on specifics rather than emotional theatrics. It’s more like writing for Succession than for retail.
  • 0
  • Reply

Category: Marketing and Sales

Subcategory: Content Marketing