Earlier this week, I received a request on Linkedin to start ‘following’ a business software company. Not the first time, and likely not the last time. Linkedin’s algorithm (and social media in general) seems to award posts from brands that have more followers.
I did know the person but didn’t know the company. So rather than blindly accepting, I checked what was behind his request. Glad I did. Even though I am an insider, I had to read things three times to get an idea of what they were trying to get across. It didn’t relate—what a missed opportunity.
It’s just one simple example how important it is to be relatable in business – and especially in a noisy place as B2B SaaS.
So the question then becomes: How can you become more relatable – as a business or individual?
To answer that – let’s start with a definition.
What is reliability?
What does it mean to be relatable?
My reliability definition is: The quality of being able to identify or connect with something or someone.
In my book The Remarkable Effect, I dedicated a full chapter to this called ‘Surprise and hit the right nerve.’
Once you master that, you will resonate way better with our ideal customers.
Why is relatability important?
The most important aspect to me is: It’s key to effective communication. Tailoring messages to resonate with the audience’s experiences, values, or aspirations makes the communication more impactful and memorable, and that fosters a sense of connection between individuals.
When people find common ground or shared experiences, it builds a bridge between them, enhancing communication and understanding.
Relatability also cultivates empathy. When individuals can relate to others’ challenges or struggles, it fosters a sense of understanding and compassion, promoting a supportive environment. Last but not least: It builds trust. Being relatable makes individuals or brands more trustworthy. When people see aspects of themselves in others, they are more likely to trust and connect with them, whether in personal relationships or in business interactions.
How can you become more relatable in the B2B SaaS world?
To me there are three key components that work really well:
SaaS relatableness rule #1: Who is it for?
It strikes me how often I see messages and value propositions that don’t relate. And isn’t that the most important of we aim to achieve? It seems we don’t have an idea who we communicate to and what these people need, and therefore we throw up as many balls, use clever ‘jargon-filled’ language, hoping something will stick. It won’t.
Relatability is a simple but powerful concept that means “possible to understand, like, or have sympathy for because of similarities to oneself or one’s own experiences.”
SaaS relatableness rule #1: Context is critical
The latter part of the definition is critical: It’s about context – context to a challenge that you either have experienced yourself or could experience at some point in time. And that’s the heart of the problem. So many websites, campaigns, case studies, brochures, you name it, ignore to create the context for the problem and with that fail to establish a connection. Why are we surprised with a disappointing number of leads, low lead conversion rate, long sales cycles, poor win-rates, and high discounts?
SaaS relatableness rule #1: Being more human
It starts with relatability. And a good start is to be more human in how we communicate with our ideal target audience. Like we’re having a conversation over a cup of coffee.
So, if you review your website, your new brochure, or campaign through your ideal customer’s eyes: Would you be triggered to stop everything you’re doing and make that call to have a coffee and discuss how your software solution can help them make a difference?
If not – what can you change to increase relatability? What can you change today to give more context around the big problem you solve that visitors will understand, like, and have sympathy for?
Lean in, and make that change. As they say – the best content reads like your buyers wrote it – it creates instant trust. It might even well trigger them to start following you on Linkedin.
Additional resources to help you become ultra relatable your SaaS business
The easiest way. Book a free call to explore if there’s a fit to do this together.
Otherwise – here are three other options
- Read my essays to create remarkable traction.
- Read my book, The Remarkable Effect.
- Or simply subscribe to my daily email down below.