Most marketing advice assumes that people make rational decisions:
see a problem
search for solutions
compare options
choose the best one
But this model rarely exists in real life.
Companies - and the people inside them - decide in ways that are far more emotional, social and contextual than we admit.
Understanding how decisions actually happen is one of the biggest unlocks for better marketing.
Here’s a clearer, more realistic picture.
I. Decisions begin long before the “decision moment”
By the time a company reaches out to a vendor, 70–90% of the decision is already shaped.
Not made - but shaped.
Shaped by:
the frustrations they’ve accumulated
the internal pressure to improve
the political dynamics of the team
the previous solutions they tried
the stories they tell themselves about what works
informal conversations with peers
Marketing that focuses only on the final stage (“the pitch”, “the offer”, “the funnel”) misses the part where the decision is actually formed.
Great marketing meets people long before they realise they’re ready to buy.
II. Companies don’t choose the “best option”. They choose the least risky one.
When businesses compare vendors, they’re not asking:
“Who is objectively the best?”
They’re asking:
“Who can we trust not to make us look bad if things go wrong?”
The psychology of risk minimisation drives most B2B decisions.
The best solution loses to the safest one every day of the week.
Safety comes from:
clarity
calm communication
transparent expectations
proven processes
consistent behaviour
references and social proof
confidence without aggressiveness
In many cases, the premium choice wins not because it performs better - but because it feels less risky.
III. Decisions are social, not individual
A purchase decision often looks like one person signing off, but in reality it’s a network deciding:
the end-user wants ease
the manager wants reliability
the CFO wants predictability
the CEO wants alignment
the team wants simplicity
Great marketing understands these layers.
It doesn’t sell only to the buyer - it sells to the organisation.
IV. Logic justifies. Emotion decides.
People like to believe they choose logically.
The truth is closer to:
Emotion creates preference.
Logic protects reputation.
The order matters.
First, we feel:
“This seems right.”
“This eases my stress.”
“These people understand us.”
Then we justify:
“The numbers check out.”
“They have the right experience.”
“This aligns with our objectives.”
If marketing doesn’t engage emotionally first, logic will never be enough.
V. Companies choose the solution that tells the clearest story
Not the most detailed one.
Not the most complex one.
The clearest one.
Clear stories make decisions simple:
“This will make us faster.”
“This will reduce chaos.”
“This will help us grow steadily.”
“This will remove pressure from the team.”
A simple, believable story builds momentum inside the organisation.
A complicated one dies in internal discussions.
VI. The real decision is: “Who do we want to work with?”
Beyond features, beyond proposals, beyond pricing - companies choose partners, not services.
They choose:
who makes the process easier
who reduces uncertainty
who listens without pushing
who speaks clearly
who feels aligned
who they trust with internal reality
This is why marketing that feels human outperforms marketing that feels clever.
What this means for marketing
If you want to influence buying decisions, don’t focus only on the bottom of the funnel.
Influence:
how people feel before they need you
what stories they tell themselves
what seems safe vs. risky
what feels easy to explain internally
what team members believe will reduce their stress
Growth doesn’t come from pushing harder.
It comes from understanding how people and organisations think.
At InGrowth, we design marketing with the decision-making process in mind - not the theoretical one, but the real one:
emotional → social → political → logical.
The closer your marketing aligns with how companies actually choose, the easier it becomes to win consistently.
