If You Think You're Losing B2B Sales on Price, Think Again.

Understanding Buyer Psychology: The Human Side of Revenue Strategy

If you're a CEO or senior leader watching deals stall out, you’ve probably heard pricing, features, or even competitors were to blame. But what if the real problem is something softer, and yet far more powerful? Buyer psychology.

The term "buyer psychology" might sound like fluffy marketing speak, but it's becoming one of the most important lenses in strategic revenue work. Especially in conservative or complex industries, understanding how buyers feel is the missing piece in many go-to-market (GTM) strategies.

AI is automating the routine. That means your edge is now in nuance. Think about it - your ability to sense hesitation, to read the room, to understand why a buyer might nod politely through your demo only to disappear immediately.

Before we dive into tactics:

Did you know 84% of B2B buyers make decisions emotionally, then use ROI as a post‑rationalization tool? That’s why buyer psychology should be central to your revenue strategy, not an after or never-thought.

What Your Sales Team Is Missing

I’ve seen it too many times: a near-perfect sales conversation, followed by silence. I still remember one from years ago. A prospect named Linda spent at least 90 minutes telling me about her painful manual workflows and how they were affecting her life. Nights and weekends in the office. Bringing work stress home with her. The strain on her marriage.

I thought it was a done deal. It should have been.

But she ghosted me. Not because she wasn’t interested, but because I never asked if she could buy. I never uncovered whether she had the authority or budget. In short, she wasn't leading a SaaS buying project, she was looking for a place to vent.

This still happens. Especially now, when stakes feel higher and buying groups are larger. Internal champions hesitate because the risks are real. Reputational, political, and emotional.

Status Quo Is Your Biggest Competitor

Let’s be blunt: most buyers would rather stick with a flawed process than take a risk on something new. This is why, with every client I work with, their larger and better-resourced competitor isn't winning all the deals, it's status quo. The buyer going through a sales cycle only to decide that the current process is "good enough". Especially in regulated industries where failure carries real consequences. Sometimes, they wait for a crisis to make a move. Because then the blame isn't on them.

Your job isn’t just to pitch ROI. It’s to help the buyer feel safe enough to say yes.

How Companies Misread Psychology. And Lose

Assuming a client is interested because they like your solution? Dangerous. I saw this with a SaaS company serving a mature, regulated industry. Their product is a disruptor. Their demo wowed people. Early ROI estimates were strong. But deals still stalled.

Why? Because they weren’t digging for impact. The stress, the overtime, the looming penalties. The reason why knowledge workers are dissatisfied with their jobs. It wasn’t until we rewrote the messaging and used real NPS quotes about stress relief and job satisfaction that the pitch started landing. We didn’t change one thing about the product. But we changed how it made people feel.

Real People, Real Feelings, Real Revenue

People buy because they feel respected. Because they trust you. Because they see a path to something better.

One of my clients won a strategic deal, not for the typical reasons we see in financial service (bad service or mistakes), he won because he treated the business owner with respect. This was someone for whom English was a 2nd or 3rd language. Someone who spoke with a heavy accent. And his current provider wasn't taking the time to make him feel heard or understood. He felt like they saw him as "less than" and not a "real" business owner or as someone of value. All my client did was show up, listen, and close the communication loop to show they had listened. And understood. The business owner felt heard and seen. And he bought. Did he need a new professional service? Not at all, he reported that he hadn't experienced service disruption or mistakes. He just didn't like the way they made him feel.

Side Note: This is some of what my clients work through. We ask:

• Why do people really buy?

• What triggers the decision?

• What fears stall it out?

We use the answers to shape messaging, content, sales scripts, onboarding flows—because those answers tell us things the buyer will never say out loud to their salesperson.

If You Don’t Speak to Emotion, You’re Losing to Someone Who Will

Buyers don’t make decisions to improve project metrics. They decide because:

• They want to look good to the board.

• They want their team to respect them.

• They’re planning for the next round of funding.

• They’re burned out and want their life back.

It’s never just about the software or service. It’s about ambition, ego, identity, and of course, risk.

If B2B sales are stalling, ask:

- What fear are we not addressing?

- Who’s the real buyer, and what’s at stake for them?

- Are we helping someone feel like a hero, or just throwing them a deck?

Real Talk From Real Leaders

We’ve been talking a lot about buyer psychology, why trust and timing matter more than ever. This clip from my interview with Pallavi Sharma of Wit Omni AI Marketing struck a chord. It's why it was the subject of this companion blog!

If this moment resonates, go back and catch the full episode here. She drops plenty of insights on the future of marketing, what ROI looks like today, her tool picking strategy, and more.

Urgency Check: What Misreads Are Costing You

If you’re:

• Losing deals you thought were close

• Seeing demo drop-offs or ghosting

• Watching pipeline stall at the same stage repeatedly

3 Things Smart B2B Sales Leaders Are Doing Differently

• Deep discovery, don't stop at surface level challenges

• Listen to your buyers and reframe challenges and solutions using their language

• Ask the buyer how they feel

It’s likely not just your offer. It’s how you're reading, and responding to, buyer psychology.

If you’re still leading with product and hoping it lands, you’re already behind. I help teams reposition with the buyer and their needs at the center. And unlock the deals that feel stuck.

Book your scan here. Let’s get you story back on track.

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Rise of Us is a practice run by Summer Poletti, specializing in revenue growth: B2B sales, strategic partnerships, customer success, marketing alignment. We generally work with financial services and SaaS companies from $2MM - $20MM ARR and help them plan and execute for their next stage of revenue growth. We concentrate on strategy, coaching, and organizational alignment.