When we sell to consumers, we all know the importance of reaching them on an emotional level, not just a rational one. Remember, people buy with their hearts, not just their heads.

But when it comes to B2B advertising, many advertisers do a one-eighty. "Oh, these are business people. Just give them the facts. Be serious. Be 'businesslike.' Use graphs and charts and stuff." I say baloney!

That kind of thinking is precisely why so much B2B advertising is dull, boring and not offering much of an ROI.

The fact is, business people are people first. They're busy, have short attention spans and are not eagerly waiting to read your message. Which is why the same principles apply in B2B as consumer advertising.

1: Catch their attention
2: Inform, involve and impress
3: Go beyond facts... use feelings.

Most importantly, stop thinking of the B2B target as business people and start thinking of them as people who happen to be doing business.