3 Things Business Leaders Look for When Hiring a Service Provider

For many B2B companies, it can be difficult to stand out in the marketplace and appeal to prospective clients. After all, the market is full of experienced professionals, and buyers can choose to hire any one of them. Why should they choose your company over another? 

This is why it’s important for you to understand what motivates B2B buyers. If you know what is most important to them, you can speak to how your business can support their goals and highlight your organization’s strengths.  

After surveying 500 business leaders who have recently hired B2B service providers, we’ve been able to determine what motivates business leaders the most. 

This article dives into the most important things that business leaders look for when hiring a service provider and how you can use this information to appeal to buyers more effectively. 

Experience With Your Industry 

Regardless of their project, companies looking to hire a B2B service provider want their partner to understand their business and the market they’re in.

Especially in a complex industry, having an in-depth understanding of the language and terminology being used makes it easier to communicate. Even more importantly, service providers with in-depth industry knowledge are familiar with industry trends and best practices, enabling them to provide insights, strategic advice, and innovative ideas to make a partnership more successful.

There are many ways your business can highlight your experience in a given industry. For instance, when meeting with prospective clients, you can send case studies or portfolio items from others in the same industry.

You can also lean on referrals, industry awards, and recognition to demonstrate leadership in that particular space.

If you’re looking to grow awareness in a particular industry, you can also create industry-specific content. This could include blog posts, articles, whitepapers, or podcasts that address industry-specific challenges, trends, and solutions. Sharing valuable insights and knowledge positions you as an expert in that industry.

Technical Expertise in Desired Service Area 

When an organization hires a service provider, it’s because they’re hoping to accomplish a specific goal. As it’s likely a significant investment, the most important criteria when assessing a potential partner is their ability to complete the project.

Being able to illustrate that you have the technical expertise to get the job done can help potential clients feel more confident when they hire you.

There are several ways you can highlight this on your website and when talking to prospective clients. Be sure to list accreditations, certifications, awards, and recognitions you’ve received.   
Also, when discussing past projects, take time to explain the tools you used to accomplish certain objectives.  

Similarly, as you discuss a prospective client’s specific needs, speak to how your team would go about the project. 

Rates and Cost of Services 

Finally, the cost of the project is a huge factor for business leaders. Yes, they want to get a project done, but they likely have a set budget that they are beholden to regardless of who they hire.

At the end of the day, you need to be transparent about your prices. Rather than attracting a ton of potential customers, this will help you attract more qualified leads. 

As you dig more into the project, be prepared to explain why you’re pricing services this way. Do certain features require more expertise than others? Are they more time intensive? Do you need access to additional tools? 

The more information you provide, the more confident clients will be that they are getting the best value for their budget.

How Clutch Helps Your Business Highlight These Factors?  

As the leading marketplace of B2B services providers, Clutch is all about helping service providers connect with qualified leads. There are several features on each company profile that can help service providers like you demonstrate experience in the industry, technical expertise, and hourly rates. 

For instance, client ratings and leadership rankings demonstrate that service providers have the experience and skills needed to complete certain types of projects. Clutch rankings are determined based on several factors including client ratings, a company’s work experience, their market presence, and industry recognition. 

Companies listed on Clutch can even highlight industries they work in and services they specialize in on their profile. They can also show their hourly rates on their profile, while their client reviews showcase average project cost. 

This allows B2B buyers to search for specific criteria and even filter by average star ratings to find the perfect partner for their project. Empowered by this information, buyers from Clutch are generally high-qualified leads. 

Connect with B2B Buyers More Effectively 

With a solid understanding of what motivates prospective clients, your team will be able to connect with potential buyers and appeal to them more effectively. By highlighting experience in a prospective client’s industry and showcasing past work that demonstrates technical skill, you can help buyers feel confident when selecting your team as a service provider.

Explaining your prices is just as important as promoting the services your team offers as getting the best value for their budget is a big consideration for most B2B buyers.

Be sure to address these factors when speaking with prospective clients, on your website, and on your Clutch profile. This will help your team attract more leads and convert them. 

 Download the full report to start your transformation. 

, 2, A recent Clutch survey revealed three criteria business leaders look for when hiring a B2B service provider.