Why b2b marketing is like marriage

Can I admit that I didn't marry for money or good looks? Truth is we all (come on admit it) get married based on trust, compatibility, and a common long-range vision. I love my wife more today, not because she is perfect, but because we share interests and dreams and work well together.

And I could say the same about picking Goldmine as our CRM software. It was not a choice of the best software, but one of compatibility.

So why am I getting all philosophical? I just read this article about How GoldMine defends its native SMB segment... that describes their target market and their goals: "So FrontRange is playing a long-term game; it doesn't mind if the reputation and hustle of Salesforce.com win over a large number of CRM beginners."

It was reassuring to hear them echo my reasons for picking Goldmine, and commit to sticking to them:

1. "FrontRange wants to stand out by offering just enough functionality"
2. "Customers will often take someone closer (resellers) to them over someone who is, quote-unquote, better"
3. "For the typical small company... in its sweet spot, hosted CRM will prove too expensive"

The point of all this to us b2b marketers? That purchases aren't made based on making your list of features and benefits sound like you have the best product, but rather on whether the product is compatible with the customer's needs, resources, and vision. Or to quote PeeWee Herman's friends when he says he loves fruit salad, "well why don't you marry it then?"

UPDATE: From Business Blog Award winner Jim Logan, his post Recognize It's Only About Your Customer makes this point, that must have influenced my commentary:

When writing a proposal, never forget it's only your customer that counts - their needs, their problems, their opportunities, and their benefits of selecting your product or service. Your speeds, feeds, features, and functionality are secondary to their requirements - these are merely things that prove your ability to address solving their problems or creating the opportunity they desire.