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AI Meets EI

Creating human-centric B2B journeys that work

We’ve all been talking about data for years in B2B marketing—how to collect it, how to analyze it, how to use it to target buyers. But let’s be honest: for too long, we’ve treated B2B buyers like extensions of their companies, not as individuals. We’ve relied heavily on firmographic data to shape our strategies, but we’ve missed something important—the human side. 

That’s where AI-driven emotional intelligence also known as emotional quotient (EQ) comes in. By understanding the emotional and rational drivers behind B2B purchasing decisions, marketers can connect on a human level, addressing client pain points with empathy and relevance. This approach not only differentiates brands from competitors but also cultivates deeper engagement, higher conversion rates and a more positive perception, which can help build loyalty that goes beyond transactional exchanges. 

From Data Points to Depth: 4 Ways AI is Redefining Emotional Intelligence in B2B Marketing

1. Leveraging Reliable Psychographic Data to Foster Human Connections

Advanced AI tools can now empower marketers to gain deeper insights into the factors that drive buying decisions, by analyzing vast amounts of data on customer behavior, preferences and interactions. These tools can identify patterns and trends that reveal what customers are interested in and why they make specific choices. This helps marketers understand what drives buyer decisions and enables them to build more meaningful programs.  

2. Personalizing on a Deeper Level

AI-powered tools enhance this process by analyzing emotional cues—such as language patterns, sentiment shifts and behavioral signals—to create nuanced, human-centric messaging. These insights enable marketers to segment audiences based on emotional drivers, delivering personalized content that aligns with each stakeholder’s priorities. 

This attuned communication ensures relevance on both psychological and emotional levels, fostering deeper engagement and building trust for long-term relationships. 

3. Enhancing ABM with Emotional Intelligence

In ABM, success depends on aligning buying committees around a shared vision. EQ enables marketers to identify common ground by addressing the unique priorities and concerns of each stakeholder. By framing solutions in ways that resonate with both technical and business-oriented decision makers, EQ helps unify diverse perspectives, creating clarity and driving agreement. 

AI enhances this process by predicting potential disruptions—such as market changes, internal shifts, or external events—that might delay decisions. These insights allow marketers to anticipate obstacles and implement preemptive strategies, keeping the path to consensus clear and efficient. 

Together, EQ and AI empower marketers to bring buying units together, ensuring decisions are made with confidence and momentum. 

4. Scaling Emotional Intelligence Across Complex Sales Cycles

AI excels at tracking emotional changes throughout long B2B sales processes, allowing marketers to adjust their messaging based on buyer sentiment.  If a buyer’s emotions shift from, let’s say, enthusiasm to hesitation, AI can adjust the messaging in real time to keep the deal moving forward. This not only keeps the relationship on track but also helps drive smarter decisions that lead to higher lifetime value. 

EQ’s ability to analyze sentiment and predict emotional shifts helps marketers navigate common pain points, like fears and risk aversion, that often slow down decision making. It’s all about understanding and addressing these emotions before they become roadblocks. 

About the author

I’m Boris Rabinovici, CEO of RAB2B and a second-generation agency leader, driving our transformation into a fully integrated B2B and healthcare marketing powerhouse. 

Building on our legacy, I’ve focused our approach on audience behaviors as the cornerstone of our success. Early on in my career, I learned the power of understanding what motivates and influences target audiences and how, by creating genuine connections, we deliver measurable results and sustain long-term growth for our clients and ourselves. 

We believe in connections that are both impactful and personal—because for us, it’s not just business; it’s deeply human. There’s never been a more exciting time for marketers to create resonance that truly connects.