The H2H Shift: A More Human Way to Do B2B
Let’s have a quick heart-to-heart about business. We call it “B2B”—business-to-business. Sounds official, doesn’t it? But when you peel back the layers, isn’t it just people talking to people? A CEO replying to emails between meetings, a marketing lead reviewing proposals, or a buyer juggling a dozen decisions before lunch.
At the end of the day, businesses aren’t faceless entities exchanging contracts. They’re human beings—just like you and me. So why do we insist on keeping it so formal, so buttoned-up, so...robotic?
H2H: A Refreshingly Obvious Idea
Here’s a wild thought: what if we stopped thinking of B2B as businesses trading goods and services and started seeing it as humans solving problems together? That’s the idea behind H2H, or human-to-human. It’s about cutting through the jargon and corporate fluff and bringing more humanity to the table (or Zoom call).
It’s not groundbreaking, but it is refreshing. Because while it’s called “B2B,” every business interaction still comes down to people. You know, humans with inboxes, coffee cups, and a thousand things competing for their attention.
Why H2H Works in B2B
Here’s why this matters:
Trust is built between people, not brands. No one ever said, “Wow, I really bonded with that mission statement.” They bond with the person behind the pitch, the voice in the email, the face on the video call.
Decisions aren’t just logical—they’re emotional. Even in B2B, people buy because they feel confident, understood, or inspired. That’s human stuff.
It’s easier to connect when you’re real. Who would you rather do business with? Someone trying too hard to sound professional or someone who talks to you like a friend who actually gets your challenges?
How Do We Do This?
It’s not rocket science. Here’s how we can all make B2B feel a little more human:
Speak like a real person. Ditch the buzzwords like “synergy” and “scalability.” If you wouldn’t say it to a colleague casually, don’t say it in your email.
Listen more. Before offering a solution, get curious. What’s the other person worried about? What do they really need?
Bring some personality. Humor, warmth, and even a little vulnerability can go a long way. Nobody connects with perfection, but they will connect with you.
Focus on the relationship. Transactions come and go, but partnerships? They’re built on trust, empathy, and shared understanding.
The H2H Mindset
H2H isn’t about throwing out everything we know about professionalism—it’s about rethinking what it means to be professional. Because at its best, professionalism is about respect, honesty, and understanding—not sounding like a corporate handbook.
So, let’s take the pressure off ourselves to be perfect and just...talk. Human to human. Business will still happen, it might even happen more often. But it’ll feel better. Easier. Less like a transaction and more like a collaboration.
Because at the end of the day, business isn’t just about services, products, or solutions. It’s about people helping people. And isn’t that what really matters?
