B2B Buyer Psychology: Fortune 100s $50B Strategy

What if everything you thought you knew about persuasion in business was wrong? In this episode of Predictable B2B Success, host Vinay Koshy welcomes Leslie Zane, author, pioneer of instinct marketing, and founder of the agency Triggers, to reveal the game-changing secrets behind how people really make decisions. Leslie has advised Fortune 100 giants like McDonald’s, Aquafina, and Snickers, fueling over $50 billion in incremental growth for her clients. However, her approach isn’t just about clever ads or emotional storytelling; instead, she taps into the power of the instinctive mind, the hidden “command center” that drives 95% of daily choices.

Listen as Leslie debunks long-held marketing myths, explains why positive subconscious associations are the untapped fuel for growth, and shares her practical framework — the brand connectome — that companies can use to become the instinctive, go-to choice in their market. Whether you’re in B2B or B2C, you’ll discover why focusing on surface-level features or fleeting promotions could be holding your brand back, and how cognitive shortcuts and meaningful visual cues can unlock faster and more profitable growth. Tune in for actionable insights that will transform the way you think about persuasion, branding, and marketing strategy forever.

Some areas we explore in this episode include:

Of course! Here are the top 10 topics discussed in this episode:

• Instinctive vs. Conscious Decision Making: Most choices are made instinctively, not rationally, and marketers should focus on the unconscious mind.
• The Limits of Emotion in Marketing: Emotion is an outcome, not a true driver of purchase, and isn’t as effective as commonly believed.
• Brand Connectome: The concept of mapping all positive and negative associations connected to a brand in the buyer’s mind.
• Implicit Associations as Growth Drivers: Unconscious positive and negative associations heavily influence brand growth and purchase behavior.
• Turning Competitor Negatives into Your Advantage: New brands can target negative associations of dominant competitors to gain market share.
• Beyond Promotions and Discounts: Long-term growth comes from building instinctive brand preference, not short-lived promotional tactics.
• Building Distinctive Brand Assets: Focus on creating sticky visual and verbal cues (“growth triggers”) that reliably influence memory.
• Universal Triggers vs. Over-Segmentation: Universal, widely understood cues are more impactful than highly segmented, tailored messaging.
• Tracking Implicit Brand Health: Brands need to monitor implicit associations over time, not just conscious survey metrics.
• Updating Outdated Marketing Models: Traditional concepts, such as the sales funnel and uniqueness, should be replaced with an instinct-driven approach.
• And much, much more...