How B2B Teams Turn Jargon into Stories That Sell
In today’s hyper-connected and ever-evolving business landscape, the art of storytelling in B2B marketing is more than just a buzzword - it’s become an essential tool for organizations to communicate value and resonate with decision-makers. In a recent discussion on the Sticky Note Marketing Show, marketing expert Debbie Casten Schultkrout, VP of B2B Marketing at the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), shared invaluable insights on how B2B teams can move beyond technical jargon and leverage storytelling to better showcase the transformative power of their solutions.
Drawing from her extensive industry experience, including a 25-year tenure with IBM, Debbie highlighted the challenges and opportunities of making emerging technologies, like AI and blockchain, accessible, relatable, and impactful for target audiences. This article delves into the key lessons from the conversation and how professionals can harness storytelling to engage stakeholders, differentiate their offerings, and create lasting value.
The Power of Storytelling in B2B Marketing
At its core, storytelling in B2B marketing is about connecting the dots between a technology’s capabilities and the tangible outcomes it delivers for customers. Complex solutions often come with layers of technical details that can overwhelm non-technical audiences. As Debbie explained, simply focusing on features isn’t enough anymore. Instead, businesses must "contextually show how a technology makes a difference for a company."
By humanizing the technology and anchoring it around the customer’s needs, businesses can make even the most advanced solutions relatable. Storytelling isn’t just about selling the product - it’s about illustrating its broader impact, from solving real-world problems to driving societal change.
For example, Debbie recounted her experience leading IBM’s blockchain initiatives, where crafting relatable narratives helped demystify a complex technology and highlight its potential for impact across industries.
Case Study: Turning Blockchain Into a Story of Global Impact
One of the most compelling examples Debbie shared involved IBM's collaboration with Plastic Bank, a startup focused on reducing ocean pollution and empowering underserved communities. The objective was to create a blockchain-based system that could track and verify the collection of plastic waste, providing collectors with digital payments that could be redeemed for essentials like food or fuel.
The project became a powerful story of how blockchain technology could drive social and environmental good. By emphasizing the wider ripple effects - helping local economies, reducing ocean pollution, fostering a circular economy, and enabling companies like Procter & Gamble to use recycled materials - IBM was able to shift the conversation from technical jargon to real-world outcomes. This narrative resonated not only with decision-makers but also with broader audiences who cared about sustainability and corporate responsibility.
The success of this initiative underscores a critical lesson for B2B professionals: focus on the impact, not just the technology. Whether it’s reducing plastic waste or verifying the ethical sourcing of diamonds, businesses can illustrate their solutions’ value by tying them to issues that matter.
Strategies for Building Stories That Resonate
If you're wondering how to start crafting impactful B2B stories, Debbie provided a road map to move from technology-centric messaging to customer-centric storytelling. Here are the key strategies:
1. Start With the Customer’s Problem
Before talking about your solution, focus on understanding the customer’s pain points, goals, and aspirations. Ask questions like:
What problem are they solving?
What challenges do they face today?
What would success look like for them?
As Debbie put it, "Dial it back and ground yourself in the customer. What do they wish they could do that they can’t do now?"
2. Use Contextual Examples
Showcase real-world use cases where your solution has made an impact. Success stories and case studies help audiences visualize possibilities and connect emotionally to the outcomes.
Debbie’s example of Plastic Bank illustrates how storytelling can amplify the relevance of emerging technologies like blockchain - making them relatable across industries.
3. Address Multiple Stakeholders
In B2B decision-making, it’s rarely one person calling the shots. Procurement teams, engineers, marketers, and executives often work collectively. Tailor your story to resonate with the various personas involved:
Technical details for IT specialists.
Business outcomes for executives.
Ethical and sustainable benefits for procurement and CSR teams.
4. Highlight the "Ripple Effect"
Debbie introduced the idea of the ripple effect: how solving a specific problem can drive broader benefits. For example, blockchain not only resolved Plastic Bank’s payment verification challenge but also enabled downstream impacts like reducing marine pollution and supporting local economies.
5. Collaborate With Sales Teams
Sales teams are often on the front lines, engaging directly with customers and receiving immediate feedback. Partnering closely with them can help marketers refine their messaging and create more effective enablement materials.
Debbie emphasized the importance of a feedback loop between sales and marketing, enabling both teams to align on customer needs and improve outcomes.
Lessons in Differentiation: Stand Out With Impactful Narratives
Emerging technologies like AI and blockchain often face the challenge of differentiation in crowded markets. As Debbie explained, with so many businesses now incorporating AI into their offerings, it’s critical to frame the conversation around the specific benefits customers will gain rather than the underlying tech itself.
Some key questions to ask include:
How does this solution address a unique challenge?
What measurable impact can it deliver?
How does it contribute to the customer’s long-term goals?
For example, IBM’s blockchain use case with Plastic Bank differentiated the solution by telling a story of corporate responsibility and sustainability, which resonated far beyond the technical specifics.
Key Takeaways
Start With the Customer: Build your storytelling around their problems, goals, and aspirations, not just the features of your solution.
Emphasize Impact: Use contextual examples to demonstrate real-world outcomes and the broader ripple effects of your solution.
Collaborate Across Teams: Sales, marketing, and other departments should align to share insights and create consistent, customer-centric messaging.
Differentiate Through Storytelling: In crowded tech markets, compelling narratives can set your business apart from competitors.
Address All Stakeholders: Tailor your messaging to resonate with the diverse decision-makers in the buying process.
Learn From Feedback: Regularly engage with customers (and sales teams) to refine your messaging and better meet customer needs.
Focus on the Bigger Picture: Tie your solution to larger societal, environmental, or economic outcomes to create an emotional connection.
Conclusion
Storytelling isn’t just a creative exercise - it’s a strategic imperative for today’s B2B marketers. By grounding narratives in customer needs, emphasizing the impact, and aligning messaging across teams, businesses can break through the noise and create lasting value for customers.
Debbie Casten Schultkrout’s insights highlight the critical role of storytelling in humanizing technology and elevating it from a transactional offering to a transformative solution. Whether you’re working on a blockchain initiative like Plastic Bank or building AI-powered solutions, the principles of effective storytelling remain the same: start with the customer, focus on the impact, and keep the story relevant.
In an industry where decisions are often made by committee, the ability to craft compelling, relatable narratives could be the difference between winning business or getting lost in the noise. Are your stories ready to sell?
Source: "How to Turn B2B Jargon into Stories That Sell: Expert Insights from Debbie Kestin Schildkraut" - Mary Czarnecki, YouTube, Oct 4, 2025 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoCuLsWKrgY