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Publish a Point of View Buyers Can Use Before the Pitch

Polished content is not useful when it merely repeats familiar advice. A focused, evidence-backed point of view can help buyers reassess a problem, involve colleagues and take a practical next step before a sales conversation.

By WWA Editorial Team 4 min read
A consultant reviewing irrigation plans and field notes with a facilities buyer at a landscaped commercial site

Polished content often fails for a simple reason: it repeats advice buyers already know. A smooth article about saving money, improving efficiency or choosing the right partner may sound credible, yet give a reader no reason to reconsider the problem. Research reported by Harvard Business Review, involving more than 5,000 B2B purchase participants, found that many content efforts fail because they do not help buyers think differently about their business challenge.

Owners and client-facing experts can make a stronger contribution by publishing one evidence-backed point of view. This is not a sweeping prediction or an attention-seeking opinion. It is a clear argument that names a buyer problem, challenges a common assumption, explains the basis for the insight and offers a useful next action.

Build the argument around a decision

Consider a hypothetical horticultural consultant who advises facilities teams on commercial landscapes. Buyers comparing irrigation proposals might assume that the most important distinction is projected water use. The consultant’s field records, however, repeatedly show another issue worth examining: proposals based mainly on equipment specifications may overlook differences in plant zones, soil conditions and maintenance practices.

Her publishable point of view could be: facilities buyers should assess an irrigation proposal by how well it accounts for site variation, not only by its headline efficiency estimate. She would then show the basis for that conclusion without overstating it. She might describe the recurring field observations she tracks, explain which site conditions affect her assessments and identify the limits of what those observations establish.

The next action should help a buyer improve a live decision. In this example, the consultant could offer questions for the proposal review: Does the assessment separate planting zones? What site observations support the design? Which maintenance assumptions affect expected performance? How will the team check whether those assumptions remain accurate?

That approach reflects findings summarized by LinkedIn: buyers value useful ideas, proof points and material that helps them reconsider business challenges before they are ready to purchase. The expert is not merely asserting greater expertise. She is giving the buyer a better way to examine competing proposals.

Write for people beyond the first contact

A focused point of view can also travel inside a buying organization. The visible contact may be a facilities manager, but other colleagues can influence the decision before a formal sales conversation. Edelman’s 2025 research with 1,934 U.S. business decision-makers describes these hidden stakeholders and indicates that high-quality thought leadership can reach them before the pitch.

For the horticultural consultant, those readers could approach the issue from different operational perspectives. A useful article gives each person a shared question to bring into the discussion: what evidence shows that this proposal fits the actual site? That is more portable than a broad claim about excellence because colleagues can apply it while reviewing requirements, comparing approaches or preparing internal questions.

Content alone does not close the sale. It cannot resolve every concern, establish fit or replace a substantive conversation. Its job is narrower: improve how a buyer frames the problem and help relevant stakeholders prepare for the decision. The eventual pitch must still address the buyer’s circumstances and support its claims.

Test whether the piece earns attention

Before publishing, ask: Is the buyer problem specific enough to recognize? Which familiar assumption is being challenged? What evidence supports the alternative view? Are the limits of that evidence clear? Can the reader take a practical step without hiring us?

These questions also protect against promotional puffery. Content Marketing Institute’s 2025 survey of 1,015 B2B marketers identified quality and relevance among the leading reported drivers of effectiveness, while finding widespread thought-leadership creation but limited mature practice and measurement. Publishing more is therefore a weak substitute for publishing something buyers can use.

A strong point of view need not cover the entire market. It should make one consequential decision easier to examine. When your evidence, argument and next action fit together, the piece can begin a serious business conversation before anyone opens the pitch deck.

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