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The B2B elements of value provide a powerful framework for understanding what truly drives purchasing decisions across complex industries like construction and manufacturing. This article breaks down Bain & Company’s value pyramid into five actionable layers, from table stakes to inspirational benefits. It explains how emotional, functional, and individual values influence B2B buyers, and offers practical ways to map these insights to your marketing strategy, messaging, and content.
The B2B elements of value offer a powerful framework for understanding what really drives buying decisions. In Part 1, I explored the five distinct groups of B2B decision-makers in the construction sector. Missed it? Read Part 1 here.
We ended by highlighting research from Bain & Company, who developed a model to help businesses uncover what their buyers truly care about.
To bring this to life, Bain introduced a pyramid of B2B elements of value, which identifies 40 specific benefits that B2B products and services can offer. These elements are grouped into five layers, moving from essential and functional at the base to aspirational and emotional at the top.
Contents
The five levels of B2B elements of value
Level one (bottom): Table stakes
These are the baseline requirements. Cost, availability, performance, and compliance. Without these, you are not even in the running.
In construction, this means meeting industry regulations, passing site inspections, and offering a price point that fits the job spec. These elements will not win the contract, but without them, you will not be considered.
Level two: Functional
These values speak to measurable business outcomes. Think ROI, cost savings, scalability, speed, and improved productivity.
For example, a drainage product that reduces installation time or a façade system that improves insulation efficiency both appeal to this layer. These are the benefits typically highlighted in sales collateral and tender documents.
Level three: Ease of doing business
At this level, the focus shifts to the buying experience. How easy is it to specify, source, install, and support your product?
In construction, this could include flexible delivery options, fast quote turnaround, or having a responsive technical support team. These are the small but meaningful factors that remove friction and build trust.
Providing clear documentation, BIM files, or even a dedicated technical helpline can have more influence on a buying decision than the product alone.
Level four: Individual
Now the values become more personal. What does the buyer gain beyond the business benefit?
A specifier might feel more confident recommending a product with strong credentials. A contractor may appreciate reduced site complexity. A procurement lead may value reputational safety in choosing a brand that is widely used and well supported.
These individual values are often overlooked, but they are highly influential, especially in high-stakes decisions where careers and reputations are on the line.
Level five (top): Inspirational
At the peak of the pyramid are the values of purpose and impact. Vision, social responsibility, sustainability, and innovation.
For brands operating in sectors like construction, this could mean contributing to net zero goals, using recycled materials, or supporting workforce development. These values create emotional resonance and are often the differentiator in long-term partnerships.
If you’d like to hear directly from Bain & Company, here’s a short video that brings the B2B elements of value to life with real-world context and strategic insights.
Video: The Elements of Value for B2B Companies. © Bain & Company. Originally published on Bain & Company’s official YouTube channel. Used here for commentary and educational purposes only. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Are B2B buyers driven by logic or emotion?
Most B2B marketing focuses on the bottom half of the pyramid, the rational layers. But evidence shows that emotional connections drive long-term value, loyalty, and market differentiation.
Addressing both rational and emotional levels of the B2B elements of value gives your brand the strategic edge. Buyers are not just ticking boxes; they are making decisions they can justify to others and feel confident about personally.
A 2019 study by Deloitte Digital found that brands prioritising emotional values were twice as likely to experience revenue growth over a three-year period. That should be a wake-up call to any business relying solely on product features.
Value and loyalty go hand in hand
Bain & Company, in collaboration with Research Now and Lucid, surveyed more than 2,300 B2B decision-makers in sectors like IT infrastructure and commercial insurance.
The findings revealed a clear relationship: the more value elements a supplier delivers, the more loyal the customer becomes. This holds especially true for the 36 non-basic elements, excluding table stakes.
Delivering layered value — across functional, emotional, and individual levels — helps brands move beyond short-term wins and build longer-term loyalty.
Bain & Company found that companies delivering four or more highly rated value elements see a 3.5X increase in Net Promoter Score (NPS) compared to those delivering only one.
This shows that delivering broader value is not just a nice-to-have. It is a proven driver of customer advocacy and long-term success.
Why emotion still matters in B2B decisions
Marketing author Seth Godin famously said:
“The secret is in understanding that the people buying from you are still people. The big difference is they’re spending someone else’s money, and your job is to give them a story they can tell their boss.”
That story needs to appeal to both the rational decision-maker and the human being behind the role. A compelling product is not enough. You need to show that your brand understands the buyer’s pressures, concerns, and aspirations.
When buyers see personal value in their decision, whether that is career growth, credibility, or peace of mind, they are nearly 50 percent more likely to act.
Where brands go wrong
One of the most common mistakes in B2B marketing is relying too heavily on functional benefits. ROI, compliance, and performance may get you into the conversation, but they are unlikely to secure the win on their own.
Brands that fail to speak to the emotional, individual, and inspirational values risk being outmanoeuvred by competitors who do. A technically superior product can lose out to a more familiar, better-branded alternative simply because it feels like the safer choice.
How construction brands can apply the pyramid
In B2B construction marketing, applying the B2B elements of value starts by mapping product benefits to buyer pain points.
For instance, a pipe system may meet all the functional needs, including flow rate, compliance, and installation time. But if your competitor offers live chat, installation videos, and branded support tools, they may be delivering more value overall.
These additions sit higher on the pyramid: ease of doing business, individual benefit, and even vision if they help modernise the industry experience.
Construction brands that embrace this mindset will find it easier to align with specifiers, win over contractors, and build advocacy through the entire chain.
How to use the B2B elements of value
Here are four practical ways to use the pyramid in your strategy:
1. Run internal workshops
Use the Bain pyramid to explore which values matter most to your audience segments. Involve sales, marketing, and customer service teams to get a rounded view.
2. Refresh your value proposition
Audit your messaging. Are you covering more than just technical specs and performance? Are you speaking to individual and inspirational values?
3. Tailor content to different buyer types
Specifiers may want detailed compliance data. Installers might care more about simplicity. Developers might prioritise return on investment and long-term brand value.
4. Track loyalty, not just leads
Measure client retention, satisfaction, and NPS alongside conversion rates. These metrics are key indicators of perceived value.
This approach is especially valuable in construction, where buying decisions are complex and stakeholder influence is widespread.
What comes next
The B2B elements of value give you a clear lens for understanding what your customers care about. But mapping value is only the beginning. In the next part of this series, we will explore what makes a value proposition not just sound good, but actually work. You will learn how to build a proposition that resonates across multiple stakeholders, avoids common pitfalls, and creates a stronger case for why your brand should be chosen.
Still have questions? We’ve answered some common ones below:
Frequently asked questions
Start by understanding the problems your customers are trying to solve, not just the product features you offer. Use the B2B elements of value framework to map out pain points across different buyer roles. For example, specifiers may prioritise compliance and clarity, while contractors value reliability and ease of installation. Running internal workshops with your sales and service teams can help surface the elements that matter most in practice.
That’s a necessary foundation, but not a competitive differentiator. Table stakes and functional benefits get you in the conversation, but they rarely secure long-term loyalty. To deliver broader value, consider improving the customer experience, such as by offering better onboarding, proactive support, or stronger relationship management. These additions help you move higher on the pyramid and create emotional and individual-level impact.
Even in rational industries, emotional drivers still influence decisions. Confidence, trust, and reputational safety are powerful motivators. Use customer testimonials, case studies, or peer endorsements to build credibility. Highlight how your product makes life easier for specifiers or helps installers do a better job. These elements connect with buyers personally, not just professionally.
Yes. According to Bain & Company, businesses that deliver four or more value elements experience a 3.5x increase in Net Promoter Score (NPS). This means stronger client advocacy, improved retention, and greater resistance to pricing pressure. Delivering layered value is a proven way to build loyalty and long-term commercial success.
Start by aligning specific value layers with the priorities of different stakeholders. Specifiers may respond to design tools and compliance credentials. Contractors often look for reliability and ease of install. Installers value speed, safety, and clarity. Your messaging should highlight the most relevant B2B elements of value for each audience segment, using proof points and practical examples to support your claims.
Begin with a content audit. Review your website, sales collateral, and case studies. Are you focusing too narrowly on product features or price? Introduce emotional, individual, and ease-of-doing-business value layers. For example, share customer stories, clarify your brand purpose, and spotlight your post-sale support. Using the full spectrum of B2B elements of value helps your brand feel more human, trusted, and relevant.
Yes, when the message is meaningful. Inspirational B2B elements of value, such as sustainability, innovation, or purpose, resonate when they align with your customer’s own goals. For example, helping a client meet net zero targets or supporting social value initiatives adds impact beyond functionality. These stories must be authentic and clearly tied to business outcomes to be effective.
