Understanding the deep drivers that push a prospect to buy is a key to succeeding in B2B sales. Among the useful tools, the SONCAS model is often cited as an essential reference by professionals in the sector. This approach makes it possible to precisely target purchasing motivations and refine the sales pitch when facing decision-makers. But what truly sets this method apart in the business-to-business context? Let’s discover together how to exploit the full potential of SONCAS in commercial relationships between companies.
What is the SONCAS model in the B2B context?
The SONCAS method is based on identifying six major categories of psychological needs likely to influence any purchasing decision: security, pride, novelty, comfort, money and sympathy. In B2B sales, these psychological levers take on particular importance because the decision-making cycle involves various actors with very diverse priorities.
Applied to the professional world, the SONCAS sales technique helps design a commercial strategy where each argument responds to a well-defined psychological profile. This goes well beyond simple product presentation, requiring the salesperson to carry out genuine work in active listening and analysis of the expectations specific to each interlocutor encountered.
Decoding purchasing motivations: towards key psychological profiles
Archetype is a family business. Marc Diamant founded the firm in 1993. His sons Davy and Steve joined him at the end of 2023. This continuity is not anecdotal: it’s what enables us to maintain client relationships for 20 years without breaks in method, without turnover that erases the memory of cases, without changes in direction every three years to follow the latest HR trend. Stability, in a profession built on trust, matters.
The motives that drive a company to choose one supplier over another often stem from several intertwined factors. Analysing these purchasing motivations according to the SONCAS framework makes it possible to better understand the terrain and personalise one’s approach. Companies that wish to go further in this process can also rely on recruitment specialists capable of identifying the right profiles to strengthen their sales force, for example through an experienced recruitment agency in Brussels.
Having a clear framework to recognise these psychological levers transforms each commercial exchange into an opportunity to adapt one’s sales pitch more precisely. Over the course of meetings, it then becomes possible to quickly identify what resonates with each prospect or client.
Identifying the decisive criteria in the B2B buyer
In many B2B situations, security occupies a central place. Buyers often seek to limit risk, both in financial and operational terms. They pay attention to guarantees, the solidity of the partner and the capacity offered to manage unforeseen events. Adopting reassuring methods, supported by concrete evidence, immediately reassures security-oriented profiles.
In parallel, a certain pride can be expressed through the desire to enhance the purchasing organisation or the decision-maker’s function. Showing how your offer confers a competitive advantage, premium status or sector recognition acts powerfully on this lever in the business-to-business context.
Adapting your sales technique to optimise persuasion
Knowing the prospect’s dominant driver is only the first step. Adapting your sales technique and juggling between several axes is even more appealing to the complex purchasing committees encountered in B2B. For example, some companies will be sensitive to novelty. They prioritise innovation, whilst remaining attentive to ease of use and change management. From this perspective, it may be relevant to regularly consult dedicated platforms to discover new employment-related opportunities, such as professional opportunities specialising in recruitment in Brussels.
The challenge therefore consists of shaping one’s sales pitch to respond to these specific motivations, whilst anticipating potential objections relating to budget, implementation duration or the operational support proposed.
Using the SONCAS method to structure the sales pitch
The strength of the SONCAS model lies in its ability to provide a clear structure for the commercial pitch, essential for facing the diversity of interlocutors encountered during a B2B process. It’s not about mechanically applying all the levers but concentrating one’s efforts on those that truly resonate with the prospect’s identified psychological profile.
To facilitate the use of SONCAS in preparing meetings or developing appropriate commercial materials, some salespeople build correspondence tables between product benefits and detected main motivations. This approach makes it possible to avoid unnecessary information overload and keep exchanges focused on the prospect’s priority interests.
- Security: provide reassurance about reliability and robustness.
- Pride: enhance image and differentiation.
- Novelty: present technological or methodological advances.
- Comfort: emphasise simplicity, support and time savings.
- Money: demonstrate return on investment or savings achieved.
- Sympathy: establish a climate of trust and proximity to facilitate negotiations.
Examples of wording adapted to each psychological lever
Let’s take some concrete examples to identify how to mobilise the different psychological levers. For a quality manager focused on security, it would involve explaining the certifications the solution holds or sharing case studies attesting to its proven robustness under extreme conditions.
When facing a director eager for recognition (pride), highlighting the strategic partnerships concluded or prestigious client references skilfully flatters the interlocutor’s ego and creates a strong emotional connection with your offer.
Subtly balancing messages through active listening
Knowing how to balance arguments is paramount. An excess of technical information when facing a comfort-oriented profile could generate confusion or stress. Conversely, omitting the innovation aspect before a decision-maker curious about novelty risks leaving a feeling of a banal or outdated offer.
The challenge then consists of asking the right questions, listening attentively to verbal and non-verbal signals, then dynamically adjusting one’s approach. This is precisely where the SONCAS method demonstrates all its relevance.
Integrating SONCAS into your commercial organisation
Putting the SONCAS model at the heart of the commercial strategy is not limited to training each salesperson individually. The entire team benefits from adopting a common reference framework based on the psychological profiles identified within the target clientele.
This standardisation makes it possible to offer a coherent customer journey and optimise the collaboration between sales forces and marketing teams. Together, they build argument matrices ready to be deployed during meetings, thus avoiding any inappropriate improvisation.
- Security axis supported by key figures, testimonials and contractual commitments
- Novelty axis illustrated through demonstrations, prototypes or innovative pilots
- Comfort axis delivered in the form of personalised assistance and proactive after-sales services
Collaborative tools to track purchasing motivations
Some CRM tools now make it possible to add fields linked to the different dimensions of the SONCAS model. Thanks to this, each prospect file keeps a record of the levers activated during exchanges, thus facilitating monitoring and information transmission within the team.
This also promotes collective skills development, with everyone able to draw inspiration from their colleagues’ successes to enrich their own argument palette in the field.
Evaluating performance with appropriate indicators
Measuring the impact of the SONCAS method involves different indicators such as the conversion rate of proposals, the speed of decision cycles or even the level of satisfaction perceived post-sale.
Comparing this data according to the predominant psychological lever used across different customer segments helps refine the team strategy. This concrete feedback progressively guides the updating of pitches.
Frequently asked questions about the SONCAS model in B2B sales
What are the main advantages of the SONCAS method for B2B sales?
The SONCAS method provides a rapid reading framework making it possible to better understand the purchasing motivations hidden behind each professional decision. By adapting the sales pitch according to these psychological levers, it becomes possible to increase prospects’ receptiveness and shorten the duration of sales cycles. This results in a better conversion rate whilst strengthening loyalty.
- Better understand the deep expectations of decision-makers
- Finely adjust the commercial approach
- Strengthen trust and the relationship
How can you recognise the dominant psychological profile of a B2B prospect?
Identifying the psychological profile requires carefully observing the topics raised, the formulation of questions and reactions to the arguments put forward. Certain clues such as insistence on guarantees betray a need for security, whilst seeking recognition often reveals a pride lever. Using a monitoring table listing observed signals makes it possible to cross-reference information and gradually refine the detailed reading of each contact.
| Profile | Typical signals |
|---|---|
| Security | Seeks guarantees, needs evidence |
| Pride | Wants to enhance their company or team |
| Novelty | Interested in innovations, asks questions about market intelligence |
| Comfort | Favours simplicity, observes ease of implementation |
What are the risks of ignoring purchasing motivations in your pitch?
Failing to integrate the purchasing motivations from the SONCAS model into one’s pitch exposes you to objections that are difficult to overcome and increases the risk of missing out on sales that were nevertheless achievable. A non-personalised approach seems bland and generic in the eyes of prospects. Conversely, personalising the approach makes the proposition far more convincing and memorable.
- Low engagement from decision-makers
- Risk of losing the deal to competitors
- Decline in the conversion rate of meetings
Are there concrete tools for applying SONCAS daily as a team?
Integrating the SONCAS model within a team CRM is an excellent option. Dedicated fields for each lever are often found there to analyse which motivations were raised. Paper or digital frameworks can also be used to prepare each interview by noting, for each contact, the signals detected and associated responses.
| Tool | Main use |
|---|---|
| Customised CRM | Centralised tracking of activated levers |
| Preparation framework | List observations and appropriate wording |
| Team meetings | Pool best pitch practices |
