If you want to genuinely engage clients in the B2B space, you need more than a checklist. According to Steven van Belleghem, expert in conversation marketing and author of The Conversation Manager and The Conversation Company, marketers must go beyond channels and tools – they must focus on building meaningful dialogue.
Van Belleghem is keynote speaker at the B2B Marketing Forum on March 20, where he’ll explore this topic in depth. Ahead of the event, we spoke with him to dive into his insights on modern B2B marketing.
Stop the Checklist Mentality
What does Van Belleghem mean by “checklist marketing”? Simply put, it’s the habit of following trends without a real strategy.
“If Facebook is hot, we create a Facebook page. Then we jump to Twitter. We end up with many channels – but little real conversation.”
The issue isn’t the tools – it’s how we use them. “Marketers often have the right platforms but aren’t using them for meaningful interaction,” he says. The result? Wasted potential and missed opportunities to truly connect.
The Paradox of Conversation Marketing
Here’s the paradox: most companies say conversations are valuable, but very few actually do conversation marketing.
Van Belleghem believes this must change.
“Conversation should be part of your company culture. Clients should know what to expect, and employees – across all levels – should know how to communicate.”
Importantly, support from C-level leadership is key. “This isn’t something you delegate to a department. It’s everyone’s job.”
Four Ingredients of Great Conversation Marketing
So, what makes a great business conversation? Van Belleghem shares four essential factors:
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Customer Experience – Happy customers come from good products and service.
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Conversation – Be human: listen, respond, be polite.
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Content – Give people something meaningful to talk about.
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Collaboration – Involve customers early in decision-making.
Together, these create fertile ground for long-term loyalty and brand advocacy.
How to Start With Conversation Marketing
Want to embed conversation marketing into your B2B strategy? Van Belleghem suggests starting small but strategically.
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Build internal awareness. Understand the tools and people involved.
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Run pilot projects – five to seven initiatives to test your approach.
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Prove value early. Show results and scalability.
He compares the process to climbing a mountain. “You start at base camp and work your way up. Some may get catapulted to the top – but that rarely ends well.”
Final Thought
True B2B engagement doesn’t come from the latest social channel – it comes from conversation. And conversation takes structure, patience, and commitment.
Join Steven van Belleghem at the B2B Marketing Forum on March 20 at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam and learn how to make your B2B conversations count.