Why Generic Messaging Is Killing Your B2B Brand (And 3 Examples We Need to Retire Forever)
- Vivien
- Dec 6, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
B2B companies love talking about differentiation…Right up until it’s time to actually write something.
Then suddenly, everyone sounds exactly the same: Innovative. Trusted. World-class.
A beige buffet of corporate buzzwords.
Generic messaging doesn’t just sound boring — it actively works against you. It creates friction. It confuses buyers. It hides the real value you offer behind a fog of “blah blah blah.”
So let’s look at three painfully common examples of generic messaging — and why they’re silently sabotaging your pipeline.
1. “We help businesses grow with innovative solutions.”
This is the B2B equivalent of a politician’s promise.
Grow how?
Innovative in what way?
Solutions to what?
Vague messaging forces your buyer to work too hard. And buyers today don't have the time or energy to figure out what you mean.
Their attention is already being fought over by notifications, Slack pings, internal politics, and 42 other vendors saying the same thing.
If your message could apply to 10,000 other companies, it doesn’t belong in your copy.
What to say instead: Anchor your value in something specific, concrete, and tied to a real problem your buyer feels every day.
Ask So What? to find your true value
2. “A trusted partner for all your needs.”
This is the corporate version of “I’m here if you need anything!”
Sounds kind… but ultimately unhelpful.
It promises everything but commits to nothing.
No buyer wakes up saying, “You know what we need today? A trusted partner for all our needs.”
They wake up thinking:
“We need to reduce risk before our Q2 review.”
“We need to stop wasting money.”
“We need to streamline this process because the team is drowning.”
“Trusted partner” messaging doesn’t reflect their reality — it reflects yours. And buyers don’t buy from your perspective. They buy from theirs.
What to say instead: Describe the specific transformation you enable — and why you’re uniquely safe, smart, or effective in helping them get there.
What is it they gain - local expertise, 1-1 account management
3. “Delivering excellence through world-class service.”
This is a classic.
A phrase that has never once driven a buying decision.
It’s vague, inflated, and completely unverifiable.
If you removed it from your website tomorrow, nothing would change — not your conversions, not your pipeline, not your brand perception.
Imagine trying to explain “world-class service” to a CFO who’s making a politically risky decision.
They don’t want “excellence.”
They want proof.
Predictability.
Outcomes.
What to say instead: Show the reader what “excellence” looks like in action. Proof over puff.
Why Generic Messaging Happens (It’s Not Your Fault)
Most B2B companies don’t set out to be vague — they’re just trying to be safe.
Safe feels professional.
Professional feels credible.
But safety is not what drives decisions.
Your messaging needs
Clarity
Relevance
Empathy
And generic messaging is the opposite of all three.
So… what does good messaging look like?
Good messaging:
Makes buyers feel seen
Speaks to the real pressure they’re under
Reduces risk (political + psychological)
Shows what’s at stake
Makes the choice easier, not harder
Gives them a story they’re proud to repeat internally
Generic messaging doesn’t just make your company sound boring. It actively works against you.
It:
Creates friction because buyers need to translate your copy into what it actually means.
Confuses the committee because each stakeholder interprets the same sentence differently.
Slows decisions because nothing feels urgent, specific, or valuable.
Hides your real strengths under a fog of buzzwords.
Competes with every other “innovative, trusted, world-class” vendor saying the same thing.
And worst of all
Generic messaging feels like it’s saying something…but it communicates nothing.
If your messaging sounds like everyone else, it competes with everyone else. And that's why your deals are dying.
But when your messaging sounds like you — rooted in the reality of your buyer’s world — it becomes a shortcut to trust, clarity, and action.
You stop blending in.
And You start becoming known.
2 questions you can ask your team
Where are we using safe, generic language instead of saying something specific and useful?
Are we using our language — or our customers’ language — to describe the problem and value?
If your multi-audience messaging is getting stuck, I help you build one that creates movement.
🎯 Hi, I'm Vivien,
I specialise in psychology-led, layered, multi-audience message survival and work with Heads of Communications, CMOs, and B2B teams
I keep your messaging intact as it moves through stakeholders, decision-makers, and high-stakes moments and prevent message distortion before it costs you critical decisions.
Because you're not selling to 1 person. You're selling to 10.
