Most B2B content describes work that never happened.
Not aspirational messaging. Just… generic projection. The sanitized version. The process as it exists in the manual, not as it happens on Tuesday afternoons.
Here’s what most content sounds like:
“We help manufacturing companies optimize their processes through systematic analysis and implementation.”
Here’s what the actual work looks like:
“We spent three hours last week trying to figure out why a production line kept backing up. Client thought it was their equipment. We thought it was their scheduling. Turned out the loading dock team changed their break times six months ago and never told the production floor. Forty minutes of downtime every shift because two departments stopped syncing up. Simple fix once we actually saw it.”
One sounds professional, sort of. The other sounds like someone who’s actually done the work.
Why We Skip the Real Stuff
It feels too specific. You think: “This client’s problem is unique. Nobody else will care.”
Wrong. Their problem is never as unique as they think. If one customer has it, five prospects have it too.
It feels too simple. You solved it in 20 minutes. Doesn’t seem worth writing about.
But that 20-minute fix came from years of pattern recognition. Document the solution, not just the complexity.
It feels too messy. The real work includes false starts. Wrong turns. The moment you realized what you’d been missing.
That mess is proof you’ve done this before.
What Documentation Actually Does
Shows pattern recognition. “We’ve seen this seventeen times” beats “We have a proven methodology.”
Reveals expertise in action. Anyone can claim competence. Only you can describe what competence looks like at 2 a.m. when the system crashes.
Provides useful context. Your prospects are facing similar problems right now. Show them you’ve navigated this terrain.
The Simple Framework
- What actually happened – A client call. A system failure. A question someone asked.
- What you actually did – Include what didn’t work. The false start. The moment you figured it out.
- What you actually learned – Not “communication is important.” A specific insight about your work.
Start Tomorrow
End of day: “What problem did we solve today?” Three sentences. Post it.
After client calls: Write down what they were stuck on, what you explained, what clicked. That’s your next post.
From Slack: When someone explains something well internally, publish it externally.
You’re not creating content from scratch. You’re capturing expertise that already happened.
The Real Difference
Generic projection: “Our systematic approach ensures optimal outcomes.”
Documentation: “The sensor was installed backwards. Fixed in 20 minutes. Updated our installation checklist so it won’t happen again.”
One could be anyone. The other is clearly you.
Your prospects are looking for proof you’ve done this before and know how to handle it when things go sideways.
Show the work. The specific, messy, real work.
That’s what builds trust.