It used to be that anyone with any knowledge or experience in sales could draw a definitive line in the sand between the realms of B2B and B2c. And, indeed, they remain incredibly different entities on virtually all fronts.
Where they converge, however, is on the matter of sales experiences, rather than straightforward, cut and dry encounters between salesperson and company buyer.
The process of creating a strong sales experience is the best possible way of laying the foundation for many long and fruitful business relationships with customers, since it comprises all the individual elements that, on their own, contribute to your company’s ability to leave a good impression on customers.
But what exactly are those elements, and what does a strong sales experience look like in the realm of B2B?
A Loyalty Program for B2B Customers
According to recent insight, 57% of customers will spend more on a brand to which they feel loyal – and what better way to foster loyalty than by building incentives around it?
Chances are that you already know the basics of customer loyalty and rewards programs but, even so, may not be able to imagine how those same features translate over to business to business loyalty programs.
It is, after all, very easy to overcomplicate a process like this – or, on the other hand, to focus on the wrong areas in vain, rather than giving customers what they actually want. This is where utilising the specialist skills of a customer loyalty agency capable of creating a streamlined B2B customer loyalty programme can prove invaluable, since a large part of the battle when it comes to building B2B customer loyalty is in knowing how to optimise the process for them.
It requires a complex, enterprise-level system and a strong understanding of the entire channel, but will prove highly valuable for customer engagement and retention.
Personalise Everything
Like consumers, B2B customers are looking for the simplest route through the process. What this means is that a scripted pitch is a great starting point, but that a finishing touch needs to be added – one that exemplifies how specific to your prospects’ business or query the solution you’re offering is.
Not only is it an effective way of taking any potential guesswork out of investing into a new product or solution, but it’s an excellent practice for quickly building trust, and laying the foundations for a long term working relationship.
A little research goes a long way. And, while it’s always important for any sales team to know their ICP (ideal customer profile) inside and out, it’s equally important for each member of that sales team to be fully cognisant of the distinguishing characteristics of each real-life prospect.
Streamline Everything
We are all aware that the B2B world is experiencing a renewed verve for digitalisation, but that creating a website and a digital POS isn’t enough – and hasn’t been enough for many years now.
All B2B customers are consumers too, and they know the benchmarks of quality to which all online stores are now subject. Creating a perfectly streamlined experience without any friction, confusion or delays is key to ensuring regularly returning business, and an idealised B2B sales experience for your customers.