The roles we play in life differ depending on the time of the day. The same person listens to news in the morning, replies to emails, does a to-do list, contacts contractors, spends time with family, etc. That’s why your B2B clients should always be treated from their daily habits perspective. Let’s check what accompanies the time spent on buying your products and see how it works out together. Maybe B2B e-commerce is worth considering?
Digital people
Let’s reflect to what extent a person working at a company you are cooperating with is digitally connected. Think about smartphone users who are constantly checking notifications, do everyday shopping online, and have communicators at the tip of their finger. How do they feel when something needs to be done in person, for example because they have to sign a piece of paper? These guys are aware that it is possible to digitize lots of processes and prefer the easiest and most comfortable solution. The extra effort that they have to put in to switch from quick settlements in private life back to traditional ways in the working environment might be discouraging. It will at least require explaining why we do it the analog way and why it is impossible to be done more user friendly.
Offering for both
It seems even harder to give reasons for differentiating B2B and B2C when you are offering products or services to both markets. Implementing different procedures might slow down your actions. Modern humans who work in your company are also becoming a factor here — probably they would prefer to work in the department that uses e-commerce, procrastinating the old fashioned system.
Of course, today’s e-commerce provides solutions that cover the needs of all channels. You can have one back-office system including warehouse, accounting, client management combined with 2 selling systems: standard B2C system along with B2B platform having more options including personalized discounts, multiple baskets, quick adding, price negotiations, etc.
Lockdown patterns
Another important thing are the lockdowns during Covid-19 and the need of isolation from others for your own safety. As the McKinsey report states, year 2020 brought change in the perception of doing business remotely. Video conferences with sales representatives rose from 38% to 53% of contacts. On-line chats likewise rose from 40% to 49%. Respondents express that remote patterns of communication will remain even after the lockdown is a song of the past.
Interest and usage of digital self-service available 24/7 is still rising — 35% of orders and reorders are conducted this way. Clients can manage their orders when it is most convenient for them. In the era of full time home office, remote schooling, and leaving some duties for the late evening, it seems like a relief.
Remote above all
Numbers show that almost 80% of your B2B customers prefer remote ways of doing business with you. When you combine this information with the fact that 75% of buyers claim that their loyalty comes from the positive customer experience, then right digitization of your B2B sales seems justified.
Making it work rests now on your shoulders, but we are here to advise and share the responsibilities of creating proper software!
