For a complex B2B solution, about six to ten decision-makers are involved. They each have four or five pieces of information they've gathered independently and need to deconflict. Meanwhile, as new technologies, products, suppliers, and services emerge, the range of options and solutions available to your prospects also expands. Your sales need to understand what today's B2B buying behaviour means to them.
What is the B2B buyer journey?
B2B buyer journey is the complete process a buyer will go through, starting from:
- Aware of problem
- Interested in finding a solution
- Evaluates products and services,
- The decision to make a purchase.
- Onboarding
- Repeat purchase or renew
There are many ways to grow organically from existing customers through cross-sell and up-sell, but it is most often thought of as a stepping stone for new customers to start their sales journey with you.
Customer journeys include many elements such as delivery and customer service. Still, to ensure growth is adequately focused, the B2B buyer journey identifies hooks that truly engage prospects, aiming to get your prospects on board to make a purchase.
The buying journey isn't linear
Your prospects are no longer following a linear customer journey path with a clear beginning, middle, and endpoints due to the availability of information on the internet and the ability to connect with nearly everyone around the world.
Nowadays, prospects are never on a predetermined path - they are always unpredictable. Because of this, they move back and forth between ads, forums, social media sites, emails, blogs, etc. Taking control of the customer journey is a great idea, but you should remember that you may lose them if you do not fully understand and leverage the process.
Different customers have diverse needs, wants preferences, and behavioural patterns. You need to see each prospect as an individual and appreciate that every relationship will be different. The path to consumers now has constant motion, with control firmly in the hands of the customer.
Implications of today's B2B buying behavior
Sales are NOT the only channel to prospects – B2B buyers have gained control over their buying journeys. With the wealth of information available on the internet and the ability to connect with people worldwide, prospects are no longer following a linear route with a clear start, middle, and end. When searching for information, customers use a variety of channels. Therefore, it is essential that your sales team is trained to align between in-person and digital channels in supporting customers with their decision-making. Note that your Sales team is simply one channel, not the only channel.
Embrace the massive opportunities in omnichannel - Managing sales and customer service across several platforms may seem daunting. Still, it allows you to emerge as innovators and leaders in customer service within your Wholesale Trade or Retail industries by following your customer's path to purchase and adapt your product. Availability, versatility, and accessibility can often reveal more about your brand than your products or services.
Enable buyers to complete buying jobs - Information that simplifies the purchase process is what prospects want in this complex market. A Gartner study found that customers who felt information from suppliers helped them advance in their jobs were 2.8 times more likely to experience high degrees of purchase ease and three times more likely to buy a bigger deal with less regret as a result. Make sure your sales are armed with such information since it is imperative that information is delivered to prospects in such a way that facilitates their key buying functions.
Final Thoughts
Sales and Marketing must work in tandem.
Customer buying patterns are more or less simultaneous, as customers use digital and in-person channels almost equally to complete their buying tasks. And the recent omnichannel advancements are leaving many companies behind. It is vital that you take an Omnichannel approach to put customer-centricity at the centre of your sales and marketing strategies across channels.
Grow better with Zooloo, we are happy to help you get started with digital transformation, please contact us at sales@zooloo.asia.
- Pick up some marketing tips from our “How to” blog series
- Read about The Digital Transformation Journey
- Learn more about our “Digital Backbones”
Tags: #CRM #MicrosoftDynamics #digitaltransformation #B2B #digitaladoption #digitalintegration #digitalsolutions #wholesaletradesector #wholesaletrade
