Business news about B2B services has changed significantly in recent years. With the pandemic, an already existing trend in digitizing the purchasing process has become more acute.

Today, B2B companies have experienced a change in their buying habits. Therefore, it is essential to be present on digital channels to be found by customers, providing them with quality information and standing out from the competition.

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The rise of digital B2B

A study by Gartner states that salespeople are playing an increasingly less relevant role in the buying process due to the availability of quality information through digital channels. B2B buyers spend only 5% to 6% of their time meeting with a sales representative during the supplier comparison process. Therefore, it is critical to have a B2B digital strategy in place for effective invoice forecasting, as 94% of the process is not vendor-dependent.

However, we should not wait for the customer to contact us to solve their last doubts before making the purchase. It is necessary to complement omnichannel attraction marketing strategies with others that approach the potential B2B buyer individually, with empathy and cordiality.

To achieve this, it is essential to master the different platforms and digital tools and develop digital communication skills to differentiate oneself in a market saturated with information. A McKinsey report highlights how "hybrid" sales reps, who interact with customers across multiple channels, are becoming the most effective sales role, generating up to 50% more revenue.

"It is critical to have a B2B digital strategy in place for effective invoice forecasting"

Iñaki Alcaraz

In addition, a change has been observed in the attitude of buyers towards the figure of the seller, which I call the "Amazon buyer", because their behavior when buying for their company resembles the behavior they would have when buying something for themselves on this platform. It can be said that nowadays, the salesperson is no longer the one in charge of selling, but the customer is the one who makes the purchase.

B2B businesses that do not have a solid digital presence may find it challenging to earn recurring revenue in markets where their brand name, products or services, or sales reps are unknown.

To become known, it is essential to implement omnichannel strategies that involve sales reps interacting with customers through social media, posting videos about the benefits of their services, making phone calls to customers, and engaging with them frequently to build trust before sending a personalized offer.

In my experience, the approach to company decision-makers starts with the "Digital Personal Brand" (DPM) of sales reps. This MPD is built through the social networks used, and LinkedIn stands out as the most important due to its large size and high usage worldwide, with approximately 900 million users. Currently, about 9 million company profiles on LinkedIn. Can you imagine the wide range of B2B marketing actions you can carry out?

In the current context, the entrepreneur's reputation transmitted through digital media is essential for developing your company. The best way to communicate this reputation is by example.

Although many business leaders still have the opposite belief, more is needed to be a good professional, to send internal communications or use the intranet to communicate with employees or to believe that the business will automatically flourish due to good work and customer recommendations.

It is now necessary to demonstrate influencing skills in the lives of employees and customers, also through digital media such as LinkedIn. This is important for all managers and business leaders, not just large companies. This is what is known as "digital exemplarity."

Selling B2B on LinkedIn: How to do it successfully?

But often, lack of knowledge or time prevents entrepreneurs and managers of B2B companies from implementing a digital strategy that generates new opportunities regularly. 

Entrepreneurs should prioritize LinkedIn-related tasks in their daily agenda, as this professional networking platform offers them several key benefits to improve their digital presence and grow their business. 

Some of these benefits why entrepreneurs should prioritize LinkedIn would be:

• Increase their visibility and that of their business: a complete and up-to-date LinkedIn profile will help entrepreneurs increase their digital visibility and reach a wider audience. Of course, a LinkedIn profile that reflects your experience, skills, and accomplishments, along with a professional photo and a detailed description of your knowledge and skills, can generate new business opportunities. But it is not enough; you also need the following point.

• Enhance your professional reputation: if you post relevant content frequently, which is helpful to your network of contacts while showcasing your experience and expertise. Also, actively participate in relevant groups in your industry. This will encourage receiving positive recommendations and reviews from other professionals to establish yourself as an expert in a given industry.

• Establish good relationships with other businesses: LinkedIn is a platform designed to connect with other professionals in your industry and join relevant discussion groups. To increase the chances of success, the professional reputation cultivated in the previous point, personalizing connection invitations with topics of interest to connected people, and mastering the filters of LinkedIn's advanced search tool to find potential clients are essential. Having a quality network of contacts on LinkedIn is crucial to building relationships that allow you to do business with other companies.

• Find new clients: Entrepreneurs can employ their network to build valuable relationships, research people potentially interested in their product or service through one-on-one conversations, and discover new business opportunities, in those conversations. 

However, it is essential to remember that this tactic requires a strategic approach and careful planning. If the goal is to reach a specific audience and generate a significant impact, selecting the content to share, the discussion groups to join, and the people to connect with is essential.

The keys to implementing a good strategy for engaging on LinkedIn can be summarized in three recommendations:

• A well-built and filled-out profile on LinkedIn is essential to give a good impression of you to others. An excellent professional photo, an original and accurate professional title, and a well-crafted and keyworded excerpt are fundamental elements to stand out on the network and attract the attention of potential clients or professional contacts. It is important to be creative and differentiate yourself from others, showing your skills and achievements differently and attractively. In addition, it is essential to keep your profile updated and active, publishing relevant content and participating in discussion groups and communities related to your field of work.

• Target audience segmentation must be very clear about your potential client and get to know them as much as possible through the data they can offer you in their LinkedIn profile. By segmenting your target audience with similar characteristics, you can develop more effective marketing strategies, targeting a specific group of potential customers with similar needs and desires. By knowing your target audience better, you can create more effective and personalized communication, which increases the chances of success in your B2B marketing strategy.

• Be subtle in your posts and cordial in your conversations. "Commercial pressure" is a tactic often perceived negatively by potential customers, as it is based on selling something directly and quickly. However, there are indirect ways of doing business that relies on persuasion and seduction, with strategies to attract customers subtly, making them temporarily forget that they are being sold something. It is important to note that people do not enjoy being pressured to buy something, so it is advisable to avoid this tactic.

In conclusion, the digitization of the B2B buying process has become more acute with the pandemic, and B2B companies need to be present on digital channels to be found by customers, providing them with quality information and standing out from the competition. The B2B digital strategy is crucial to effective turnover forecasting, as 94% of the process is independent of the salesperson.

Master the different platforms and digital tools and develop digital communication skills to differentiate yourself in an information-saturated market and achieve greater sales effectiveness.

Implementing omnichannel strategies and building a "Digital Personal Brand" to build trust and make personalized offers is essential. In summary, having a B2B digital strategy is critical to a predicted turnover in 2023.

About the author: Iñaki Alcaraz is a Founding Partner of AGLV, an international speaker, and an expert in business strategy and new technologies. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and business strategies, both in start-ups and multinationals in many different sectors. After intensively managing Linkedin profiles of B2B business owners and entrepreneurs for more than five years and maintaining more than 50,000 conversations with potential clients, Iñaki has become one of Spain's main referents regarding B2B sales and brand building via LinkedIn. 

The post Keys to B2B selling using LinkedIn! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By our partners at LogiCommerce - The B2B sector is undergoing a digital transformation, and the eCommerce is the ideal channel for them to save on operating costs, reduce management time and to grow faster.

Productivity is the key to profitability. This is why B2B companies are turning to the online sales channel to make purchases more cost-effective and efficient.  

B2B eCommerce platforms provide fast, easy, and real-time access to data and updates on inventory, product catalogs, and much more to improve daily workflows and make them more accurate since all the information is centralized in one place thanks to the online channel. eCommerce also makes it easier to track results and measure KPIs. 

So, what features should you consider when digitizing your B2B?

1. Personalized shopping cart and product catalog  

Providing easy access to your products and creating a seamless checkout will save your customers time and enhance their experience. In the B2B sector, it is particularly important to present your catalog in a clear way showing all the information related to your products such as images and/or videos, instructions, product descriptions, price, shipping method, return policy, and reference number, and others. 

• Customized Catalog per user group: Configure the catalog according to the user or user groups. 
• Minimum Order Quantity: Define the minimum and multiple order quantities according to customers or groups.
• Shopping Cart Detail: Break down all taxes, shipping costs, and costs associated with the payment method in the shopping cart and sales documents.
• B2B Payment Methods: Provide different payment conditions and methods based on customers or groups.
• Manual orders: Place orders on behalf of your customers easily with the Drag & Drop feature.

2. Prices and pricing policy

B2B pricing can be complex, so it is important that the platform you work with, allows you to configure rates, prices and discounts based on customers, customer groups, countries, and areas. Pricing should also reflect bulk purchasing options since this type of business model tends to buy in large quantities, so it's useful to offer discounts based on the volume of the order.  

• List Pricing Policy: Configure rates based on customers or groups and countries or areas.
• Pricing Policies: Define product prices by ranges calculated based on the percentage of variation, the general price or a specific customization.
• Geolocation Pricing: Configure specific prices according to the geographic location of the customers.
• Advanced Pricing Policy: Targeted pricing for specific customers or geographic areas in a multicurrency system.
• Pricing policy by Quantity: Set the base and offer prices for product quantity ranges (units).

3. Sales agent management   

Most B2B businesses have Sales Agents who manage several customers, make them special offers, place orders for them, etc. What if you could assign these Sales Agents to existing customer accounts in your eCommerce? This way, they will have an overview of the orders of each of their assigned customers and will be able to prepare carts for them or even make purchases on their behalf. You can also assign commissions to your Sales Agents.   

4. Shipping and logistics   

B2B companies have demanding delivery needs, especially shipping to several locations, splitting expeditions, and sending products from suppliers and warehouses. By using drop shipping, you will increase the delivery speed as well as shipping from different logistics centers.

• Multi-expedition: Generate multiple shipments of an order based on different logistic criteria such as warehouses, shipping carrier, and delivery times.
• Logistic Centers: Assign your warehouses to several logistics centers to effectively manage your deliveries.
• Warehouse Stock Rules: Set up the supply of stock from another warehouse if the linked warehouse with the highest priority does not have stock.
• Pre Order Products: Allow customers to pre-order upcoming products that are unavailable for immediate delivery and automate order processes according to your business rules.
• Warehouse Conditions: Define the geographical areas of influence of each warehouse to cover your shipments.

5. User experience

User experience is one of the most valued elements nowadays when selling products or service online. B2B customer experience should be as similar as possible to that of B2C; short learning curve, responsive web, user-friendly interface, and quality content. An eCommerce facilitates the opportunity for B2B's to sell and buy from any location and through multiple channels, offering highly personalized support and guiding the customer through the entire purchasing process.  

Customer experience is dramatically improved thanks to 24/7 accessibility to the online store, better product presentation because of the opportunity of incorporating images and videos, more detailed information, and payment and delivery methods flexibility.

• Repetitive Order Processing: Facilitate the ordering process with maximum efficiency by letting your customer repeat previous orders in only 1-click.
• Bulk Purchases: Allow your customers to quickly buy a list of products for each category, brand, or campaign.
• Advanced discounts segmentation and targeting: Customize shopping experiences through advanced discounts segmentation and targeting.
• Order tracking: Let your customers follow orders from their personal area or through a configurable tracking widget.
• Stock alerts: Send automatic emails to the list of customers that signed up for out-of-stock notifications when a product is back in stock

It's time for your B2B to start selling

LogiCommerce is the Headless eCommerce platform that helps you to reduce operational costs and improve your B2B & B2Cmanagement by connecting all your sales channels with a fully integrated solution and a single Control Panel. 

The post 5 Top features for your eCommerce B2B appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

What was the motivation to move towards a more digital business model?
“On the one hand, we wanted to sell online because the customers are increasingly getting used to doing everything online. In their private life, they are accustomed to services as offered by Amazon or Zalando, and therefore begin to wonder why in the B2B environment they should still do everything in an old-fashioned way. In addition to that, we wanted to improve our service. We had a strategic analysis performed by a company called Fenego, who made an overview of how to better translate our goals into a digital strategy. We want to sell the farmers what they need, but also offer technological support to help them improve. One example is to help livestock farmers monitor the growth of their animals online. Technological applications like this not only serve the farmer, but also help us to offer the farmer new options to optimise his business, such as advanced nutrition fitting his situation. The classic cross-selling has got a new component: the salesman used to speak to the farmer out on his land to talk about his needs, but it is now also driven by data gathered online. Online data has given us an alternative, additional source of information.”

So, the e-commerce system is also used within the organisation?
“The digitalisation of Schippers’ processes supports both the continuous improvement of the system, and the optimisation of support the company can offer to its customers. Customers can see their invoice history independent of the sales channel of their previous orders. They can easily place repeat orders or make a list of favourite products. They can also start a return procedure wherever they are. Also, the inbound personnel of Schippers can always access this in real time.
The 10 localised websites not only serve the customers buying online, but also support the inbound sales agents when assisting buyers over the phone or to make orders. As the inbound agents make such heavy use of the e-commerce systems, their feedback is of great value when improving the processes.”

Do you offer localised content?
“Yes, we have all our foreign websites in the appropriate languages, and I can tell you that translation is an undervalued challenge. We use translation agencies, and then have all content double checked by our local people. We are lucky to maintain good relationships with the team and clients in all countries, so we get enough feedback to find problems in the texts and to improve. Besides translations, the content is localised as well as the payment methods.”

How did you manage the transition to a functional, international e-commerce system?
“We have a PIM system (Product Information Management), where we manage our collections, which we share with the webshops. In the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium we have the same collection, which can be compared with a category structure. Products may differ, but the structure remains the same. In Canada, for instance, we have a smaller assortment, so we had to adapt the category structure. Our PIM shares product data and collections with touchpoints through websites, apps and catalogues. From the PIM, we have a special application to share information with the website and we also use it to make our catalogues.”

Catalogues? Do they still exist?
“Sure! They are an important marketing and information feature because people can easily start exploring with catalogues. In addition, with a web shop, you can’t make it clear that your company has a wide range of choices, whereas the thick catalogue always creates that idea. Another positive is that clients start looking online when they are already in an order process, whereas the catalogue is looked at during lunch or coffee, just to have a little browse. This has an inspirational value.”

With which platform do you realise international online sales?
“We use Intershop. It is an internationally powerful B2B platform that makes it easy to manage different situations in different countries, e.g. when it comes to pricing, VAT or shipping costs. We thought the risk of taking an open source platform was too big for us. Intershop makes each international step faster and easier, and we can open in new countries without any problems. We integrate our catalogue, Syncforce and all client data and prices (SAP) with the Intershop platform.”

How do you manage international differences?
“In each country, there is a marketing expert who also advises on the local assortment. The assortment differs per country, and the registration for products might also be different. On top of that, we see that the acceptance of internet as a B2B purchase channel varies from country to country. In Germany, internet usage is sometimes very low, so we suggest to our farmers to try ordering online, but we never push them to change their habits. For us, there is no difference in which channel they use.”

In which way do you use online marketing as a tool?
“We carefully weigh with which kind of customer we are interacting with. Smaller clients are often sensitive to promotions, special offers, that we can put online. They constantly weigh us against the competition. Larger companies have a different relationship with us: we talk about solving problems and we build a different kind of trust and long-term collaboration. The website becomes an ordering tool. We know that the farmers need time for their work, so we don’t want to steal it. We make appointments for real discussions about optimising operations, and shopping can easily be done via our online services, even after working hours if the client wishes. One of the most important questions was how can we better facilitate our customers by offering a 24/7 self-service portal. In order to accomplish the goal of showing the customer as much of the information possible relevant for the customer individually, we needed to make information from the SAP ERP system available in a ‘My Account’ section on the webshop. This was realised through a synaptic integration between Intershop and the SAP-system used by Schippers. We also make increasing use of social media; Facebook is regularly used by farmers and we have already accumulated 10 000 likes in about 10 months. We also get questions there from all over the world, which has already clearly increased.

Is it difficult to make customers trust online markets after years of ordering from a catalogue?
“The most important factor here is reassurance. If you send a good order confirmation, you already win a lot of trust.”

How do you deal with marketplaces like Amazon or Alibaba, which may compete with you on certain levels?
“They are active in certain overlapping sectors, yes. We don’t use marketplaces like Amazon and Alibaba for our sales. For the future, I could imagine it would be interesting to grant other, third-party suppliers access to our marketplace and client base. But we would then keep everything under our name and brand identity. However, we would not like to engage in drop-shipping models, because it distracts our clients from their work if they have to leave the stable for multiple deliveries. In our checkout process, you can always bundle your products to a single delivery. But if we can arrange it in a way that suits us, developing towards a marketplace model is surely an option.”

And other continents, such as China for instance?
“There are cultures where our products simply meet a much lesser demand. In China, livestock farming is not at a level that structural hygiene and an anti-antibiotics policy as advocated by us, are something people are looking out for. But who knows what the future brings. Martien Schippers always said the Netherlands is- as far as the farming industry is concerned- a good indicator of what will happen elsewhere in the future.”

The post “I could imagine opening up for third-party sellers” appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.