We seem to have forgotten over the last decade or so that whether you’re selling B2B or B2C, we’re all still selling to people. So why do we appear to overlook that in B2B marketing? I believe B2B marketers might take a leaf from the B2C marketer’s playbook and attempt some of the revenue-generating methods.
83 percent of company purchasers believe that being regarded like a person, rather than a number, is critical to earning their business.
The perception that price is the most significant effect on B2B purchasing decisions could not be farther from the reality; in fact, pricing only accounts for 20% of the decision, but customer experience now accounts for 80% of purchasing choices. That is why, in this article, I will discuss three ways for improving your customer experience, allowing you to develop sustainably and overcome the competition.
1. Gather useful information
Data is seen as the most underused asset by 87 percent of marketers. It should come as no surprise that one of the most common complaints I hear from industry professionals is the inability to access and act on their data. It practically goes without saying that your data collecting procedure must be simple and straightforward for the buyer. Whether it’s a popover on your website, a ‘contact us’ form, or a newsletter sign-up, attempt to progressively collect data from the consumer rather than blasting them with a large form. Finally, data acquisition is what allows you to successfully use all of the following tactics, so make sure you nail it!
2. Make your material more unique.
Personalization appears to be all the rage these days, but there’s a reason for all the evangelism: it actually helps to create ROI. Remember how I stated that 83 percent of B2B buyers like to be treated as individuals? Personalizing your material, on the other hand, is a major step in the right way. A tailored experience is a proven technique to improve the total customer experience, which today accounts for 80% of B2B purchasing decisions. To do this, we must make use of the important data we have collected, and consider merging explicit and implicit data to provide the most personalised experience possible. The obvious initial points you’ll use are: name, title, and company. To take it a step further, you’ll want to track web sessions to have a better picture of what the customer is looking at on your website.
The usage of dynamic content is essential for customization since it allows you to scale easily, utilise data such as average order value or contract expiration date, and adapt the message you are attempting to convey to that specific person. Discounting is a common example I see. For example, you could be inclined to discount more freely for a company with a greater average order value than another.
Lead scoring is another sort of personalization. I know that when I’m working on leads in our CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365, the information I’m going to send to a certain individual changes based on the lead score they’ve attained. For example, a prospect with a low lead score may require more nurturing through useful material than a prospect with a higher lead score. A triggered SMS may benefit someone who is more involved with your brand since they are more likely to reply.
3. Make use of omnichannel marketing
It’s no secret that omnichannel is leading the way in consumer interaction, but many of the businesses I speak with are typically constrained by their own technology stack. I frequently inquire, “What is your current omnichannel strategy?” The most common response I hear is, “it’s not as nice as it might be.” This is a fantastic chance to fully use omnichannel and gain a competitive advantage.
We know that companies who use an omnichannel strategy are 89 percent more likely to retain their consumers than those that do not. There are several examples of how to employ more channels to move leads down the funnel quicker, eliminate no shows, and boost ROI. SMS is my personal preferred method. SMS can cut through the noise better than any other medium; it’s direct, and the near-perfect engagement score – a read rate of 98 percent – is difficult to surpass.
While I enjoy SMS, don’t forget about live chat. Did you know that 78% of B2B clients buy from the first brand that responds to their inquiries?
Brands must pay close attention to how decision makers interact with them and respond accordingly. Depending on the business, that initial point of contact might just be a query that has to be answered on the spot via live chat, sparing them from having to pick up the phone and call someone.
44 percent of B2B marketers say the lack of contact information is the primary reason they quit websites. I know from my experience with live chat at dotdigital that we receive a lot of fresh business leads moved over to the sales team from prospects asking inquiries on the go. These are chances that we would undoubtedly miss if we did not use that channel.
To summarise, the three ways for improving customer experience and enabling long-term corporate success are as follows:
- Collecting useful data: The data you collect will help you with all you do! Make it easy for your buyers to supply such data by making the procedure as simple as possible for them.
- Personalizing content: The customer experience is critical. Provide a highly tailored experience that will wow your customers.
- Using omnichannel marketing: Nowadays, one contact point is insufficient. Engage with your customers across multiple channels to convert leads quicker, decrease no-shows, and increase ROI.
