4 Must-Seize Digital Trends for B2B Companies

Like many B2B veterans, I am seeing consumer marketing trends make their way into the hearts and minds of business marketers, but in newer and even more innovative ways. And with the economy becoming more connected with each passing day, we will continue to experience disruption on a scale not seen since the dawn of the industrial age. I call it the B2B digital arms race; where those that take the leap, fail fast, and learn faster will lead the market.

 Before you jump, consider these four glaring B2B trends, taken from our technology insights, B2B client success and partner data (particularly Forrester, Gartner, Adobe, IBM and SAP).  

 Recognize What Customer Empowerment Really Means

 Customers have clearly made mobile their preferred channel for accessing information, tools and commerce. In this new world, customers are brutal, and when their needs are not met they go elsewhere - fast. Smart B2B companies are dominating markets by creating new companies to steal markets or overhauling their entire business to adapt and retain markets. If you want to give the age of the customer more than lip service, consider the following:   

Tailor internal focused customer engagement processes to the buyers journey – not vice versa

Focus on the  business outcomes your customer needs to achieve to sustain business advantage. It’s not about your product or service, it’s about your customer’s ability to compete more effectively.

Be available where-ever, when-ever and how-ever the customer wants you to be

 Customer Experience IS Your Brand

 Long gone are the days when your logo, color palette and design of your product comprised your brand. Today, brands are measured and shaped by the experience your customer has along every touchpoint with your business, product or service. Define every one of them through a customer lens. Adjust as you learn and do it fast. 

 According to recent Forrester research, B2B buyers report they are willing to pay 30% more for a better experience

Some reported they are even willing to circumvent the standard procurement process to have a better experience

Ubiquitous Commerce Is Expected

 Your customers expect to intuitively interact with your business, make purchases and get excellent post-sales support on their terms. If buyers purchase your product or service via their mobile device, give them a spectacular experience complete with the tools they’ll need to have their purchases internally approved. Nothing will delight (or surprise) them more. Keep those ideas rolling. 

 Make it so easy to do business with your company – that your customer will have little motive to go anywhere else, ever again.

 Today’s workforce works at all hours in all locations – it’s important you provide them the ability to do business any way they choose.

 B2B customers are relying less and less on salespeople for information, expecting a consultative role from them instead

Ensure your customers can buy through any method they choose, any location they choose and from any device they choose

Companies that do this well are reaping massive rewards and new streams of revenue

 Data Science Is No Longer the Subject of Science Fiction

 B2B companies have access to more technology than ever -- and they capture more data about customers than their consumer counterparts ever dreamed. Think about this for a moment. B2B companies have enormous opportunity to transform their value propositions into something that gives their customers tremendous, rapid results. Data science doesn’t have to be hard but the availability of these roles are limited so choose a partner wisely here.

 Utilize Smart Machines to enhance every aspect of the business for your customers

Companies that are doing this well have reduced costs dramatically, doubled conversion rates, greatly improved lead quality and lowered the cost of marketing

Hire a data science consultant to help identify data and the tech platforms that enable the use of that data in new ways

 Any B2B company that begins with a focus on these 4 trends will be well on their way to digital transformation that yields measurable, rapid and profitable results for the business.