When we think about B2B sales, we often see it as a separate discipline from B2C sales. In many ways, this is true. However, there are several areas where the needs of a business customer and high-street customers overlap.
Customer experience is just as important to a business buyer as a regular customer, if not more important. In fact, the latest Salesforce data suggests that business buyers are more concerned about the buying experience than the average customer.
If you work in B2B sales or service, this shouldn’t be too surprising. After all, a lot of B2B sales are about developing long-term relationships with your client businesses. This often means taking care of your clients’ needs both at the pre-sale and post-sale stages.
To put that in context, let’s say you provide audio transcription software. For B2B sales, just having the best audio transcription service is not enough. You also need the best service experience to maximize your sales potential.
B2B Customer Service Explained
You may find yourself asking “What is B2B customer service?” This is when one company sells to another company, as opposed to selling directly to the public (B2C). B2B businesses normally deal with a smaller pool of clients than B2C businesses.
This means that a lot more time and effort is spent on relationship management and after-care. B2B businesses will often have dedicated account managers and support staff. They may even have individuals to do this for each major client, depending on the business.
Other than this, most aspects of B2B customer service are similar to its B2C counterpart. B2B support can involve call center services, software solutions, client consultations, and more. Let’s look at the key differences between B2B and B2C in more detail.
B2B vs B2C: Key Differences
While many operations of B2B/B2C services are similar, the focus of these workflow processes is often different. B2B focuses on the long-term nurturing of client relationships. You’ll also be looking for the mutual benefits that you and your clients can provide each other.
Relationship Building
When you’re dealing with a B2B buyer, you’re dealing with a professional. It’s important to always remember this in B2B customer service. They often know what they need and the budget they have to work with.
This means that, by default, there is fewer sales patter required with a B2B buyer. You don’t need to convince them they need the service you offer. You need to convince them that your service is a better option for them than your competitors.
This means developing your relationship over time. Initial introductions can be much less formal than in B2C. There are often corporate lunches or informal meetings before pitch meetings take place.
The post-sale support you offer will also be a key differentiator for a B2B business. When a company buys a product or a service, they value reliability. Take the example of a SaaS business. If your software develops a bug, your clients will expect you to fix it right away.
End-users may accept a few bugs and glitches, even some downtime. Especially if there are few other options on the market. However, B2B customers will almost always have another option. If your level of service is consistently lacking, clients will simply move on.
Collaboration
Once you have developed a lasting relationship with a client business, this makes working together on projects much easier. For example, if you are a manufacturer or supplier working with an office outfitter. Tackling projects together could increase net revenue for both businesses.
Collaboration also means working more closely with your business clients. Being willing to offer direct support, in person or otherwise, can give your B2B business an edge. The more you understand your client’s business, the easier it is to meet their needs.
Multi-Step Processes
The process of establishing a B2B account can be much longer than your average B2C customer journey. There are often several stages to go through. You have your standard interest-to-purchase flow, of course, but there are steps unique to B2B service.
For example, a B2B buyer might not have the final say on approving your service. They may have to get authorization from superiors or clear the budget. They may even have to confer with their clients to ensure your products meet their needs.
Reciprocal Value
Decisions on pricing and service levels in B2B are often made with reciprocal value in mind. This is the value that can be gained for your business from a client. This can mean both long-term financial gain and other less tangible benefits such as referral business.
To give a simple example, you might give one client preferential pricing due to the high volume of work they’ll bring you over a calendar year. There are other methods of bringing in added value from a relationship, whether it’s cross-promotion opportunities or exchanging backlinks.
[image ]B2B service expectations vs. realities. (Image Source)
B2B vs B2C: Key Differences
While many operations of B2B/B2C services are similar, the focus of these workflow processes is often different. B2B focuses on the long-term nurturing of client relationships. You’ll also be looking for the mutual benefits that you and your clients can provide each other.
Relationship Building
When you’re dealing with a B2B buyer, you’re dealing with a professional. It’s important to always remember this in B2B customer service. They often know what they need and the budget they have to work with.
This means that, by default, there is fewer sales patter required with a B2B buyer. You don’t need to convince them they need the service you offer. You need to convince them that your service is a better option for them than your competitors.
This means developing your relationship over time. Initial introductions can be much less formal than in B2C. There are often corporate lunches or informal meetings before pitch meetings take place.
The post-sale support you offer will also be a key differentiator for a B2B business. When a company buys a product or a service, they value reliability. Take the example of a SaaS business. If your software develops a bug, your clients will expect you to fix it right away.
End-users may accept a few bugs and glitches, even some downtime. Especially if there are few other options on the market. However, B2B customers will almost always have another option. If your level of service is consistently lacking, clients will simply move on.
Collaboration
Once you have developed a lasting relationship with a client business, this makes working together on projects much easier. For example, if you are a manufacturer or supplier working with an office outfitter. Tackling projects together could increase net revenue for both businesses.
Collaboration also means working more closely with your business clients. Being willing to offer direct support, in person or otherwise, can give your B2B business an edge. The more you understand your client’s business, the easier it is to meet their needs.
Multi-Step Processes
The process of establishing a B2B account can be much longer than your average B2C customer journey. There are often several stages to go through. You have your standard interest-to-purchase flow, of course, but there are steps unique to B2B service.
For example, a B2B buyer might not have the final say on approving your service. They may have to get authorization from superiors or clear the budget. They may even have to confer with their clients to ensure your products meet their needs.
Reciprocal Value
Decisions on pricing and service levels in B2B are often made with reciprocal value in mind. This is the value that can be gained for your business from a client. This can mean both long-term financial gain and other less tangible benefits such as referral business.
To give a simple example, you might give one client preferential pricing due to the high volume of work they’ll bring you over a calendar year. There are other methods of bringing in added value from a relationship, whether it’s cross-promotion opportunities or exchanging backlinks.
Hear From Industry Experts
Read the latest tips, research, best practices, and insights from our community of expert B2B service providers.
B2B Best Practice Guide
Generally, business clients will expect a higher standard of service than a B2C customer. There are a few best-practice standards you should follow to ensure your business is competitive.
Contracts and Service Level Agreements
Setting expectations is an important part of any customer service experience. If you make a promise to a customer, then you need to ensure you keep it to maintain trust in your business. In B2B service we define these expectations in contracts or service level agreements (SLAs).
This is important for two key reasons. Your clients know exactly what to expect. In the event of any queries or disputes, you only need to look at the contract details. Secondly, it gives your service team a clear set of standards to adhere to.
Software Support
Providing ongoing support is a given for B2B businesses. In almost all cases, you’ll be providing some form of after-care. That could be product support or a technical helpdesk. It could also be analytic software tools, reporting platforms, or AI chatbots for FAQs.
Embracing technological solutions that work for you and your clients will help grow your B2B business. You must incorporate feedback from your clients as you maintain and implement these systems. A solution is only viable if your clients can make use of it.
Maybe you need keyword research tools to collaborate on anchor text, or you just need to share an anchor text definition with your client. We’ll cover the various tech options that are most popular in B2B customer service in a bit more detail below.
The Proactive Approach
A proactive approach is the most positive way to approach customer service. In B2B service, it can be a vital factor in retaining your clients. This means monitoring client accounts and feedback and taking action before problems occur.
Preventing problems before they affect your clients is the most underrated function of customer service. If you’re doing it well, it goes mostly unnoticed. Though it doesn’t hurt to occasionally let your clients know what kind of services you’re performing behind the scenes.
B2B Tech Guide: The Best B2B Software Support Tools
Using the right technology can make a big difference to a B2B business. This doesn’t just mean jumping on the latest tech trends, either. You have to know what your client’s needs are. You also need to know what level of technology they are working with to make the right choices.
CRM Options
Central Records Management has become key to successful customer service operations. You can keep track of client information from all channels and organize this in a way that’s easy for your employees to access.
CRM software helps ensure consistent service across your business. This is important when dealing with B2B buyers as they value fast and efficient service. This is much easier to achieve when you don’t need them to repeat information to multiple departments.
There are several B2B focused options for CRMs. Salesforce is probably the most popular platform. This is due to additional features like analytic tools, collaborative tools, and automatic lead routing. Other popular options include Hubspot, Zendesk, and Pipedrive.
Call Handling Solutions
When you’re dealing with business clients, direct contacts within your business should be commonplace. You might have one contact for each client, or you may have one contact dealing with several clients. Either way, your clients should know who they need to contact.
This is where call handling solutions come into play. Whether you need automatic call routing software that integrates with your CRM, or just some call center coaching for B2B best practices. There are trusted third-party providers you can turn to for solutions.
Dialpad is a popular choice for B2B functions, as they offer a range of services covering both B2B and B2C operations.
Communication Apps
If your clients use external communication apps like WhatsApp, Skype, or Zoom, then you should too. It’s important to meet your clients in an environment where they are most comfortable if you want them to feel at ease.
In practical terms, this can be as simple as engaging on the channels they are familiar with. If your client wants a direct line to your consultants via WhatsApp, do your best to facilitate that. Digital transformation may be necessary to effectively service your clients.
Conclusion
B2B sales and service is a much more collaborative process than B2C. In both cases, you’re looking to serve your customer’s needs. In B2B, though, you have a unique opportunity to get to know your clients and what drives their business.
This doesn’t have to mean purely profit-focused motivators either. Many businesses and business leaders are taking a stand on social issues that are important to them. Maybe your clients value workplace diversity or they’re strong environmental advocates.
Finding business partners that match up with your company values can be a great way of building lasting relationships.