B2B buyers can be very selective about their buying experience. Over 70% of B2B decision-makers prefer digital or remote interactions over face-to-face meetings. Why? They like autonomy. They know what they want. More specifically, they want your tools to support that. The more you make them work, the harder it is to make the sale.
With this in mind, how can you make a customer’s experience better, using your existing B2B tool? We’ve got five suggestions:
#1: Curate with Intention
Think of this one as setting the table. Yes, your B2B buyer wants to work autonomously, but they can only work on what you set out for them.
Let’s say you use NuORDER as your platform of choice. You can create catalogs and products that “set the table” for your B2B buyers. Even better, your reps can sell the line from these catalogs—or you can create the choice for B2B buyers to enjoy a more autonomous experience as they browse the collection on your terms.
A good B2B platform can supplement the selling experience, of course, which means your presentation should sometimes feel like something they could experience in real life—such as on the road or in a showroom. Your buyers will feel the autonomy of viewing these themselves, while you get to curate the items in the flow you see fit.
#2: ATS Made Easy
Retailers are busy. They may need to replenish an item while styles are hot and in-season. You can create ATS catalogs to direct retailers to fast re-orders.
This feels like a self-serve option for retail buyers, but it also helps you. It keeps your bestsellers moving quickly, capitalizing on the popularity of an item in any given season.
#3: Create a “Wow” With Your First Impression
The buying experience should feel autonomous, sure. But you can goad people in the right direction by capturing their attention. You should capture buyers as they scroll through their brand choices and entice them to click on yours.
How do you do it? Invest in marketing materials. Retailers are happy to download assets like brochures because they help them understand the vision and direction of the line they’re choosing. They can also pass these materials to their in-store staff to help selling the products once they arrive.
#4: Think like a Retailer
When you add content to your portal, remember it’s about the end customer: the retailer. And what’s their experience like? They have lots of brands to shop through. Comprehensive information, ease of use, and a low-friction experience are the key elements here. That’s what impacts the buyer. So think like a buyer and optimize these.
In the NuORDER 2023 B2B report, about half of the orders were automated without the assistance of a sales rep, up from 33% in 2022. That means your buyers are trending more towards a low-friction buying experience. Find the platforms that can offer that to them.
#5: Create Meaningful Customer Communication
When you communicate with retailers, what happens? Do you think about the intended purpose of the communication? Do you measure your communication by checking out the results of your campaigns? If so, you can assess which days—or which content—is more likely to drive orders. But if you don’t track this data, you’re not approaching customer communication with a specific goal.
Your B2B tool—like NuORDER—can help you enhance the customer experience. But it all starts with putting yourself in their shoes and asking: what would I like if I was a buyer?
