Each month we go in-depth into topics discussed in one of the Master B2B Boardrooms, our monthly roundtables for B2B eCommerce executives.
What we heard in the Boardrooms:
I don’t like to talk about myself here (eh, who am I kidding!), but I found one of the Boardroom conversations we had recently to be extremely resonant for me.
My own background is mix of B2C and B2B – The first chunk of my career was in eCommerce for an apparel company, and I later transitioned to the B2B side of things working in software. I was always shocked by how different the two sides of the world were – how little the software side understood about how B2C companies think about their business, and how little B2C companies understood about how software companies are run and how the salespeople they interact with are motivated (both intrinsically and financially).
In the Boardrooms this month we heard one member with a background in B2C eCommerce talk about their experience trying to weave those learnings into the B2B eCommerce role the Boardroom member is currently in. That member expressed some surprise (and perhaps a little frustration) with the pushback received when trying to introduce ideas and strategies from B2C eCommerce into the new organization. I had my own flashbacks after the Boardroom member shared that the feedback they received was often, “we’ve tried that and it didn’t work” and “that’s just not how we work here.”
The Boardroom member put it this way: “We have a lot of conversations about ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’”
Why that matters:
It’s unfair to say that more innovation occurs in B2C companies (even though you hear that idea batted around). Rather, the reduced complexity of selling to consumers means there’s far less risk in trying new technologies (plus, there’s an enormous ecosystem of start-ups supporting B2C eCommerce, making it relatively inexpensive to implement new tools, relative to B2B).
(Though even Shopify – the B2C eCommerce poster child – is doubling down on B2B eCommerce).
Even so, life is unfair sometimes. Consumers have come to expect a certain website look-and-feel; a certain level of online customer service & order information; speedy delivery times; and lots more. Given the seemingly never ending growth of Amazon (including – perhaps especially – in B2B), those consumer expectations are only going to increase over time.
Which is why it’s all the more important for B2B eCommerce organizations to bring in more expertise from their B2C cousins. Not because B2C is “better” or “easier” or whatever – but because it’s like those folks are returning from a trip to the future. What B2C buyers expect today, B2B buyers will expect in 3 years (or are already expecting).
What to do about it:
I wish the answer were just to tell everyone, “Hey, let’s have an open mind and listen to our friends who have sold stuff to consumers.” Alas, that’s not how it works.
One Boardroom member told us that they tried that approach: basically, “Hey, I spent 10 years selling to consumers and we learned a whole bunch from that that I’d love for us to implement here.” But that was met with blank stares and “you don’t understand B2B.” They even felt they lost a little credibility by even bringing it up.
Amazon, though, does seem to be the bridge between the two worlds.
One Boardroom member told us:
“Before we launched ecommerce, we did a survey of customers in our target segment and just asked them where they shop online. We didn’t say B2B or B2C. And we didn’t specifically list Amazon. But about 85% of responses included Amazon. People don’t differentiate shopping for personal vs work. Just because they’re at work doesn’t change their expectations around shopping behavior.”
Having that data ready – and making the conversation about Amazon – opened up lines of communication around bringing more consumer-friendly experiences to the B2B buying process.
Another Boardroom member tried a similar approach successfully:
“I’m trying to show them that Amazon isn’t just a consumer platform. That Amazon is growing significantly for B2B. Our B2B customers are buying our products from Amazon. Your target customer is buying from Amazon. Your products are on Amazon. Let’s not ignore it. Let’s control it. It’s about taking a specific product in a specific region and making the business case for it on the platform.”
Just a little ironic that Amazon may be the very thing that helps you expand your B2B eCommerce functionality, rather than the thing that kills it.
