B2B Sales (Business-to-Business)

What is B2B Sales?

B2B (Business-to-Business) sales occur when one company sells products or services to another company. Examples include software companies selling to enterprises, manufacturers selling to distributors, and agencies selling to clients.

B2B vs B2C Characteristics

B2B:

• Longer sales cycles (weeks to months)
• Multiple decision-makers
• Higher deal values
• Relationship-driven
• ROI-focused decisions
• Customizable solutions

B2C:

• Shorter sales cycles (minutes to days)
• Individual decision-maker
• Lower transaction values
• Transaction-driven
• Emotion-influenced decisions
• Standardized products

B2B Buying Process

1. Problem Recognition: Company identifies need
2. Solution Research: Team researches options
3. Requirements Definition: Specs determined
4. Vendor Evaluation: RFPs, demos, comparisons
5. Negotiation: Pricing and terms discussed
6. Approval: Multiple stakeholders sign off
7. Purchase: Contract signed
8. Implementation: Solution deployed

B2B Decision-Makers

Economic Buyer: Controls budget
Technical Buyer: Evaluates solution fit
End User: Will use the solution
Coach: Internal advocate
Blocker: Can veto the purchase

B2B CRM Needs

B2B CRMs emphasize account hierarchies, relationship mapping, stakeholder tracking, long sales cycles, deal collaboration, and proposal/contract management.