How to turn B2B complexity into a competitive advantage online

If there were a textbook example for complexity, it’d have to be B2B buying. B2B commerce isn’t simple; it’s a world of custom catalogs, intricate pricing structures, complex sales agreements, and unique customer relationships.

Managing B2B complexity threatens to be a full-time task. How can companies shepherd extended sales cycles with multiple stakeholders without drowning in manual labor, order errors, and siloed data?

Here’s the answer: B2B complexity isn’t something merely to be managed — it’s something to be embraced. By centering your business’s complexity through a B2B-first commerce solution, you can turn B2B complexity into a competitive advantage.

What is B2B complexity?

B2B complexity refers to the intricate nature of purchasing in the Business-to-Business (B2B) world.

Unlike B2C, which typically has a short sales cycle, lower financial stakes, and a single purchaser, B2B has lengthy sales cycles with a lot more money on the line.

Here’s a sample B2C transaction. A customer wants to buy a new toaster. They check a few online reviews, click around Amazon marketplace, and ultimately place an order for a $45 toaster that day. From research to checkout, the entire process takes a little over an hour.

B2B sales do not work like this.

What is an example of the B2B sales cycle?

Let’s take a look at B2B complexity in practice.

Instead of a single customer needing to buy a toaster, a hotel chain needs to buy appliances for a new hotel they’re building. They want mini-fridges, microwaves, toasters, and even ovens for some suites.

The hotel has 200 rooms — and they need to buy appliances to fill every single one.

Procurement for this will take a lot longer than buying a single toaster. The company will need to negotiate pricing, make sure that the delivery date lines up with the hotel opening — the additional factors can be nearly endless.

With all these additional complexities, the B2B sales cycle length can take anywhere from a few weeks to nearly a year.

What is the risk of B2B complexity?

The risk associated with B2B complexity for sales is that every element of the sales process can end up siloed away from the other.

Take the appliance business again. The hotel wants to place an order for replacement toasters, some spare parts for the ovens, and they want to upgrade their mini fridges.

When the hotel calls the appliance company requesting another order, the sales agent has trouble finding their previous invoice. The hotel doesn’t have the specific make and model of the spare part required either. Eventually, they place an order for what they think is the right part.

Three weeks later, the order arrives. The fridges are perfect, but the replacement toasters aren’t the same model, and the spare parts don’t fit properly.

Because this business offers so many unique models of appliances — along with so many unique parts for replacement — the customer ended up ordering the wrong part, causing an expensive delay in upgrades.

This is the challenge of B2B complexity. While companies provide incredible choice and personalization to their customers — this same B2B complexity threatens to cause challenges when the information is siloed and hard for buyers to parse.

Ways you can you turn B2B complexity into a competitive advantage

Here’s the twist: B2B complexity isn’t just a hurdle to overcome, it’s a way to differentiate your business to stand out from the competition.

Embrace personalization to solve pain points.

Your B2B customers aren’t browsing a virtual catalog; they’re seeking solutions to complex problems. To win their business, you need to deliver an e-commerce experience that’s tailored to their unique needs and challenges.

This isn’t just about offering a generic product catalog; it’s about understanding your customers’ pain points, challenges, and goals. By embracing your complexity, you can leverage your e-commerce platform to deliver:

• Smart product recommendations: Go beyond basic “related items” with Advanced Related Products feature. Showcase complementary products or alternatives in visually appealing carousels or tables, complete with add-to-cart functionality and product-specific details. This intuitive approach guides customers to the right solutions, increasing average order value and boosting customer satisfaction.
• Customer-specific pricing: Recognize your most valuable customers with tailored pricing structures that reflect their individual needs and purchasing history. This fosters loyalty and encourages repeat business.
• Effortless promotions: Sana Commerce Cloud’s B2B Promotions feature streamlines the creation, application, and redemption of discounts. You can easily create targeted promotions, ensuring your customers never miss out on a deal and helping you drive sales during key periods.
• Streamlined ordering processes: Simplify complex ordering workflows with configurable options, automated approvals, and quick order entry. This saves your customers time and frustration, making it easier for them to do business with you.

By leveraging these advanced personalization features, you can create a B2B e-commerce experience that’s not only tailored to your customers’ needs but also drives measurable results.

Cut through complexity with guided selling

B2B businesses notoriously have reams of SKUs that customers need to sift through. Smart search features such as guided selling can help customers find the exact part that they need in a much shorter time.

Guided selling uses dynamic, AI-powered questions to guide a user to the correct product — using the responses from the previous questions to inform the next set, winnowing down the products so the customer has a more manageable catalog with only relevant products to choose from.

KWB: solving complexity

KWB, a leader in biomass heating solutions, took an innovative approach to streamlining the search process through its extensive stock catalog.

With Sana Commerce Cloud, they implemented a spare parts decision tree that narrowed down choices as customers went through the process. With just ten clicks, customers could find the exact product they needed.

This ultimately reduced order errors as well as time to order.

KWB: embracing B2B complexity!

Embrace your unique selling points (USPs):

What makes your business different? Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Focus on your strengths, your niche expertise, and the value you bring to your specific customers.

Use your e-commerce platform to showcase your USPs front and center. Highlight your unique products, services, and expertise.

Show off your products

In our latest B2B buyer report, we asked buyers what would make managing complex ordering easier online. 81% said detailed products and guides, while 77% said real-time preview of customized products.

Buyers want to see your products; they want to understand how they fit together, and they want to see what the products will look like when customized.

This is a perfect opportunity to turn B2B complexity into B2B specificity.

Partnering with Expivi, Sana Commerce Cloud enables your customers to visualize and configure products in stunning 3D and augmented reality. This interactive experience not only boosts engagement but also drives upsells and cross-sells as customers explore different options and add-ons.

Become a trusted advisor:

Your expertise is your differentiator. It’s what sets you apart from the competition and builds lasting relationships with your customers. But how do you showcase that expertise while managing the day-to-day demands of your business?

The answer lies in a two-pronged approach:

1. Content is king: Don’t just list your products online. Create valuable content that addresses your customers’ pain points and demonstrates your industry knowledge. This could include:

• Product guides: Help customers choose the right products for their needs.
• Industry insights: Share trends, best practices, and thought leadership pieces.
• Technical documentation: Provide detailed information and support resources.
• Customer success stories: Showcase how your products or services have helped other businesses.

By offering helpful information, you establish yourself as a trusted advisor, not just a vendor. This builds credibility and encourages customers to return to your web store as a go-to resource.

2. Leverage technology to automate:

For smaller manufacturers or those focused on consolidating sales online, it’s crucial to find ways to maximize efficiency. The right e-commerce platform can help you:

• Automate repetitive tasks: Free up your team’s time by automating order processing, inventory management, and customer communication.
• Provide self-service options: Empower customers to find information, place orders, and track shipments on their own, reducing the need for manual intervention.
• Streamline communication: Use integrated tools to easily share updates, answer questions, and build relationships with your customers.

By using technology to streamline your operations, you’ll have more time to focus on what matters most: building genuine connections with your customers and providing the personalized service that keeps them coming back for more.

Remember, becoming a trusted advisor isn’t just about knowledge; it’s about accessibility and responsiveness. By leveraging the right tools and resources, you can position yourself as an invaluable partner for your customers, regardless of the size or complexity of your business.

Manage B2B complexity with the right technology

Here’s the kicker: e-commerce is the number one preferred channel for B2B buyers. However, 75% are willing to change to a supplier who offers a superior online experience.

B2B businesses need to meet their buyers’ demands by choosing a solution that’s built to handle the complexities of B2B commerce, with features like customer-specific pricing, seamless integrations, buyer portals, multiple catalogs, and configurable workflows.

Sana Commerce Cloud is a B2B-first e-commerce solution, designed to not just manage B2B complexity, but turn your complexity into a competitive advantage.

B2B complexity: an opportunity hidden in plain sight

The complex nature of B2B commerce, with its custom catalogs, intricate pricing structures, and unique customer relationships, is not a roadblock to e-commerce success. In fact, it’s a treasure trove of differentiation waiting to be unlocked.

By embracing your complexity and choosing the right e-commerce platform, you can:

• Craft hyper-personalized experiences: Tailor your product offerings, pricing, and content to each customer’s unique needs and preferences, creating a level of service your competitors can’t match.
• Streamline complex processes: Simplify intricate workflows like quote requests, order approvals, and product configurations, making it easier for your customers to do business with you.
• Showcase your expertise: Position yourself as a trusted advisor by offering valuable insights, technical documentation, and industry-specific solutions.

In the B2B world, complexity is not a weakness; it’s a strength. It’s what sets you apart and makes your business valuable.

Don’t shy away from your unique challenges. Instead, lean into them. With the right strategy and the right tooling, you can transform your complexity into a powerful competitive advantage online.