E-commerce will become even more of a focus for the B2B marketplace over the coming years. Companies that will enjoy the highest growth during this period will invoke cutting edge technology sales techniques that fit the new process that e-commerce creates.
Surprisingly, there is a great deal of room for growth in the B2B e-commerce space. 83% of those surveyed in a BigCommerce report admitted they did not have even one channel for online sales. Although most of these companies were looking to create one within the next two years, there are many things that can get in the way of that ideal.
So what are the cutting edge tech sales processes that you need to know about?
Using Geography
The worst thing you can do is try to market to the world at once. International industry leaders don’t even try to do that with million dollar marketing budgets, so how can you? Geofencing is a great way to narrow down the market that you are targeting so that you can specify your focus.
Demographic information is a given, and behavioral analysis is an obvious choice to limit and prioritize your marketing. However, have you really thought about the geography of your outreach? How do weather conditions and proximity affect your sales? If you have not done any research into this aspect of your virtual sales world, it may benefit you to do so. Start with RFID and GPS technology to segment your audience and find the most fertile soil.
Using AI
Have you ever thought of “automating” your process of analysis and data grabs through artificial intelligence? Many companies are using AI to compile information about buyers. Contrary to popular belief, the most important person to know in most companies is not the CEO – it is the accountant or the financial professional who handles accounts payable. This puts you in direct line with the money. Most likely, CEOs in the scaled world of B2B delegate purchase decisions to accounting and finance. AI can help you find these buyers more quickly.
The current generation of AI can put together real-time organizational charts and pinpoint the employees who are most likely to handle the purchase decisions. Once you have this information in hand, you can more easily target your campaign towards them in ways they are likely to resonate with.
Using Apps for Your Brick and Mortar Storefronts
Although e-commerce is central to the next generation of B2B salesmanship, you cannot forget brick and mortar just yet. There is a slew of apps that give you leverage in the world of brick and mortar. This will only increase your leverage in the digital space.
When you prioritize physical storefronts alongside your digital ones, you automatically give your business the ability to prioritize certain local hotspots. This is exactly the kind of localization that the first tip in this article refers to. Why not give yourself an excuse to focus on those prospects in nearest proximity to you, especially if you have physical storefronts that give you a geographic advantage where they stand?
Use the above best practices to choose the best tech-driven sales techniques for you. The question is not whether to join this market – it is how you will join it. The initial investment may seem like a problem, but it will pay off in the future.
