B2B and B2C: what are the differences in sales and marketing strategies

Sales and marketing strategies have common foundations, however, things get significantly different when it comes to B2B and B2C sales. These two sectors share the same methods, they can have the same goals and even use the same tools, but it’s the underlying reasoning that makes all the difference.

The reasons are easy to understand: among all of them, the first difference that will have come to mind is the target. Different targets, driven by different purchasing motivations, already constitute the first crossroads that separates B2B sales from B2C sales.

In this article, we will see what are the main differences that should not be underestimated.

What are the differences in sales between B2B and B2C

B2C sales are those that occur between a company (that sells) and an end customer (that buys).

In B2B, the purchasing process involves two companies. There is therefore no end consumer, but another company that is interested in a service or product that can solve a specific problem, related to its business.

These are two areas that differ mainly in:

• target;
• purchase motivations;
• number of people involved in the decision-making process;
• complexity of the decision-making process;
• channels used and complexity of lead generation;
• level of customer knowledge;
• customer lifetime value (CLV).

In this infographic we can see the main differences summarized.

Let’s now look at these differences in detail.

Target and purchasing motivations

The first element to take into consideration when analyzing sales and marketing strategies is the target.

In the business-to-consumer sector, as the term itself suggests, the sale is directed to the final consumer. In most cases, the customer is therefore a single individual who makes a personal purchase.

In B2B, however, the purchasing decision is made at a business level. This means that the customer is not actually a single individual, but there are multiple decision makers, that is, multiple people who are consulted and involved in purchasing decisions. Decision makers can be managers, executives or CEOs of the company themselves.

An aspect that influences the two sectors in a very different way concerns purchasing impulses.

On one hand, we have the B2C sector in which there is a tendency to leverage emotions because in most cases purchasing decisions are made based on emotions and desires. In this sector, it is crucial to be able to leverage needs by trying to guide purchasing decisions towards your products or services.

On the other hand, in B2B the purchasing motivations are more varied because they involve more people at the same time. Furthermore, there are no impulse purchases, but much more rational decisions are made based on comparison and knowledge of the product or service.

Purchase process

The B2C market often relies on impulse purchases, which are therefore often made following a fairly short decision-making process.

The decision-making and purchasing process follows a very different structure in the B2B sector compared to the B2C sector.

Various factors are taken into account in the decision, starting from the opinion of different departments of the company, up to the consideration of the budget and the analysis of the ROI. The need to involve more people in the purchasing decisions, combined with all the other considerations, means that the decision-making process is much longer in the B2B sector.

In this process, it is important to consider that there is often a long research phase. According to a study by Rollworks, 77% of B2B customers conduct personal research before even contacting the sales department of a company.

Every purchasing decision therefore goes through several phases that include research, comparison and evaluation of alternatives. All these phases, during the exploration of possible solutions, can take place even before the first contact with the company through direct interaction, for example with a call or the request for a product demo.

This infographic contains some of the typical touchpoints of a lead’s decision-making path in B2B.

The complexity of the purchasing journey is increased by the need for decision makers to engage with each other to reach a common decision. In this Gartner chart, you can see a representation of the decision journey in the B2B sector, highlighting the numerous touchpoints.

Customer Awareness Level

The greater complexity in the decision-making process in B2B is reflected in a greater need in this area to give weight to the level of customer knowledge regarding a given area.

As we have seen, in the decision-making phase, B2B customers face long research processes and comparison of available solutions.

This greater understanding need must correspond to an adequate content marketing strategy.

In B2B, great importance is given to educating customers in the use of products. It is important to have onboarding and consulting programs for those who are about to use the product or service for the first time.

Let’s take the case of HubSpot for example: this platform offers marketing and sales solutions offering functions ranging from CRM to lead generation to e-mail marketing. In order to guarantee smooth adoption by customers, a well-structured onboarding program is necessary, not by chance, companies like HubSpot make courses available to customers (structured in an Academy) to train and make the most of the tools.

In B2C, on the other hand, greater emphasis is placed on emotional or inspirational content, but less weight is given to the informational component.

Lead generation

Lead generation is essential to acquire new potential customers, leads. This objective is common in both B2B and B2C. The main differences, however, concern both the main channels used and the entire strategy.

In B2B, some channels that can be used to carry out effective lead generation include e-mail communications and direct contacts via LinkedIn. In this area, webinars and online and offline events can also be useful for getting in touch with potential customers.

In B2C, also depending on the specific area, social channels such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok can be particularly effective for spreading inspirational and emotional content and for attracting new leads.

The lead generation process in B2B must focus in particular on lead segmentation and scoring. In these cases, in fact, we must always remember that the market niche in the B2B area is narrower, but this does not make it easier or less necessary to carry out correct and in-depth lead segmentation.

Lead generation can prove to be a fundamental driver for obtaining a flow of customers. In Visilay we created a lead generation funnel for Bosatta, thanks to which we were able to support a new flow of customers alongside the existing sales channel. With a funnel structured through Google Ads we were also able to overcome the limits of the physical sales channel that varied significantly in some periods of the year.

Customer Relationship

Customer care, onboarding and pre-sales communications are essential in B2B. The goal in this area is to establish solid relationships with customers and therefore have a very high rate of loyalty.

In B2B, long-term relationships are essential and therefore a solid foundation must be laid already in the pre-purchase phase. To improve retention, it is then crucial to maintain and exceed customer expectations also in the post-purchase phase.

This applies to all ongoing businesses (for example in the case of a recurring service or product), but also to ensure the success of future sales.

In B2C, however, the relationship with the customer is often put on the back burner and ends with the sale. Since the purchasing process is shorter, there are less interaction opportunities (especially one-to-one) and therefore it is more difficult to establish a long-lasting relationship.

Build a solid strategy with Visilay

In the B2B field, as we have seen, more complex problems often have to be addressed. The study of the target must take into account the presence of different decision makers and their motivations for purchasing. Furthermore, the channels to focus on and the lead generation strategies in B2B are aimed at better qualifying leads precisely because of the greater complexity of the target itself. Even with regard to content marketing strategies and customer onboarding, completely different paths are followed in the B2B field compared to B2C.

All these differences mean that the same approach cannot be used to obtain appreciable results. This is why at Visilay we specialize in following B2B companies and developing tailor-made strategies to help companies establish solid relationships with their customers.