Omnichannel is Going to be Critical For B2B in 2022

The average customer uses roughly ten different channels to engage with brands and companies need to be following that example to reach their B2B audience as well.

As the lines between B2B and B2C become ever more blurred, customers are expecting to receive similar experiences in their business engagements as they do when making purchases or being exposed to marketing in their private lives.

Other lines becoming steadily harder to tell apart are the ones between the online and physical worlds

These two facts combined mean B2B businesses looking to make waves in 2022 need to start embracing omnichannel marketing and sales strategies, or risk being left behind in the dust of their more innovative peers.

Omnichannel

By employing multiple channels to reach existing or prospective clients, your company stands a far better chance of acquiring initial or additional business from them. Busy customers are likely to be appreciative of a brand using a form of communication which does not require immediate attention – as with a phone call or sales rep visit – which means they can get to the message at a time when they are ready to discuss business.

This means, B2B brands can check in with clients in a non-disruptive manner and then arrange a more personal meeting – such as the two aforementioned channels – to discuss the finer details of any sales arrangement.

“B2B leaders are embracing the new normal of omnichannel sales,” reports McKinsey. “Customers use different sales channels – for example, face-to-face, videoconferencing, online chat, or online marketplaces – at different stages of the buying journey. A “rule of thirds” has emerged: customers employ a roughly even mix of traditional sales (e.g., in-person meetings), remote (e.g., videoconferencing and phone discussions), and self-service (e.g., ecommerce and digital portals) at each stage of the sales process.”

The global COVID-19 crisis has also had a role to play in the proliferation of omnichannel philosophies and their penetration into the B2B space. People have become used to working remotely and having greater flexibility when it comes to making purchases online.

This has clear repercussions for customer loyalty. Whereas before a B2B seller could try and prevent a client from shopping around through sustained engagement, the entire digital marketplace has now opened up to them. However, the inverse of this is also true and now is an opportune time to reach out to those potential clients who buy from your competitors and attempt to seize some of that business for your own organisation.

The Numbers

If you’re still not convinced regarding how powerful omnichannel is going to be for B2B brands in 2022, the number crunchers over at McKinsey have you covered with some salient statistics.

• Ninety-four percent of respondents view today’s B2B omnichannel reality – in which customers buy face-to-face, remotely, and online – as being as effective or more than before COVID-19.
• Buyers are more willing than ever before to spend big through remote or online sales channels, with 35 percent willing to spend $500,000 or more in a single transaction (up from 27 percent in February 2021). Seventy-seven percent of B2B customers are also willing to spend $50,000 or more.
• Suppliers will have to fight hard to retain loyalty if customer needs are not met. For example, eight in ten B2B decision makers say they will actively look for a new supplier if performance guarantees (e.g., a full refund if a certain level of performance is not met) are not offered.
• While COVID is still casting a shadow over any predictions made for the future of any industry, one factor that’s clear is that B2B has become a resolutely omnichannel endeavour and those brands hesitating to deploy multiple channels of engagement to reach their audiences are likely to suffer in the long term.

B2B Online 2022

Omnichannel sales and marketing strategies are sure to be part of the conversation at B2B Online 2022.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.