B2B onboarding techniques aren’t that much different compared to B2C, yet they are at the same time. B2C onboarding is more about appealing to the masses, whereas B2B demands more personalization.
The difference being there are around six to ten people involved in one B2B sale, which requires a more inclusive experience to make the sale a reality. Yet worryingly, 90% of people thought B2B brands could do more to improve their onboarding process.
To cope with the demands of the B2C sales cycle, it’s essential to understand onboarding and how that can maximize the chance of completing the buying cycle and securing long-term customers at the end of it. Read on to find out more.
Clear and Consistent Communication
Business is almost entirely consumer-centric in the B2C sector, and it’s no different for B2B brands. The initial contact with a B2B brand is crucial, and email marketing is the best way to spark clear and consistent communication. And it’s one of the most favoured marketing methods for B2B brands, with 92% of businesses using it to attract new customers.
Plus, it ties in well with the demands of B2B companies – of which 68% say they will continue working with a company if they have clear communication and a great customer service experience. Groove HQ noted that high-engaged customers spend 60% more per transaction, offer 3x the amount of business, and make purchases 90% more often – those are huge figures that simple, clear, and concise communication can lead to.
Consider alternative methods of contact like a live chat option on your website. B2B is moving heavily towards the eCommerce era, following in the footsteps of B2C, and buyers demand a similar experience. Live chats replicate that experience by giving real-time access to customer support.
Enticing Incentive Packages
Including incentive packages is a great way to strengthen the relationship between business and buyer. It costs five times more to acquire new customers than it does to retain them – offering access to incentive packages during the onboarding process is an excellent way of securing long-term loyalty.
Studies have proven that focusing on retention rather than fast sales is where the money is at. Seasonal discounts and flash sales will damage profits long-term because you’re essentially taking money away from your total earnings for that sale, even though they are an excellent tool for rapid onboarding.
Considering you’re up to 90% more likely to sell to an existing customer, it’s far more beneficial to focus on customer loyalty throughout the onboarding process. Incentivesmart has a great example of a customer loyalty package that you can view through this link www.incentivesmart.com/customer-loyalty.
Think Outside The Box
Think outside the box and consider other tools in your arsenal that you may not have thought to use before – video marketing is one of them. Thanks to Tik Tok and YouTube shorts, short video clips are now a viable way of enticing new customers to your business. 97% of B2B brands think video content is an effective channel for welcoming new business and serves an educational purpose.
Plus, an article by Topyx states that the human brain can retain information from a video by up to 90%, whereas it remembers 10% of facts from any written content. Combine video content with your email marketing to find the onboarding sweet spot. This link shows some great video marketing techniques that work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW6kwh8RDJk.
B2B onboarding techniques are becoming more like B2C as the years go on – that’s down to buyers demanding a consumer-like experience that makes B2B trading less tricky and complex. Still, the onboarding process is somewhat less straightforward because there are typically more people to onboard per company, but the ideas above should make it easier.
