Demystifying the B2B digital sales funnel

A major difference between the B2C sales funnel and the B2B sales funnel is the buyer’s motivation. Unlike consumers, businesses aren’t interested in buying things for entertainment or enjoyment. Every purchase a business makes is a calculated decision that it will work to boost their bottom line. Even if a company buys a foosball table for its employees, it’s a decision intended to help improve the employee experience and encourage workers  to be engaged, productive, and, hopefully, loyal. There’s simply no such thing as a frivolous B2B sale.

Customer service needs also tend to be vastly different for B2B than they are for B2C. Consumers generally don’t want to talk to anybody when they’re making a purchase. They visit, browse, study, add to cart, and buy. It’s a journey without many opportunities for diversion.

Alternatively, the B2B sale is a longer and more complex buying process. Traditionally, B2B buyers would require a heavy amount of interaction with sales reps throughout the buying journey. These days, they’re doing product and service research on their own at an increasing rate.

What this means is brands must have the materials available to help potential customers conduct their research and reach their own conclusions. You’ll need more comprehensive product information, educational materials, and supporting information on hand to help guide B2B customers towards making the purchase. There’s a longer and more complex sales funnel for B2B, and it can be a lot to take in at a glance.

Let’s explore the six key stages of the B2B sales funnel process: