Top 3 Ways B2C Buying Has Changed B2B Buyer Expectations

Have you bought anything on Amazon recently? (Do we really need to ask?)

And how was that experience?

Most likely, it was amazing. And sure — you may have had to spend some time finding the perfect product to buy. But from the moment you found the product you wanted and decided to purchase it until it arrived at your house, there was a crazy level of convenience.

At most, it took around 2 clicks to buy. It might have even arrived the same day. 

Now let’s compare that to the last serious B2B software purchasing process you experienced, shall we? How long did that one take? Weeks? Months? Did it make you pull your hair out?

Well, this contrast is having B2B buyers fed up. And rightly so.

But as the focus on convenience is taking over the world of B2C, B2B seems stuck in a different time.

Archaic sales processes, ancient technology to track business growth and complete orders, and outdated systems that require hours of manual work leave deals sitting open for weeks or even months.

But as we learned from the world of B2C, buyers won’t put up with it. Instead, they’ll simply choose the easier option to buy. Because honestly, life’s too short to put up with crappy sales processes.

So instead, it’s time for B2B businesses to put their buying experience on the front burner and prioritize it as a fundamental area for growing your business. 

If your buying process is overly complex, here are the 3 main areas to improve to meet your customer expectations:

1. Buyers want to move faster.

Click, click, boom. That’s what they’re used to in B2C. But in B2B? Not so much.

So often, buyers do their part to provide sellers with whatever they ask for only to receive no updates for another few days. That waiting can kill your deal.

Today’s buyers expect the sales process to keep moving without continuous effort on their part. When they let go, they expect the ball to continue to roll. And they expect the seller to be completely on top of their sale each step of the way.

Nobody wants to feel like “What happened with that deal?” Or “Where is it holding?”

If your sales process is complicated or there are things you’re waiting on, be completely honest with your buyers. Tell them exactly what’s going on. 

But even more importantly: speed up your sales process. Analyze your existing sales funnel to identify bottlenecks or areas where prospects are dropping off. Streamline the process by eliminating as many seller-centric or unnecessary tasks as possible and providing clear and concise information at each stage of the buyer's journey. Give them timelines. Make sure the part of the process you need to do gets done immediately so that they aren’t waiting for you. 

The best way to do that is by automating as much of the process as possible. This will speed up the process while also eliminating manual work for your sellers.

2. Buyers want a simple payment flow.

What needs to happen? What’s the process? 

In B2C, the buying process can consist of a single click. And even if it’s more, there’s a standard simple checkout flow that applies 99% of the time. This is obviously not the case in B2B.

Sales processes are often different for each business, leaving buyers confused and frustrated.

Make it abundantly clear to your buyers what they need to do and what you need to do. If you’re waiting on them for a contract review or payment, make sure they know that (without sounding pushy). If they’re waiting on a review from your legal team, let them know when they can expect it and what will happen next. 

This may be your 100th time making a sale, but this can be their first time buying. So communicate clearly about what is happening. 

Then, be flexible by providing multiple payment options. In addition to traditional methods like bank transfers and checks, consider offering electronic payment options such as credit card payments, ACH transfers, and online payment gateways. 

Integrating a secure and user-friendly payment gateway into your invoicing system allows customers to pay invoices quickly and conveniently, reducing friction and accelerating the payment cycle. Offering multiple payment options caters to the preferences of different customers and industries, making it easier for them to complete transactions and improve your cash flow.

Next, automate your invoicing and payment reminders to eliminate manual errors, save time on administrative tasks, and ensure consistent and timely follow-ups. This will help expedite the payment collection process.

3. Buyers want less contact with humans.

Tesla enabled buyers to buy a car without sales reps. And it’s safe to say that it’s working for them.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no human connection. Instead, buyers can go to a Tesla dealership, speak to a human, and take the car for a drive. They can speak to a person to determine which model is right for them. But when it comes time to purchase, the entire experience is done online. 

The same can be done in B2B. As Gartner found, 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free sales experience. That’s because buyers will often do their own research by checking out your website, reviews, and social media presence before even reaching out to buy. They’ll even be happy to take a demo call to see the product for themselves.

But when it comes to actually making the purchase, they want to simply buy.

Using a paywall link (like you can with Salesbricks) lets buyers complete the actual purchase on their own. It allows them to fill out their info, decide on their own how they want to pay, and add or remove things from their basket like they do in B2C. 

Not only does this ensure a better buying experience for your customers, but it also helps businesses with upselling and minimizing work for RevOps and sellers.