Market Research

B2B Customer Journey Touchpoints That Can Make or Break Your Marketing Strategy

B2B customer experience (CX) ratings tend to fall short of expectations versus similar assessments in the B2C markets. A McKinsey report indicates that B2C companies show customer satisfaction ratings 15-35% higher than B2B entities. It’s not surprising, considering that structuring a compelling B2B CX is vastly more complicated. We believe it boils down to four differentiators that define the uniqueness of the B2B marketing landscape. Marketers in this arena who ignore these dynamics do so at their peril. Critical Dynamics in B2B Marketing Committees are in the frontline of making B2B buying decisions as a general trend. The designated buyer’s power has radically diminished over the last few years — even more so during the coronavirus pandemic. CEOs have shifted the emphasis to include numerous departmental players whose opinions can radically impact the final decision. It may be far-fetched to call them decision-makers, but the term “influencers” is undoubtedly in the conversation. Decision influencers don’t enter the B2B process all at once. B2B customer journey mapping from end-to-end is a critical marketing fixture. It forces one to recognize that input from various specialists like IT, marketing, HR, engineering, legal, and finance occurs at the various junctures, not all of the time. It’s a question of understanding the relevant skills to include to construct a comprehensive overview when all the pieces come together. Timeous participation is a vital component. It allows B2B customers to efficiently plot their path to a buying decision with rewarding touchpoints that keep the process moving forward. […]