The line between B2C and B2B experiences is fading quickly. What digitalization has served up for the buying public (responsiveness, personalized digital experiences, and seamless customer journeys) is gathering pace within the supply chain. And against this backdrop, legacy sales practices are left exposed and ineffective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the age of \u201cAmazonification\u201d in B2B. Customers increasingly expect the same speed, transparency and convenience that they enjoy as consumers. Buyers and supply chain leaders are frustrated by the frictions of slow-moving email negotiations, dated PDF catalogs, and opaque pricing. Of course they are; it\u2019s been decades since consumers had to tolerate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This realization isn\u2019t lost on the digital-first millennials now moving into leadership positions within manufacturing. As the industry welcomes a generational change among its buyers, sellers throughout the chain must respond to evolving buying preferences, and serve up the experiences their customers are coming to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if the industry is grappling with a shake-up precipitated by B2C, it can also look to B2C for the answers. There, omnichannel has emerged as the <\/em>defining marketing and sales strategy, providing customers with a seamless, integrated experience across all channels, whether online, in-store, mobile, social, phone, or any other touchpoint. The move to omnichannel business selling is well underway, and the change will be permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previously, we\u2019ve looked at the hidden cost of expansion, and the price businesses pay for failing to adapt. Here, we look in more depth at how manufacturers can adapt and thrive amid fast-paced, buyer-driven change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n