Photo by Cristiano Betta
The “dogma” that we learned at the university, during the masters, and then in the working life, that is from a business point of view the private client and the client company were different, is no longer true.
The competitive element among the supplying companies, the amount of information that the customer receives (whether it is a company or a consumer) has overthrown many of the assumptions valid up to 5/10 years ago.
Keeping with the automotive sector, just think of the huge number of VAT openings during the last five years (let’s be clear, due to the crisis and nothing else); all business customers but with needs as consumers as well.
Therefore, we are facing a situation where many individual companies replace the average customers with much more needs as private than as business.
The distinction, sometimes with conflicting commercial policies, between B2B and B2C shall be zeroed.
If you think of all the aftermarket distributors; those who limit to distribute and not take care of the customer company is destined to be excluded from the suppliers as soon as possible.
The (customer) company doesn’t aim to the lowest price anymore!
It’s the famous and infamous ‘Value for money’.
Who first, and better, will be able to consider the company/customer a jumble of interests for services, for attention to details, for the care of their own and others’ safety as well, will be able to benefit of a competitive and non-secondary advantage.
A strategic role will be played by all the activities of CRM, aimed at creating a continuous relationship (loyalty) with users and with company decision-makers.
Think of the new companies started up in the last years, where the company car is also the family car; often bought in a dealer.
How can we deal with this new kind of business customer in a different way from the private consumer?
All companies need to have a tangible, human interlocutor who treats them as “human beings” and does not consider them, exactly and only, a “Dear Company“.
B2B and B2C will not die but the B2B will fundamentally have to be set on new parameters.
Concepts such as loyalty, services, security and personal care are not only the bases of the B2C channel, but must be the “killer app” of the B2B sector; even and especially when assisting.
A company which involves the ‘user’, where it is followed, where the feedback are managed, how will be evaluated during the renewal of the contracts?
Mediamodifier
Of course the company will choose the lower estimate! But for how long can the company afford to buy only the estimate?
The well-being of the user is fundamental for productivity and loyalty; two essential elements of a good human resource management.
In other simpler terms, the business does not end with the signature of the contract, but continues with the care of the user and the consultancy to the lead manager.
These, of course, are operations that the business part can’t do on the field, but, at the same time, are activities that will have a direct reflection on his performance in the medium and long term.
Photo by jean-louis zimmermann
So are all of you ready for a less arid B2B and more similar to a B2C report?
But perhaps, provocatively, we must wonder if we are sure that our B2C is actually focused on all the aspects we said before, or should we think (again and again) on this last one to improve and modernize our performances?
Translated by Federica Izzo
