Customers face information overload. They have plenty of alternatives and distractions. They avoid traditional ways of shopping. They're stopping. They hesitate. The world of commerce, and especially the B2B world, is changing. How can we use market transformation as an opportunity?
What statistics say about buying behaviour
Imagine a shopping trip as a river. It used to be calm and straight. You approached a customer, presented a product and they bought. Without much hassle. But today, it's more like a river. Customers return to each stage of the purchase, skipping and sometimes just stopping and hesitating.
Companies that do not adapt to these changes are taking a big risk. They risk that they will not grow, that their business will stall. The figures cited by Gartner speak volumes:
96% of customers return to at least one stage of the shopping journey.
43% of buyers (and 54% of millennials) would prefer to go through the whole
process without contacting a salesperson.
Shoppers are increasingly turning to digital channels and want to be able to
make their own decisions.
The likelihood of a buyer completing the purchase process has dropped by 30%.
This is a reality, but not necessarily a problem. It can be an opportunity.
Four pillars of growth in the digital transformation era
1. Stop "selling", start "helping"
Forget about the classic model where marketing, sales and customer service work on their own. If you want to succeed, these three departments must work together and align with what the customer needs. And what problem they need solved. Focus on a horizontal team structure where each member fulfils their role in line with the customer's needs.
The key is to create teams that support the buying journey from the first I'm considering to I want to stay your customer. The result? Smoother processes, greater efficiency and a happier customer.
2. Give the customer a choice
Omnichannel is not a buzzword, it's a necessity. Customers want to have a choice - whether to find the information themselves or talk to an expert. Your job is to ensure that whichever path they choose, they find consistent and meaningful information. Give customers the freedom to discover on their own, but be prepared when they need help from you.
Audit the current channels through which you communicate with your customers.
Automated emails, personal emails, LinkedIn messages... Find gaps and places where information doesn't quite connect. Then just unify it across all channels.
3. Be a trusted partner
Think of yourself. A time when you made a really big decision that made the business work. How did you feel? It's clear to me, the question that kept running through your mind was, am I doing the right thing?
And your success lies in answering it. Help your customers gain confidence. Instead of overwhelming them with information, walk them through the process and show them they're making the right choices. By doing so, you'll not only increase the chances of closing the deal, but you'll likely gain a loyal customer (who will then easily become a VIP customer). But what you need to do to make it all work is to train your customer care people. So that they're able to build exactly that.
4. Use data
It's not just something extra anymore. Artificial intelligence is simply necessary. It's the foundation of the modern marketer. Predictive analytics, lead scoring, or even personalized recommendations based on customer behavior - all of these can open the door to efficiency and growth. I've talked about this in Zážeh with Kuba Krchak, for example.
Whether you're starting out with analytics or looking to integrate AI, the key is a solid foundation: data must be accurate, consistent, and well-organized. Find out where you're missing, standardize definitions across the organization, and update data regularly.
Implement. Step by step
Now put it all into practice. One step at a time. Set a specific timeline for each change. And
proceed point by point:
Map the customer buying journey and identify key gaps.
Inform and train the teams and explain how to talk to the customer. And that the
main goal is a long-term relationship.
Build your AI competencies and start experimenting with personalisation.
Put in place a strategy that reflects your customers' current buying preferences.
Consider an omnichannel approach.
Develop the team's analytics skills and use data to make strategic decisions.
Transformation does not mean revolutionary changes overnight. It's about incremental steps that will lead you to long-term success. The key is to start - with understanding, empathy and a willingness to learn. The market is changing, but you have the opportunity to not only follow, but to outpace it.
When will you take the first step?