Price:
Business buyers are far more focused on price and value than consumer buyers, as it directly affects their profitability. “Trends” and “style” hold much less importance in the business buying landscape.
When selling to organisations it is pivotal that marketers have a clearly structured pricing plan that is easy to communicate and understand so that decision makers for the business are not deterred and can easily pass on the information to those in the C-suit of the company for approval.
Place:
Regardless of your client type, it is always essential to provide the right product, at the right place and at the optimal time. Marketing your product in a location where you client is not present is a waste of time and money. Focus your marketing strategy on targeting your clients in the optimal buying environment.
Place is not necessarily just a physical location though. Your “place” can be determined by the industry you serve. For instance a pharmaceutical company that sells direct to hospitals works within the space of medical equipment and services, this medical industry segment is therefore a type of non-physical space in which they must develop a presence.
Promotion:
This refers to the method of communication used to promote a product. This can vary greatly between B2B and B2C, as individual consumers tend to seek out information differently than business buyers. Some excellent communication channels for those in the B2B field include:
Brochures/Pamphlets:
Strategically placed in locations where you prospects have access to them, these types of materials can house a huge amount of detailed information as well as provide a physical, tangible good for prospects to take away with them that has your contact information.
Emails:
Email marketing is a hugely important tool for B2B Marketers. When done well this can provide an easy, cheap avenue to communicate with clients and prospects in a way that is measurable in terms of your conversions and return on investment.
People:
When it comes to selling a consumer good marketers don’t generally need to concern themselves with sales people. A homogenous product, such as a can of Coca Cola, doesn’t need a sales person to convince the buyer that it is the best can of Coke for them. Every Coca Cola is created equal so there is no added benefit of getting a skilled salesman to persuade prospects that this particular Coca Cola is fresher or better somehow than any other.
B2B marketers, however, need to provide evidence as to why their offering is the perfect fit. They do not have the luxury of selling a one-size-fits-all product, this means that salespeople are essential for building trust and motivating prospects to buy.
Physical Evidence:
The B2B marketing mix places a great deal of emphasis on actively building trust in your audience. This is done through a variety of tangible and intangible means, for instance:
- Given the variation in offerings for B2B marketers; especially when offering a tailored service such as consultancy, personalised web and office solutions and so on testimonials and reviews are vital in building confidence in buyers. When consumers buy a Coca Cola they are completing a very low-risk transaction and thus trust building is not an essential component of the sale. Business-level transactions, however, are often high-risk, high-involvement purchases that require trust and confidence before closing the deal.
- Your office set-up is a huge factor in how clients and prospects perceive you. B2B selling often involves in-person meetings to gain trust (something which is becoming less and less prevalent in the B2C realm with the rise of ecommerce). It is therefore of high importance to present yourself in a manner fitting to your offering, whether that is as a distinguished, high-end, professional or a relatable, small-business for the everyday man, this can be a selling point for prospective clients.
Process:
With the added “people” element in the B2B marketing mix, the buying process becomes a key selling point of your offering. Your process can demonstrate your expertise and be a key element of the value proposition.
Given that B2B marketers often offer solutions to their clients that are not standardised, this makes the process of delivering this solution becomes vitally important, as it differentiates you from your competition.