The B2B sales process, in all of its complexity, is moving online as companies leverage the collaborative features of B2B eCommerce platforms. Find out how.

1. Post Link: How the B2B Sales Process is Moving Online
How the B2B Sales Process is Moving Online
As online commerce becomes de rigueur for many wholesale brands and B2B businesses, new
and better ways of interacting with customers are emerging. Not only are wholesalers
empowering retailers to place orders online 24/7, they are also finding ways to extend the
collaborative nature of the B2B sales process to digital environments.
In a recent article on Internet Retailer, Paul Demery talks about how B2B companies are using
“online deal rooms” to make more sales. According to a study conducted by the Aberdeen
Group, these online sales enablement portals have helped companies distribute more sales
proposals, gain higher customer renewal rates, and enable more sales reps to meet quota.
The bottom line is that a B2B order is a conversation. In wholesale distribution in particular,
we’ve found that what ultimately ships out from the warehouse is often different from what was
initially ordered, because these kinds of sales conversations are constantly evolving. By
facilitating these discussions in the B2B eCommerce environment, the effect is two-fold––the
convenience of online ordering combined with the flexibility and complexity of the B2B
sales process.
Let’s take a look at how B2B eCommerce and integrated sales order management platforms
are enabling these digital dialogs.

2. How the B2B Sales Process is Moving Online
1. A Digital Record
Say a company is writing wholesale orders on a paper order form. The conversation may very
well end there. That slip of paper is a snapshot in time; it’s unchangeable.
Digital orders, however, can evolve and change. They are living documents that buyers and
sales reps can collaborate on. Once that order is shipped out, it doesn’t disappear. It simply
becomes part of the conversation for the next order.
2. “Interactive Quotes”
“Interactive quotes” allow sales reps to write a suggested order (based off of customer order
history, sales performance data, etc.) and send it to their customer. The customer can then look
over the order online and make changes.
Through this process, sales reps can create curated lists of products for each customer and
generate more orders while also providing customers with a highly personalized, collaborative
experience.
3. Order Notes
Giving buyers the ability to record notes under each item that they’re ordering online gives them
the ability to ask questions about availability, ship dates, product specifications, etc.
4. Seller Review
Seller review allows sales reps to review and confirm incoming online orders before sending
them out for fulfillment. This opens up the opportunity for sales reps to reach out, answer any
questions customers might have, open up upsell opportunities, or provide strategic advice to the
buyer.
5. Email Integration
Email integration allows for email notifications when an order is placed, changed, or confirmed.
It keeps the conversation flowing while also providing a digital record of that order’s evolution
over time.
Concluding Thoughts
Companies have found new ways to leverage eCommerce to bring the collaborative in-person
B2B sales process online. In between face-to-face appointments, sales reps can keep the
dialog going with their customers to sell more, sell better, and strengthen the customer
relationship.
Writing orders on paper is over. Technology has unlocked the potential to use online ordering
as a way for retailers to become strategic advisors to their retail customers.

3. Post originally located at: https://www.handshake.com/blog/b2b-sales-process-online/
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