The main pains of B2B customers and how to solve them

The B2B segment is often perceived verbatim: business selling to business, but this is not entirely true. Behind any corporate client there is one decision making person (DMP). Speaking about the pains of B2B customers, it is necessary to narrow the concept: these are the pains of a particular person. And you should learn to see and understand these pains in order to conduct transactions successfully.

What is pain?

Pain and need may seem synonymous. However, this is not the case. A customer need is a condition when a product is needed. Pain is an obstacle to a satisfied need. In the context of trade, pains are the inconveniences that accompany the buying process. Let’s look at the main directions for the B2B segment.

Financial pain. When there is not enough money to satisfy the need. Example: a company engaged in the production of food products faced a lack of funds for the purchase of expensive equipment.
Technical pain. Difficulties in using or implementing the product. Example: an IT company acquired a new project management system, but encountered difficulties in integrating it with existing tools, which led to a decrease in work efficiency and burning deadlines.
The pain of choice. If there are several products, and you need to select one. Example: a large retailer needs a new sales and inventory management system, but faces the challenge of choosing between multiple suppliers. Each of them offers its own advantages, but also has disadvantages that completely do not meet the requirements of the company.
Psychological or social pain. It can be expressed with the question: “What will others think of me?” Example: A market research organization is looking for a new customer survey partner, but worries that the chosen partner will not be able to provide a correct view of the company in the eyes of customers.
Privacy pain. The client can wonder if his contact information will be transferred to some database. Example: a financial institution is considering working with a new payment processing partner, but worries that its customer base and financial information could be used for fraudulent purposes.

The main way to express pain is through objection. It is with the objections of the client that you can reveal what “hurts” and how to resolve it.

What is a need?

Now that we have realized that pain is an obstacle, not the need itself, let’s talk about the latter.

Customer needs can be divided into levels.

Individual need. The desire of the LPR, which comes personally from him and affects the deal: he wants an increase, wants to get power, wants approval. This is a personal benefit that an employee of the company will receive. Example: a sales manager is looking for a partner who can provide him with the tools and support to achieve better results.
Unit demand. These are digitized tasks that the team sets for the product: KPI, process efficiency, etc. Example: the marketing team wants to improve its performance: conversion, brand distribution, increasing the number of leads.
Company need. All members of the company are aware of this “wishlist”, and the result affects the entire organization: savings, increased efficiency, sales, etc. Example: a manufacturing company is looking for a partner who offers innovative technologies or processes that help reduce costs (reduce power consumption, reduce personnel costs, etc.).

When developing services for a customer in B2B sales, the customer’s needs are taken into account first, and then the pains are processed. The ability to hear pain and address it correctly is the key to successful B2B sales.

How do I deal with B2B customer pain?

The good news is that pain can be anticipated and discussed. Let’s analyze how to discuss the problem with the client in the process of processing objections.

Financial pain. “Why is it so expensive? Make a discount”.

Today, it is rare to see a solution on the market that does not imply “plans”, “tariffs”, conditions “starting from X users a discount of Y percent”. However, always keep in mind the “custom plan”.

For example, a representative of the go-to-market program for collecting data from B2B clients on a call with a potential customer says: “if you make a decision by the end of the day, then we will reduce the cost of a monthly subscription by 25%”. In general, a developed network of “discounts” and internal agreements in the seller’s company about what maximum benefits should be provided will help the sales department offer personal prices to each client.

Technical pain. “Everything works like this for us, and it can be difficult and long to implement a new solution”.

The most general recommendation may be the following: the product must be embedded in the client’s system. Without a clear understanding of how the business works from the inside (or the part of it that the product intends to improve), the sale will not work. The meeting should explain how the product is synchronized with the rest of the company’s tools.

For example, the 1C accounting system today integrates with marketplaces so that sellers can manage sales from warehouses. At one time, the 1C program updated the functionality in order to suit not just sellers, but suppliers. For them, standard accounting has become irrelevant: a new solution was required that would be compatible with the main sales tool – the marketplace.

The pain of choice. “So many decisions! And everyone fits. What to choose?”

It’s a mistake to think that B2B sales don’t rely on some degree of personal human choice. In the end, the seller of the best solution on the market may turn out to be an unpleasant person, and the client will go to another, more courteous service provider.

Social pain and the privacy issue. “What if everyone finds out I am working with you? Are my data accurately stored with you? What are you doing with them?”

For any B2B customer, data is capital. So, the data of the client himself, for example, the geography of sales, should be stored under maximum protection. In the process of communicating with the customer, as well as in marketing communications, you should pay attention to the safety of your product. On the one hand, we are talking about clarifying exactly how the data is stored. On the other hand, transparent information about the company should be provided – the address of the main office, phone number, registry number (OGRN).

This is not to say that all clients always experience the same pains. Nor can it be said that there are no similar cases. The sales team, of course, can be presented with several key scenarios for communicating with the client. However, you need to be able not just to select the right solution quickly, but also to listen to the customer.

Errors in B2B sales

It is impossible to give a complete and adequate picture of pain by segment, since each of them is immersed in its own unique context, but it is possible to determine the most frequent mistakes in sales to a business. They do not allow the seller even to tell about the product so that the client wants to know more about it.

You do not formulate the value and functionality of the product in clear words. It happens that the seller cannot properly convey, what, in fact, the product does, in order to be interesting to the client. Books have been written about the importance of simple explanations, such as Ask Mom by Rob Fitzpatrick.
You do not reinforce the value of the product with numbers. “Digitization” sounds more productive than “good product”. In business, any action is aimed at profit and improving efficiency. If the product does not affect these indicators obviously, then it will be considered uninteresting.
You do not fulfill the agreement. Position “What is said – is done” is expected in communication with the B2B partner. The client is waiting for you to complete the plan. Moreover, if the seller does not send a presentation, does not send a meeting resume (although he promised to do so), then this behavior becomes a red flag against the seller.

Selling in the B2B segment is still selling to a person, so the emotional component is important: you need to look reliable and solid and to make client like you. At the same time, we must not forget about his pains and needs, because business is always efficiency, profit and problem solving.