Creating that personal connection is a key driver in online marketing and B2C companies. The B2B industry is noticing. Seeing online B2C growth and the lack of personal connection is one reason the B2B world feels more compelled to change. Many B2B companies are attempting to nurture more personal relationships with buyers today and are looking for quick and easy ways to do this.
Companies seek software packages designed to create personal connections and develop customer relationships. Investing in order management software is one of several ways B2B companies are increasing personalization and, thus, customer engagement. Using various features can help you reduce one of the biggest blights of all B2B companies: Churn.
Churn is the number of people leaving you every month due to particular circumstances. The general rule is that if you have double-digit churn, you have a problem with your products or general business practices.
If you have the same churn problem now, your buyers may not like your ordering process. Take a look at what your customers may want in order management software and how improved features can eliminate churn every month.
B2B Customer Portal
It's a major annoyance across all eCommerce channels when a customer buys something and isn't sure it will ship on time or if it has shipped at all. One of the major mistakes in order management software is that they don't bother to provide customers with a personal portal to manage their orders. This only creates uncertainty for the buyer because they won't have access to important details, like whether the order was even processed in the first place.
An effective B2B customer portal should allow customers to place orders, ensure they are shipped, and get tracking information. Even more beneficial is the ability to check on pricing and that items are in stock.
Making the order process easier
We've all seen evidence of how faster methods of buying products work online. It's worked well in B2C, yet B2B hasn't completely caught up with the same concept.
When you use software that lets wholesale customers process orders faster, you create a program that buyers turn to again and again. With account-specific order forms based on what your buyers bought before, it can work almost like a one-click procedure.
In a more mobile era, this can definitely reduce churn because buyers need to buy products on the go and can't deal with checkout complications. This also allows the buyer to place orders on their own time rather than the company's. This freedom from buying complications will keep your buyers engaged and coming back for more.
Better communication between sales reps and customers
Giving your sales reps access to this order management software provides them with all of their customer account information. This gives sales reps the opportunity to provide the best service to their customers. They can quickly answer customer questions on inventory, product status, pricing, account balances, and product updates. You can set up alerts so they get updates on pricing changes and customer shipments.
