©2019SagefrogMarketingGroup,LLC|AllRightsReservedB2BBecomingB2C:TheChangingSalesCycle|AneBookbySagefrogMarketingGroup|Page1B2BBecomingB2C:TheChangingSalesCycleCREATINGTHENEWB2BUSEREXPERIENCE©2019SagefrogMarketingGroup,LLC|AllRightsReservedB2BBecomingB2C:TheChangingSalesCycle|AneBookbySagefrogMarketingGroup|Page2The2019B2BMarketingMixReportidentifiedacommonthreadamongthetoptacticsandgoalsoftoday’sB2Bprofessionals:thetrendtowardimplementingcustomer-centricstrategiesthatwerehistoricallyreservedfortheB2Cmarketplace.Butridingthiswaveofchangeismorethanaddingnewtacticstoyourmarketingplan.Itrequiresbuildingawholenewship—restructuringthewayyoumarketandselltoremovefrictionfromtheB2Bsalescycle.CONTENTSTheChangingB2BSalesCycle.....................3ThePreferredUserExperience.....................4ASingleSourceConvenience&ImmediacyEducation&SupportTheMost-UsedStrategies..............................8ReferralMarketing&ABMMobile-FirstFocusBrandingBoostTheFutureofB2B............................................12©2019SagefrogMarketingGroup,LLC|AllRightsReservedB2BBecomingB2C:TheChangingSalesCycle|AneBookbySagefrogMarketingGroup|Page3ThechangingB2BsalescycleTHECHANGINGB2BSALESCYCLEThelong,complexB2BsalescyclesisnomoreThisisn’ttheB2Bindustry’sfirstwarning,butit’sworthmentioninguntilwemakeachange:lengthyandinvolvedB2Bsalescycleswon’tflyin2019andbeyond.Everydayconsumersarenowusedtothesimplicityandconvenienceofonlineshopping,streamingservices,freemiumsubscriptionmodels,smartphonesandotherdigitalexperiencesthatofferimmediacyandinstantgratificationwiththeclickofabuttonorswipeofthefinger…AndwhileB2Bcompaniesdon’talwaysoperateatthesamestreamlinedlevelasthoseinB2C,theirbusinessleadersarebeginningtorealizethatthewaytheysellproductsandservicesneedstomimicthefastpurchasingmodelsandeaseofusethatpeopleareconditionedtoexpect.BecauseB2BbuyersarejustlikeyouandmeThepeoplewhopileitemsintheirvirtualcarts,keepupwiththeirfavoritebrandsonsocialmediaandscrollthroughproductreviewsbeforebuyingaret...