Introduction to Business-2-Business Marketing & Market from Gulf
I have been working in Marketing for more then six years in the Gulf. Every business whether small or big wants to market their business to get more customers, generate more revenue and grow their business. Marketing in business which sells products to women is different from marketing products which sells to tourism shops. I will share with you some of the features of B2B market and marketing that I saw in gulf.
Generally, we can divide marketing into two types. The major types are B2C which is Business-to-Consumer and Business-to-Business Marketing which is B2B. The following are examples of selling in the B2B market. This week Oman Fisheries Co won a contract from Ministry of Defence to supply Fishes for three years. Another example, Etisalat is providing Broadband Internet service to their business clients in UAE. Marketing in B2C is different from marketing in B2B. In B2C, companies market through leaflet as one method with is popular. Some of them had used new technology like Mass SMS to market their products. In B2B, companies market through press releases such as saying they had signed a contract with a partner which will allow them to sell a new product. This will let other potential customers to be excited buying the product. This kind of business we call it as B2B. Briefly, Business-to-Business Marketing is a type of marketing in a business to other business to sell their products and services.
We can divide B2B market into different segments. The different major segments of Business-to-Business are: Big Companies, Small & Medium companies (SMEs), governments.
Marketing to a business is different from marketing to individuals. The way they make a decision differ too. Some of the products are similar and some of the products are different. Marketing the products in B2B is different then B2C.
One of the important features of Business-to-Business Marketing is relationship. For example, Many Companies in Dubai in B2B release and concentrate a lot in one of the jobs called business development manager. He is responsible of managing relationship with the client. I had found from my experience in the gulf that having a good relationship with the client is very important. Good to build relationship with decision makers in the business you want to make revenue. In B2C business do not spend much time with customers. In B2B, the relationship in many cases is long term not short term. Sometimes business spend with some clients 10 years. Also, the way of making decision. Customers might buy a product within five minutes. But in B2B the seller might spend many minutes, many days and many months before he make a decision to buy a product. In the private & government sector in Muscat the client takes a long time to make a decision. In many scenarios it starts from an employee. The employee talks to the direct manager. The direct manager speaks to the General manager and tell him that this product will save money or generate revenue to the company. The General manager make a decision.
Client do consider when he purchase a product that this product generate revenues or it safe cost for his business. It is not enough to market the product with its features. It is important to market that this product will generate revenue for the business or it will save money for the business. For example, in the Information Technology industry going to a customer and telling him that spending in Internet Marketing will generate more revenue will let him think about it. But the client will not say “Yes” from the first visit. The company needs more then one meeting, more then one call and more then one email. The business need to be patient and never give-up from the first visit. Briefly, it is more complicated process and it takes a long time then B2C. Marketing materials are different too. In the B2C Leaflet is a popular marketing material. Before starting the new semester of the school in Muscat, Many schools were distributing Leaflets after the Friday prayers. In the B2B developing business case studies is very popular. Showing other companies what other had purchased will give confident to the client to buy it. Here in the Gulf when showing business cases that companies in similar industry from USA and Europe are using your product will make the company more willing to purchase it. Another thing that customers in B2B are less in quantity. Some of the B2B companies only have one or two customers. For example, some in the oil industry in Sultanate of Oman have Petroleum development of Oman or more popular as PDO and Occidental Oman as their only clients. Some of them do have more clients. Other in the B2B do have clients more then that. Some do have 100 clients. Some do have 200 clients. Many companies do divide their clients as Accounts and Key Accounts. Key Accounts are the important accounts and which most of the revenue of the company do come from the key accounts. Many companies in IT industry in Oman do consider Information Technology Authority (Popular as ITA) as key Account as it is willing to spend a lot in the IT projects and they do care about ICT a lot in the country. When dealing with clients in the B2B they will be asking lot’s of questions. For example, selling services in Telecommunication industry such as ADSL clients will ask if the company do provide Static IP or Dynamic IP and many other questions. If the seller do not know the difference the client will be unsatisfied because the seller do not know the difference. The seller should have a strong technical knowledge about the product that he is selling. This is a good advantage when selling the product. The seller should learn about the products and from time to time read about the product.
The Internet had changed the method of marketing in B2B. Having a good web site which gives a good impression to the clients is a good method to market products in B2B.
That is my opinion of Business-2-Business Marketing and market from my experience in the Gulf.
Generally, we can divide marketing into two types. The major types are B2C which is Business-to-Consumer and Business-to-Business Marketing which is B2B. The following are examples of selling in the B2B market. This week Oman Fisheries Co won a contract from Ministry of Defence to supply Fishes for three years. Another example, Etisalat is providing Broadband Internet service to their business clients in UAE. Marketing in B2C is different from marketing in B2B. In B2C, companies market through leaflet as one method with is popular. Some of them had used new technology like Mass SMS to market their products. In B2B, companies market through press releases such as saying they had signed a contract with a partner which will allow them to sell a new product. This will let other potential customers to be excited buying the product. This kind of business we call it as B2B. Briefly, Business-to-Business Marketing is a type of marketing in a business to other business to sell their products and services.
We can divide B2B market into different segments. The different major segments of Business-to-Business are: Big Companies, Small & Medium companies (SMEs), governments.
Marketing to a business is different from marketing to individuals. The way they make a decision differ too. Some of the products are similar and some of the products are different. Marketing the products in B2B is different then B2C.
One of the important features of Business-to-Business Marketing is relationship. For example, Many Companies in Dubai in B2B release and concentrate a lot in one of the jobs called business development manager. He is responsible of managing relationship with the client. I had found from my experience in the gulf that having a good relationship with the client is very important. Good to build relationship with decision makers in the business you want to make revenue. In B2C business do not spend much time with customers. In B2B, the relationship in many cases is long term not short term. Sometimes business spend with some clients 10 years. Also, the way of making decision. Customers might buy a product within five minutes. But in B2B the seller might spend many minutes, many days and many months before he make a decision to buy a product. In the private & government sector in Muscat the client takes a long time to make a decision. In many scenarios it starts from an employee. The employee talks to the direct manager. The direct manager speaks to the General manager and tell him that this product will save money or generate revenue to the company. The General manager make a decision.
Client do consider when he purchase a product that this product generate revenues or it safe cost for his business. It is not enough to market the product with its features. It is important to market that this product will generate revenue for the business or it will save money for the business. For example, in the Information Technology industry going to a customer and telling him that spending in Internet Marketing will generate more revenue will let him think about it. But the client will not say “Yes” from the first visit. The company needs more then one meeting, more then one call and more then one email. The business need to be patient and never give-up from the first visit. Briefly, it is more complicated process and it takes a long time then B2C. Marketing materials are different too. In the B2C Leaflet is a popular marketing material. Before starting the new semester of the school in Muscat, Many schools were distributing Leaflets after the Friday prayers. In the B2B developing business case studies is very popular. Showing other companies what other had purchased will give confident to the client to buy it. Here in the Gulf when showing business cases that companies in similar industry from USA and Europe are using your product will make the company more willing to purchase it. Another thing that customers in B2B are less in quantity. Some of the B2B companies only have one or two customers. For example, some in the oil industry in Sultanate of Oman have Petroleum development of Oman or more popular as PDO and Occidental Oman as their only clients. Some of them do have more clients. Other in the B2B do have clients more then that. Some do have 100 clients. Some do have 200 clients. Many companies do divide their clients as Accounts and Key Accounts. Key Accounts are the important accounts and which most of the revenue of the company do come from the key accounts. Many companies in IT industry in Oman do consider Information Technology Authority (Popular as ITA) as key Account as it is willing to spend a lot in the IT projects and they do care about ICT a lot in the country. When dealing with clients in the B2B they will be asking lot’s of questions. For example, selling services in Telecommunication industry such as ADSL clients will ask if the company do provide Static IP or Dynamic IP and many other questions. If the seller do not know the difference the client will be unsatisfied because the seller do not know the difference. The seller should have a strong technical knowledge about the product that he is selling. This is a good advantage when selling the product. The seller should learn about the products and from time to time read about the product.
The Internet had changed the method of marketing in B2B. Having a good web site which gives a good impression to the clients is a good method to market products in B2B.
That is my opinion of Business-2-Business Marketing and market from my experience in the Gulf.
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