Basics of B2B-CRM: Definition, Tasks, Functions and Selection Criteria

1. What is a CRM system?
2. What is a B2B CRM system and what is behind this term?
3. What advantages does a B2B CRM have for companies?
4. Why should companies use a B2B CRM?
5. What distinguishes a B2B CRM from a B2C CRM?
6. At what point in the sales process is a B2B CRM used?
7. What should be considered when selecting a B2B CRM?
8. Which tools are suitable for B2B CRM?
9. Conclusion

In the B2B sector, the sales processes are significantly more complex than in the B2C sector. The sales cycles often last months or even years and several decision-makers are involved. To be successful in this environment, companies rely on B2B CRM systems.

This article deals with the basics of B2B CRM systems and their significance for companies. We present their tasks, functions, and advantages, show the differences to B2C CRM, and explain how they can optimize the sales process. You will also learn what you should pay attention to when selecting a B2B CRM system and which CRM tools are suitable for the B2B sector.

What is a CRM system?

A CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) is software that helps to efficiently organize customer information. It supports companies in tracking the entire sales process for each individual contact. The system also facilitates internal team communication by providing all team members with central access to customer information and communication.

In a CRM, all data about potential and existing customers are collected. This includes not only the contact data, but also all types of communication such as emails, phone calls, documents, offers, and tasks. This clearly presents the entire history of a customer relationship.

The main goals of a CRM system are to shorten the sales cycle, to target promising customers, and to improve customer service. By collecting all information in one place, the CRM system enables better organization, more efficient time management, and ultimately, more satisfied customers.

CRM Customer Lifecycle

If you want to know which CRM tools are most popular in the OMR Reviews community, check out the OMR Reviews Briefing on CRM Tools.

What is a B2B CRM system and what is behind this term?

B2B CRM stands for 'Business-to-Business Customer Relationship Management'. In the B2B context, it is about business relationships between companies where goods and services are not sold to end consumers, but to other companies.

Since B2B sales are very complex, a well-thought-out CRM strategy is particularly important. The B2B CRM strategy is a plan that sets out methods to increase a company's revenue and profit. A B2B CRM system, hosted in the cloud, provides companies with a central platform for managing the customer relationship process.

This includes the identification of potential customers, conducting initial conversations, tracking interactions, strengthening customer loyalty, and more.

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What tasks does a B2B CRM system have?

• Improve business relationships with customers
• Helps identify potential customers
• Help understand the customer journey 
• Building a comprehensive information database
• Lead generation
• Simplify and automate the sales process
• Track touchpoints with existing and potential customers
• Improve customer relationship and loyalty

What functions does a B2B CRM include?

• Lead Management: Capture, track, and evaluate leads to develop effective sales strategies.
• Contact & Account Management: Central storage of customer and company data for personalized communication.
• Sales Pipeline Tracking: Monitoring the sales pipeline for accurate insights into sales opportunities.
• Collaboration Tools: Sharing of information and communication between team members for efficient collaboration.
• Marketing Automation: Integration of marketing tools for targeted campaigns and smooth collaboration between marketing and sales.
• ERP Integration: Linking CRM and ERP to improve data exchange between sales, customer support, and accounting.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Analysis tools to evaluate customer behavior and sales performance.
• Customer Support: Efficient handling of customer inquiries and issues for a positive customer experience.

What advantages does a B2B CRM have for companies?

1. Increase in sales: The combination of sales and marketing automation in the B2B CRM system leads to higher sales and profits. Automation reduces repetitive tasks and creates more time for sales activities.

2. Improvement of customer relationships: Through personalized approach and efficient communication, the B2B CRM contributes to the improvement of customer relationships.

3. Targeted marketing campaigns: A B2B CRM enables the creation of highly individual and automated marketing campaigns. Companies can identify potential customers and address them directly, enormously increasing the effectiveness of marketing actions.

4. Personal customer contact: Through access to customer profiles in the B2B CRM system, staff can personalize customer communication. This is especially important for longer B2B sales cycles.

5. Efficient communication and collaboration: A B2B CRM facilitates communication and collaboration within the company by serving as a central point for customer information and communication.

6. Efficient sales process: A B2B CRM system optimizes the sales process from data collection to sales completion. It provides tools for organizing and automating the sales process and allows individual adjustments to increase efficiency.

Why should companies use a B2B CRM?

The use of B2B CRM changes the way companies manage B2B business. B2B CRM focuses on the special requirements of B2B sales processes and offers companies a holistic view of the customer journey. At the same time, business processes are optimized and data exchange between departments is improved.

This is particularly important in the B2B sector, where long-term partnerships and complex sales processes are the norm. Close cooperation between sales, marketing, and customer service is required here. A CRM in B2B promotes this cooperation and enables companies to better understand their customers and develop more effective sales strategies.

What distinguishes a B2B CRM from a B2C CRM?

1. Complexity: B2B sales cycles are longer and more complex than B2C sales cycles. This is reflected in the CRM systems. B2B CRM systems are designed to manage these long-term and complex relationships. They offer tools for managing offers, contracts, and communication with multiple decision-makers within a company.
2. Automation of marketing communication: B2B CRM systems mainly focus on managing sales processes and offer fewer functions for marketing automation. In contrast, more comprehensive marketing strategies are required in the B2C sector. Therefore, B2C CRM systems have more powerful automation tools for marketing.
3. Integration and customization: It cannot be said in general terms that CRM in B2B are more adaptable than B2C CRM. However, many B2B companies often require more extensive customizations of their CRM systems due to their more specialized and complex business models. They also often need to be more deeply integrated into existing enterprise systems like ERP systems and accounting software to ensure seamless data transfer and processing.
4. Data analysis: Data analysis and customer insights are extremely important in both areas. Unlike B2B CRM, B2C CRM systems focus on faster sales cycles and wider customer outreach. This requires a different kind of analysis of customer information.
5. Customer value and relationship management: In B2B CRM, the focus is on developing close and long-term partnerships, as each customer represents a strategically high value. These relationships require intensive care. B2B CRM therefore focuses on managing comprehensive customer profiles, creating detailed interaction histories, and individual customer needs. In contrast, B2C CRM focuses on scalable marketing campaigns. Here, efficiency in managing large numbers of customers is the focus, which means that individual relationship management is less pronounced. This is reflected in the CRM systems, which focus on automated mass communication and fast transactions.

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At what point in the sales process is a B2B CRM used?

The B2B CRM is used at many points in the sales process:

1. Lead qualification: As soon as leads have been generated through marketing, the B2B CRM system helps select the promising leads by evaluating them according to criteria such as purchase readiness and interest.
2. Lead Nurturing: In this phase, the relationship with the leads is built and deepened. This is done through targeted marketing communication and personalized approach, to further evolve the interest and needs of the leads and gradually bring them closer to a purchase decision.
3. Opportunity Management: Here is the identification and management of specific sales opportunities. These are leads that have crystallized as potential paying customers and are ready for sales. The B2B CRM system helps organize these opportunities, track their progress, and plan targeted sales activities. The sales team already has a clearer idea at this point which leads could turn into paying customers.
4. Offer management: The B2B CRM supports in the creation, management, and tracking of sales offers. Sales staff can create offers directly in the system, send them to customers, and track the status. This enables efficient communication and negotiation with potential customers. The B2B CRM stores all relevant information about offers, leading to better tracking and a structured offering process.
5. Order management: Once an offer has been accepted and a sales opportunity becomes a business conclusion, the B2B CRM system supports in managing the order. All relevant information, such as contracts, payment terms, and delivery details, are centrally recorded and managed. This facilitates internal coordination and ensures that the order is processed smoothly. 
6. Customer service and support: Even after the conclusion of a business, the B2B CRM offers valuable functions for customer service. It enables the documentation of customer service requests, the management of support tickets, and the tracking of customer interactions. This information is invaluable for customer support as it helps ensure high-quality customer care and efficient handling of customer concerns.

What should be considered when selecting a B2B CRM?

The choice of the right B2B CRM system depends on the individual business requirements and goals. Choosing a suitable B2B CRM system is not easy as there are many factors to consider.

Here are some of the most important criteria:

1. Define clear business goals: Why should a B2B CRM be used? Before you look for software, define clear goals that should be achieved with the software. This way, you know what functions the software must have.
2. Scalability and company size: Growth is an important goal for every company. How much your company should grow affects the B2B CRM, because it should be able to grow with your company.
3. Location-independent use: A B2B CRM that can be accessed from various internet-enabled devices offers you more flexibility. Because especially in sales, there are often field staff who should be able to access the B2B CRM from anywhere.
4. Adaptability: Your B2B CRM should be so flexible that it can adapt to the changing business processes in your company without you constantly having to make manual changes. This enables smooth integration of new requirements and changes in business processes, ultimately increasing efficiency and boosting productivity. 
5. Integration into existing systems: Make sure the B2B CRM system can communicate seamlessly with other tools and systems already in use within the company.
6. Product demo with test users: This is one of the most important selection criteria. A product demo with test users from the relevant departments is crucial to ensure that the B2B CRM meets the requirements and expectations of the teams. This step ensures user acceptance and ensures that the system improves the work of the teams and does not hinder it.

Which tools are suitable for B2B CRM?

Hubspot Sales Hub

Salesforce Sales Cloud

CentralStationCRM

Pipedrive

TecArt CRM

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales

BSI Customer Suite

SuperOffice

You can find more B2B CRM tools on OMR Reviews in the CRM category.

Conclusion

A B2B CRM software is an important tool for companies to maintain customer relationships, optimize marketing campaigns, and increase overall efficiency. It enables very individual customer contact and supports the entire sales process, which contributes to successful customer acquisition and loyalty.