Spreadsheets and Word documents are facing the same fate as the rolodex in customer relationship management. The demand for CRM software is growing. Nearly 25% of small and medium business owners use a CRM, with another 10% of non-users considering implementation.

However, not all CRM systems are created equal. B2B CRM software is the same as B2C CRM software in the way soccer and NFL players are both footballers — in other words, they’re not really the same at all.

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In this article, we’re focusing on B2B CRM. We’ll give you insights from marketing experts on what it is, its benefits, strategies, best products and how it differs from B2C CRM.

B2B CRM vs. B2C CRM Software

B2B CRM software is a system used specifically by businesses that sell to other companies to manage interactions and relationships with potential and existing customers. It usually supports more complex channels, multiple pipelines, larger deals, and a longer sales cycle.

A B2C CRM solution is designed for consumer-facing businesses and focuses more on mass marketing, higher lead generation and repeat purchases.
Here’s a breakdown of some key differences:

Complexity: B2B systems require more complexity because the B2B sales process is longer and involves larger buyer groups. The more significant purchases in a B2B sale need more software tools for in-depth nurturing, collaboration, complex account hierarchies and contact management.

B2C businesses rely on multiple purchases and high lead volume. It requires deep-data analysis to identify trends, upsell opportunities and robust data processing to manage leads that can number in the millions.

Sales Cycle Lengths: The B2B sales cycle is a marathon, while B2C funnels mimic the 100-yard dash. Convincing a B2B lead requires multiple stakeholders and strategic steps. Gauri Mangalik, CEO and Co-Founder at Instrumentl, shared her thoughts.

In my experience running both B2B and B2C companies, the complexity and scale of the sales process differ greatly between the two models. B2B sales cycles are typically much longer, often 6-18 months, given the strategic nature of the purchase and the number of stakeholders involved. Deal sizes also tend to be much larger, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. This requires extensive education and consensus-building.

B2C sales, on the other hand, usually involve a single buyer and a faster, simpler decision process – often just a few days or weeks.”

Deal Sizes and Lead Volume: Buying new machinery isn’t close to the cost of picking up a new pair of sneakers. Tim Simpson, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at ScaleNorth Advisors expands on the correlation between deal sizes and sales cycle lengths.

With B2B, you typically experience high average order values ranging from a few hundred dollars to $1M+. As a B2B marketer, I can recall getting my first positive response from a lead after they had opened 21 of my emails in a 1-year period. The higher the dollar value of a B2B sale, the longer and slower of a burn the sales process typically is. This is in comparison to the B2C sector where purchases often happen instantaneously with the monetary range of a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.”

Marketing Touchpoints: The B2B marketing journey is famously non-linear. Kamal Ben Yacoub, CEO and Co-Founder of Getuplead, a B2B PPC agency, expands on the multiple stages in the buyer journey:

The main difference is that the B2B journey is not linear and involves multiple stakeholders resulting in a longer duration of the buying process and multiple touchpoints. This makes the lead scoring feature essential along with different stages of the buyer’s journey from a contact to a customer: MQL, SQL, pipeline and customers.

A B2C CRM doesn’t have these specificities and features because B2C companies don’t need them. They are more focused on maintaining relationships and customer experience. The buying process is much simpler so the customer relationship is the primary focus.”

Unlike B2C sales speeding you to the finish line with discounts and offers, B2B needs more value-driven marketing and detailed customer engagement tracking to seal the deal.

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Feature Comparison

Understanding what you’re looking for can be the difference between scoring and hitting the post. To line up the differences between B2B and B2C software, here’s a handy guide to important features for each audience.

Best B2B CRM Software

The faintest glimpse into the B2B customer journey proves it’s a whole different beast. But it can be tamed with the help of B2B CRM software. We’ve asked our analysts to draw up the leading CRM products in the B2B market. Use our free comparison report for an even more in-depth analysis.

• Salesforce Sales Cloud: Best overall
• HubSpot Sales Hub: Best for integrations and extensibility
• Dynamics 365: Best for communication channels
• SAP Sales Cloud: Best for team collaboration
• Pipeliner: Best for workflows and process automation

Product
Analyst Rating	87	86	84	84	82
User Sentiment Score	86%	86%	83%	79%	94%
Free Trial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Company Size	S M L	S M L	M L	S M L	S M L
Starting Price	N/A	$90	$65	N/A	$65

Salesforce Sales Cloud: Best Overall

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a cloud-based sales, customer and marketing system that uses a single source of truth. It provides generic CRM features like pipeline, lead and contact management, workflow automation, marketing tools and integrations with third-party apps. Users can also access a native app for Android and iOS devices.

Sales Cloud’s State of the Union Dashboard. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Workflows and Process Automation — 100
• Dashboards and Reports — 97
• Product Management — 96
• Quote, Order and Contract Management — 96
• Team Collaboration — 92

Top Benefits

• Increases Customization: Fire on all cylinders with customizations for forecasting and sales stages, branding, apps, views and filters and dashboards with modifiable charts. Adapt workflows and automation to suit current processes.
• Improves Partner and Channel Management: Handle partner and channel processes ranging from recruitment and onboarding to training. Use workflow rules to trigger actions using real-time events like accepted leads and build and customize cross-channel experiences and programs.
• Offers AI-Based Insights: AI is everything today. Use Einstein, Sales Cloud’s AI tool, to make informed decisions with actionable insights. Evaluate campaign effectiveness through deal analysis and prediction-based modules.
• Boosts Sales Performance: Real-time insights into lead tracking, lead stages, sales reps’ leaderboards and sales pipelines help you visualize data and identify trends.
• Streamlines Data: Eliminate data silos with a centralized customer database and add notes to contacts, leads and opportunities to access summaries. Use multiple integration options to streamline data flows and simplify workflows across BI, ERP, communication tools and marketing automation software.

Primary Features

• Contact Management: Associate contacts with accounts or opportunities for a 360-degree view of customer activities, history, communications, internal account discussions and social data. Map out content hierarchy information and view relationships between parent accounts and subsidiaries.
• Quote, Order and Contract Management: An essential part of B2B, this module provides order automation from opportunities, contract creation and management and quote generation. Access product schedules to plan payment and delivery schedules.
• Drag-and-Drop Process Builder: Streamline tasks by creating workflows with a user-friendly interface for building and visualizing processes. Create guided steps for lead qualification, recommended next steps and approval processes.
• Sales Collaboration: Stay up-to-date on projects, discussions and updates using mentions, feeds, tags and comments. Share contracts, proposals and presentations with private or public user groups.
• Reports and Dashboards: Measure business health and track team performance through real-time forecasting and reporting modules. Create custom dashboards using drag-and-drop fields, filters and charts.

Limitations

• Slow loading time.
• Expensive for small businesses.
• Steep learning curve.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Group Appointment Scheduling — Not Supported
• Call Recording — Supported With Partner Integrations
• Data Enrichment — Supported With Partner Integrations

HubSpot Sales Hub: Best for Integrations and Extensibility

HubSpot Sales is a configurable, cloud-based solution that helps enhance sales operations through pipeline management, sales automation, quote generation and activity reports. Its marketing, sales and service hub optimizes experience throughout all customer lifecycle stages.

It also offers a code-free user interface, automated reminders and follow-ups, standardized email templates and dynamic dashboards. If you’re looking to extend capabilities or integrate existing systems, you can head to the App Marketplace.

HubSpot Contact Management.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Document Management — 100
• Lead Management — 98
• Opportunity/Deal Management — 98
• Customer Communication Management — 91
• Dashboards and Reports — 89

Top Benefits

• Manages Pipelines Efficiently: Create customer journey maps with templates, automation and workflows across communication channels. Set up multiple pipelines and edit deal pipelines and stages to meet business needs.
• Improves Lead Management: Use predictive scoring powered by machine learning to identify qualified leads. Segment email lists, rep notifications and adapt content using lead scores.
• Enhances Advanced Analytics: Create custom funnel reports to analyze conversion rates between customer touchpoints and filter reports using date ranges, teams or specific pipelines.

Primary Features

• Sales Automation: Automate sales, marketing and service processes using the workflow tool. Notify and assign deals to teams using pre-set factors, set up email marketing campaigns and trigger lead nurturing actions.
• Contact Management: Auto-create contact records for customers who interact with your business with forms or using the conversations tool. Associate companies using a parent-child relationship and contacts, deals and ticks.
• Personalized Communication: Track prospects’ recent email interactions and access contact records to send personal, context-based messages.
• Predictive Lead Scoring: Score leads using machine learning to qualify high-quality leads. The predictive score learns over time and optimizes itself to improve lead follow-up strategies.
• Document Management: Create playbooks for pricing guidelines, product sheets and account-based selling. Upload, convert and share documents with viewer tracking and restricted access.

Limitations

• Merging data and notes is time-consuming.
• Customer portals not supported.
• Does not support automatic order creation.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• AI-Based Sales Recommendations — Not Supported
• Territory Hierarchy — Not Supported
• Embed Chart — Not Supported

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Dynamics 365 for Sales: Best for Communication Channels

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a hybrid solution offering extensive relationship management capabilities that help businesses streamline their sales strategies and boost productivity. It provides a 360-degree view of customer activities, recommended actions and prescriptive insights.

Other features include interactive dashboards, contact management, predictive forecasting and contextual AI.

Dynamics 365 for Sales Dashboard.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Workflows and Process Automation — 100
• Dashboards and Reports — 98
• Opportunity/Deal Management — 95
• Document Management — 91
• Products Management — 90

Top Benefits

• Improves Lead Management: Increase lead conversion and win rate with AI-powered lead and opportunity prioritization and machine learning algorithms for lead scoring. Determine the intent of a lead with profiling and a marketing qualification process and use AI and an email bot to move leads to identified sales opportunities.
• Enhances Sales Insights: Access valuable, customized insights from everyday actions, communications and action cards. Sales reps can use adaptive AI’s buying pattern analysis to take over at-risk customers and handle opportunities efficiently. Trigger actions with notifications for soon-to-lapse opportunities, pending activities and inactive accounts.
• Boosts Customer Interactions: Plan, track and organize all customer communication using the activities feature. Automatically timestamp all activities and view the entire history of interactions with recommendations for a personal touch.

Primary Features

• Team Collaboration: Share updates, files, records and customer data with team members using Microsoft Teams integration. Create posts, add comments, tag users and respond to messages with native integration Yammer.
• Document Repository: Access attachments, files and sales collateral from a centralized database with role-based permissions. Generate playbook templates to apply your organization’s best practices and keep records consistent.
• Opportunity Management: Use AI and predictive machine learning analysis to calculate scores for open opportunities, allowing you to prioritize higher-quality opportunities. Drag and drop opportunities into different lanes as they enter different stages of the sales journey using the Kanban View.
• Interactive Dashboards: Gather actionable business intelligence insights through charts, views and lists. Access records based on priority or status and tweak data with a time frame and global filter. Visualize relationships among contacts and build a hierarchy for existing accounts with interactive charts.
• Power BI Integration: Identify opportunities on a single dashboard, view sales across multiple metrics and analyze your pipeline with Power BI. Connect to different data sources like on-premise systems, big data, streaming data and cloud services.

Limitations

• Requires extensive training or an expert to set up properly.
• Difficult to integrate with other enterprise software.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Built-In Caller — Not Supported
• Document Conversion — Supported With Partner Integrations
• Order Creation and Segmentation — Not Supported

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SAP Sales Cloud: Best for Team Collaboration

SAP Sales Cloud is a SaaS-deployed software designed to deliver customer-centric sales engagements with a 360-degree view of contact information and interactions. It helps users with account management, sales force automation, predictive analytics, lead routing and billing. Access real-time data and actionable information on the field with its mobile app and integrate with legacy systems like SAP S/4 HANA.

SAP Sales Cloud Mobile Account Hierarchy Feature.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Team Collaboration — 100
• Opportunity/Deal Management — 98
• Quote, Order and Contract Management — 89
• Dashboards and Reports — 87
• Lead Management — 86

Top Benefits

• Leverages Predictive Analytics: Use machine learning trained from historical data to score and prioritize opportunities. Build the scoring criteria using AI and pattern recognition from SAP and non-SAP data sets. Prioritize high-scoring leads using its lead intelligence capabilities.
• Improves Team Collaboration: Create, comment on, update and delete posts using the “Feed”. Message, tag and mention users in posts, attach documents, follow update activity and receive notifications. Set up user groups for users in the same department or with similar tasks.
• Streamlines Quote, Contract and Order Management: Create contracts, orders and quotes from templates, conversions from opportunities or manually. View edit history, automate approval processes and track documents through stages.

Primary Features

• Contract Management: Create contracts manually or from templates and centrally track details and amendment history. Access quotes and files offline and configure workflows to automate approvals. View pricing and inventory details with SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA standard integration while leveraging connections with SAP CPQ.
• Account Management: Access a 360-degree view of key contacts with a comprehensive view of engagement, service and transaction history. Map complex organizational structures and view key influencers and decision-makers graphically.
• Billing and Revenue Scheduling: Associate payment terms with the sales data of an account and specify invoice payment dates or applicable discounts. Create and update revenue schedules based on quantity schedules.
• Dashboards and Reports: Generate custom reports and use analytics objects from the system using the Report Wizard. Drill down KPIs with customizable, interactive dashboards.

Limitations

• Limited basic integrations.
• Infrequent updates can disrupt user experience.
• Delayed responses from the support team.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• AI-Based Sales Recommendations — Not Supported
• Canned Responses — Not Supported
• Custom Product Portals — Not Supported

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Pipeliner: Best for Workflows and Process Automation

Pipeliner is a cloud-based solution that helps organizations track leads, opportunities and deals. It uses a graphical overview of a company’s pipeline to give sales and marketing professionals an up-to-date view of all activities. Teams can also perform account management tasks and view sales performance.

It includes modules for account management, contact management, lead management, opportunity management and activity management.

Pipeliner Workflow and Process Automation.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Workflow and Process Automation — 100
• Account and Contact Management — 92
• Quote, Order and Contract Management — 88
• Opportunity/Deal Management — 88
• Sales Performance Management — 87

Top Benefits

• Increases Collaboration: Communicate in context with sales reps using access to relevant information with built-in messaging. View and respond to messages from the main message center or within the feed for a particular opportunity or account.
• Handles Tasks Efficiently: Keep track of tasks with a drag-and-drop task board showing any task or activity’s status. Automate task creation using predefined rules as opportunities move through the pipeline.
• Enhances User Training: Make training more effective and less time-consuming with a context-sensitive help feature built directly into the product. Find information on selling tactics and how the product can support operations using the sales playbook.
• Improves Sales Recommendations: Use Voyager Sales AI to guide sales reps on next steps and opportunities. It also analyzes and improves the productivity and velocity of leads. Guide reps toward sales goals with AI-powered coaching actions and suggestions for new leads, stuck opportunities and inactive accounts.
• Streamlines Workflows: Set up approval rules for discounts and proposals. Create workflows using templates and define conditions that trigger processes with Automizer.

Primary Features

• Contact Database: Store profile information and view account details and associated contacts, notes, tickets and communication. Locate and filter contacts using map service integration.
• Organizational Chart: Visualize company hierarchies using relationship maps with a drag-and-drop interface to clarify target contacts for sales reps. Map multiple related accounts and assign parent accounts for a complete picture.
• Visual Pipeline: Replace a spreadsheet format with visual designs. Create a dedicated lead section for sales reps to view, assign and qualify leads, use drag-and-drop functionality to move leads through the pipeline, access win-loss analysis of leads, average lead cycles and response times to optimize leads.
• Multiple Pipelines: Connect an unlimited number of pipelines to a central database to support different processes across sales, support, inventory control, supply chain management and more. Transfer data between pipelines or interconnect the information.
• Mobile App: Access mobile-only features such as a business card scanner, a notification center, call logging capabilities and a map for viewing contacts or accounts. Sync customizations made on the desktop version with the mobile version automatically.

Limitations

• Doesn’t support partner and vendor management.
• Lack of social engagement features.
• Non-alphabetical search filter.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Contacts Recommendation — Not Supported
• SMS Templates and Scheduling — Not Supported
• AI in Opportunity Management — Not Supported

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Importance of B2B CRM Software

Implementing the right B2B process with no CRM software is like creating the perfect trick play without a quarterback to pull it off. But, don’t take our word for it. Let’s hear from the experts on why B2B CRM software is so important.

Added Personalization

The “personal touch” isn’t just a myth hawked by outdated salesmen. According to Kamel Ben Yacoub, the Co-Founder of Getuplead, a deeper understanding of your clients can improve your sales process.

[One key advantage is] the better understanding of each contact or client, but also the possibility to offer personalized and customized campaigns and interactions for each stage of the funnel. This improves the sales process with more accurate forecasting and marketing efforts with more targeted and efficient campaigns which align with the buyer’s stage.”

Improved Efficiency

Juggling multiple decision-makers, sales reps, processes and tools is a recipe for slow sales cycles. Tierney Pretzer, Growth Lead at Numeric believes B2B CRM is key to centralizing customer data, standardizing processing and analyzing areas for improvement.

By centralizing customer interactions, sales activities, and relevant data, B2B CRM software allows businesses to analyze trends, identify opportunities for growth, and tailor their approaches to meet the specific needs of their business clients.

This strategic advantage not only improves efficiency and effectiveness in sales processes but also strengthens customer relationships over time, leading to increased customer retention and higher lifetime value.”

Minimized Data Silos

Sharing is a good thing when dealing with multiple touchpoints. Gauri believes CRM’s accessibility and 360-degree view of clients keep everyone on the same page.

In my experience as a CEO, one of the key advantages of using business-to-business customer relationship management (B2B CRM) software is gaining a single, centralized view of your customers and prospects across the organization. With a CRM system, all customer data – like contact info, communication history, opportunities, accounts, and more – is stored in one place and made accessible to everyone in your company.

For example, if a sales rep talks to a prospect and updates their CRM record, then a marketing manager can immediately see that conversation history and any next steps before reaching out. Without a CRM, that info may get lost in email chains or not be shared at all between departments. A shared CRM breaks down those communication silos and helps align your team around the customer. In my view, that unified, 360-degree view of your customers is invaluable for delivering amazing experiences and driving business growth.”

Increased Traceability

When a deadline is missed or an email doesn’t receive a response, where does the buck stop? Tim Simpson uses CRM as the word of the law to establish the narrative.

With B2B sales cycles being more complex, over longer periods of time with more touchpoints, it’s essential to track every touchpoint and update it in the system. We use the rule of “if it’s not recorded in the CRM, it didn’t happen.” Document every interaction, email, phone call, and status update that you can in the system to maximize conversion rates.”

Better Decision-Making

Pivoting is just as important in sales funnels as it was for Ross getting his couch up the stairs. Jake Munday, CEO and Co-Founder of Custom Neon uses CRM’s analysis to adapt and make better decisions.

The ability of B2B CRM software to create an integrated profile from several touchpoints and deliver a consistent view of each customer is one of its biggest benefits. Businesses can adapt their marketing campaigns and sales tactics to the unique requirements and preferences of each and every potential client or customer due to this in-depth knowledge. Making better judgments is facilitated by the capacity to monitor and evaluate every encounter that occurs throughout the course of the customer journey. The end results of this include better client retention, higher conversion rates, and more income.”

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Strategies for Successful Implementation

Implementing B2B CRM software is only the first step in the plan for sales domination. Next, you need a strategy. A quick google will bring up countless hits on POAs. Use the following strategies to cut through contradictory advice, outdated processes and mismatched ideas

Customer Journey Mapping

How do you understand the B2B buyer’s perspective? Three words: customer journey mapping. Like looking at a bird’s-eye view of a maze, Tierney finds customer journey mapping offers a clear view of pain points and opportunities.

Understanding and mapping the customer journey in detail is crucial for B2B CRM success. This information helps identify touchpoints and opportunities for engagement throughout the sales cycle, typically done by examining a sample of closed-won and closed-lost opportunities.”

Workflow Automation

Beat the time wasted on repetitive tasks allegations with workflow automation. Streamline processes and free up sales reps to, well, sell by automating lead nurturing, setting up triggers for tasks and reminders and generating automated custom reports.

Personalization

Longer sales cycles mean a longer time interacting with your buyers. Tierney observes that a personalized experience is not just optimal – it’s essential.

Personalization of communication is another essential strategy; leveraging data to tailor interactions based on the specific needs and behaviors of each prospect can significantly enhance relationship building.”

Content Marketing

Dangling the carrot of information at potential customers isn’t a new strategy. Jake Munday believes offering targeted content can help move leads through your sales cycle.

An important strategy for advancing leads through the sales funnel includes offering value through informative content that tackles prospects’ concerns and nurturing leads through automated yet customized email sequences.”

FAQs

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Next Steps

Regardless of your sales model, you need a solution that will play a critical role in growing your business. However, CRM vendors may not always spell out B2B or B2C specifications. You need to understand precisely how systems differ and whether a solution meets your requirements.

To help you get a clearer understanding of the market, we put together a free CRM comparison report. You’ll be able to sort through vendors and get key info like pricing and reviews, along with requirements criteria that ensure you don’t look at software designed for irrelevant processes.

What is the greatest impact you’d like a B2B or B2C CRM to have on your business? Let us know in the comments!

SME Contributors

Kamel Ben Yacoub is a seasoned B2B Tech and SaaS PPC expert with over 10 years of experience. The former Head of Marketing for successful VC-backed startups, he is now the Co-Founder at Getuplead, a leading international B2B PPC agency.

Gauri Manglik is the CEO and Co-Founder of Instrumentl, an all-in-one grants platform that helps nonprofits find, track, and manage their grants in a single place. As CEO and a co-founder, she has led Instrumentl to serve over 2,000 nonprofits today.

Tierney Pretzer currently leads marketing at Numeric, a B2B accounting automation platform, where she’s tailored the CRM to fit both sales and marketing efforts. Prior to Numeric, Tierney led revenue operations at Haven and previously worked in sales roles, providing robust exposure to CRM nuances and best practices. She is based in San Francisco.

Tim Simpson is the Senior Digital Marketing Manager at ScaleNorth. Over the course of his career, he’s provided marketing services for startups launching new products, SaaS corporations, digital marketing agencies, food & beverage manufacturers and professional services.

Jake Munday is the CEO and co-founder of Custom Neon, a global retailer and manufacturer of custom-designed LED neon lights and signs. The Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017 at the Geelong Business Awards, Jake has 10+years of experience in sales and business development and entrepreneurial growth in renowned and reputed retail businesses.