After two years of the pandemic, Mexicans learned to buy online and became so accustomed to digital channels that e-commerce registered growth of 41% and 27% in 2020 and 2021, respectively. However, businesses are also buying online and providing one of the most important building blocks in an increasingly strong industry.
In recent years, points out the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO), Mexico has witnessed the digitalization of companies and proof of this is that companies, regardless of their sector, are creating their own platforms and developing their virtual markets. focused on B2B (business-to-business) sales.
According to data from the data analysis firm Gartner, 80% of B2B sales will be carried out through digital channels, something that will allow industries to evolve their business model, as this represents greater confidence in technology for sales, while human talent develops their relationship skills and generation of new business.
Cas Nieskens, general director of Sana Commerce for Latin America, mentions that the digital approach in trade between businesses is important, since it allows to simplify the relationships between them and, in fact, strengthens them, due to a series of advantages, such as programming of products to supply stocks at the necessary times.
Specialists report that adopting a B2B electronic commerce platform also offers added value to the shopping experience, since through it prices and previously negotiated offers are automated.
On the other hand, Nieskens states that this approach should take advantage of the fact that millennials are beginning to take charge of online businesses and transactions, therefore they are already accustomed to digital dynamics and have the ability to transfer them online. shops to make them evolve.
Likewise, he highlights that it is not a decision that only large companies should take, since it is also a field that small and medium-sized companies can take advantage of without having a large investment.
According to information from Statista, business-to-business trade has outpaced the consumer market since 2019 and is expected to reach a value of $20.9 billion by 2027.
Trade between companies is not the same as that of the final consumer
One element that experts highlight to businesses that also want to venture into B2B electronic commerce is that it has an important difference with respect to B2C (business-to-consumer).
“Companies think too much that B2B is the same as B2C, but they are different. You can do both but they are different sales methods. Things that work in one modality do not work in the other”, Nieskens points out.
For the specialist, the most important point that businesses must take into account when doing B2B is that they are not only transactions, but relationships are built for many years that will have an impact on how the business develops.
“If you give a bad service, the impact on your business after the loss of trust will be greater. (…) Therefore, a central point for the future of business is to seek total convenience for customers, through personalization”.
