B2B - Business to Business

B2B means business to business - in other words, it’s a relationship between two businesses. A B2B company is one that provides solutions to other businesses. So why is it called B2B and not BtoB? Because that would just be stupid.

So why do we need a whole new acronym for businesses that sell specifically to other businesses? Well, that’s because these are pretty big deals. Literally. Unlike toothpaste manufacturers or chocolate companies*, B2B brands usually depend on a handful (comparatively) of high value sales to see them through.

What does this mean for salespeople in these companies? For one thing, B2B sales take, on average, a long time. We’re talking weeks or even months. Which means, it’s best for business for them to focus on nurturing relationships with prospects, especially those in the decision making sphere. From checking in regularly to maybe even meeting up for a cup of coffee, “keeping in touch” is very much part of the job description for these folks.

*Not that these cannot be big deals. My little shrine to Cadbury, composed entirely of discarded wrappers, is proof of that. It just means that usually, the individual deal value is less than for B2B businesses.

TL:DR - Business to Business, (2 replacing “to” for extra coolness) is a transactional relationship where even a single bad lead can really mess up your quarter. So, you know…no stress.