Which channel do B2B buyers prefer? It is quite possible that this question has been very important in your company in recent years.

Well, according to a recent McKinsey & Company survey, the answer is: all of them.

With the rise in digitalisation following the pandemic, there has been a considerable increase in the use of B2B e-commerce. Business-to-business sales, which in terms of digital transformation tend to lag one step behind B2C sales, have undergone major changes in recent years.

Now, customer autonomy through e-commerce has converged with traditional in-person interactions and remote interactions. And as McKinsey's research shows, customers do not want to give up any of these channels.

Beyond being a mere pandemic trend, omnichannel has become an essential element for B2B companies and is here to stay.

What exactly does the customer want?

The survey offered a choice between traditional interactions, remote human interactions and the option of self-serve (customer self-service).

The preference turned out to be fairly balanced, but, beyond that, it demonstrated the importance, and even urgency, of omnichannel in the current context.

Moreover, 9 out of 10 B2B directors state that it is as effective or more effective now than before the onset of Covid-19. In fact, this opinion reaches 94% in December 2021, compared with 83% at the beginning of the same year and 54% in April 2020. It is a fact: omnichannel has been gaining the trust of B2B business leaders.

How should sales teams adapt to omnichannel?

The study by McKinsey also highlights that in leading B2B companies a change in sales models is being seen in parallel with the omnichannel nature of purchasing.

In this sense, companies should opt for a model of hybrid sales, which requires hybrid salespeople. That is, B2B companies must equip themselves to match their buyers, with a sales team capable of interacting effectively through different channels: remotely, by call, through new applications and systems and also, when necessary, in person.

In this sense, an important commitment that B2B companies should adopt in the face of omnichannel is to acquire a Sales Enablement platform capable of integrating the different channels. While it is true that it is essential for the sales team to be able to operate through different channels, it is also essential to do so effectively.

Omnichannel is a good opportunity to increase sales, but the Sales Enablement is the resource for you to make the most of it.