B2B vs B2C

[DustinG]

Curious on people's thoughts on selling B2B vs B2C products.

Most people/books seem to say it's easier to sell to businesses (as businesses are more willing to whip out their credit card), but most of the products I'm more interested in creating are B2C.

Any of you have experience selling to both markets?

 

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[CPisHere]

I have both B2B & B2C businesses. Both local businesses, so somewhat limited scalability.

B2C is a lot easier to get started and initial ramp up. Getting B2C customers is a lot easier generally, because the price point is a lot lower and they are... let's say - promiscuous with their spending.

B2B tends to be a lot harder to get a customer, as they are more difficult to reach the decision maker, the price point is higher, it often requires approvals, etc. But they tend to scale easier once you get them going.

If someone says B2B is easier to sell to than B2C, there is a good chance that though they may be technically selling to businesses, they are doing so in a B2C manner (with the owner as a consumer).

 

[Charles Letcher]

As a developer, I have written both B2B and B2C software for other people's companies. My experience in government and private sector is that a B2B company needs a person doing sales for products that require approval. The sales cycle to businesses often require glad-handing, or at least handling a contract.

Silicon Valley (on HBO) bashes B2C. The series makes a good point about B2B, if you haven't seen it. The Silicon Valley point is that every idiot gets into B2C, and the real money is in B2B. I personally don't agree with that at all.

I've spent the last 6 months developing my own B2C product, because I have a passion for the product, not because of a B2B/B2C bias. This B2C product has a small market, but should be resistant to technology change, and have some longevity.

If you have the passion for a B2B product, are willing to do the sales/contracts and are certain the product won't be obsolete too quickly, I say go for it. Those reasons are why I chose a B2C product.

 

[Lumo]

There is no B2B or B2C actually, just H2H (Human to Human).

B2B is more rational, B2C more emotional when you are selling.

In general it is more rewarding to make a winner win more than to turn a loser into a winner.

 

[rollerskates]

I've done both, but on a smaller scale--person to person, whether the person is business (I sell small help guides for other artists) or a non business customer (accessories and other handmade widgets). My experience has been that there is more difficulty in the B2C arena. B2C customers tend to not read and are more likely to want a return because they didn't read the size of what they were buying. Basics like "This widget is 8 inches by 10 inches" are beyond their comprehension. My B2B customers seem far more appreciative of the value I provide to them.

And although I have been leaning this way for some time, and now, typing this out, I can see that I really need to concentrate on B2B.