The consumer goods-retailer relationship is at risk of fraying. As we found in our survey of 500 global consumer goods (CG) leaders in the battle for B2B and B2C relationships, there are plenty of opportunities to improve where retailers currently fall short:

• Inventory visibility (55% satisfaction with retailers)

• Taking action on analytics (55%)

• Field sales rep productivity (50%)

• Leveraging customer insights from stores (43%)

• Upselling new SKUs (38%)

Consumer goods (CG) companies need to right the ship and empower channel partners to move with speed, flexibility, and personalization. Recently, we introduced a new industry-specific solution called Consumer Goods Cloud, to help CG companies accelerate in-store productivity, drive greater efficiency in the field, and increase shelf audit accuracy. CG companies can further support channel partners by connecting it to our Transform B2B Commerce solution to extend employees’ office hours and your engagement reach, which enables partners to move quickly and drive larger purchase orders while reaching and serving long-tail customers in a cost-effective way.

Let’s dive in to see how it works. 

How to create personalized, collaborative B2B buying experiences

1. Build brand-rich experiences that build B2B relationships

The best experience partners have as consumers, extends to their expectations in business. CG companies can provide B2C-like experiences for channel partners to streamline the entire purchase cycle with Salesforce for Commerce’s B2B capability.

Partners access a personalized, authenticated site with a B2C-like digital brand experience. Custom product sets, price lists, and predictive recommendations all display to empower self-service and boost average order size. The shared view also makes collaboration seamless, creating closer connections between CG companies and channel partners (e.g., retailers, distributors, wholesalers) with data-rich insights that shape joint business plans.

2. Speed up the purchase cycle with self-service

Evolved B2B buyer expectations elevate the need for a seamless engagement process and for channel partners’ ability to engage on any device while keeping reps informed of all key interactions. This provides consistency in a journey spanning physical and digital touchpoints. For instance, an order is completed in just a few clicks, whether it’s a repeat purchase or a complex order, and flexible payment and shipping options allow partners to customize when, where, and how they receive it. For example, partners can change shipment quantities to different locations or dates.

3. Create unique customer experiences by channel partner

Our product solutions optimize lifecycle marketing by sending partners prompts with tailored offers, selectable trade promotions, relevant knowledge articles, and more. Einstein artificial intelligence works behind the scenes to learn your partner’s business, behaviors, and preferences to fuel personalization at the glass. Moreover, brands can keep marketing messages on point with distributed marketing to allow channel partners to personalize promotional messages to their own consumers while maintaining the brand’s voice across the entire value chain.

4. Provide service anytime, anywhere

Faster, smarter service powered with Einstein continues to drive the collaboration that is paramount to our industry solution. Partners can access chatbots for common questions and knowledge articles based on specific needs. If an issue is more complex, partners have the option to connect with a service agent, driving a customized experience.

Watch this demo to create closer connections across the entire value chain and see how Salesforce brings your traditional commerce activities to the digital world.