Traditionally, CRM software offers a data model and functionality that is not well suited to B2C companies.

As a reminder, the CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) is a tool that allows you to manage your customer relationship from A to Z.

Therefore, the approach to Customer Relationship Management is different between a B2B and B2C company, the choice of CRM will not be the same depending on your activity.

Choose your CRM when you are in B2C :

Let's analyze some of these differences:

1) Client file size:

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Customer file size is an important factor to consider in your decision. The size of the customer data will be incomparably larger for a B2C company that usually manages more prospects and customers than a B2B company.

Overall, the number of sales is more important for B2C companies than B2B.

As far as B2C customers are concerned, they are more numerous but also buy more products in quantity and more often.
For a B2B company, the purchases are more spaced out but higher in terms of purchase value. Most of the time the purchase can only happen once. This is the case for software, equipment and other installations.

2) The personalization of the Customer Relationship:

We notice that B2B companies often need to have a very personalized approach to their customer relations, unlike B2C companies, which are more focused on a global approach, addressing less one-to-one.

B2C companies usually send mass emails even though message personalization exists through campaign targeting.

For these companies, targeting and automation are key!

3) The length of sales cycles and the buying decision:

As sales cycles are much faster in B2C than in B2B, the importance of a CRM for B2C companies lies in its role in encouraging the customer to make a purchase rather than in the importance of accompanying him through a pipeline.

When it comes to purchasing decisions, it is important to understand that B2B purchasing decisions take longer because they are more collegial. Indeed, a customer considers buying a product not on a personal basis but for the use of his company. Thus the cycle is longer because the customer relationship is not composed of a single customer but of a company, i.e. several contacts and therefore several dialogues.

4) Product customization:

While they are sold globally in a uniform way and at the same price in the case of a B2C activity, the products sold to a B2B clientele are personalized or even designed and manufactured according to the customer's request. In this case, the CRM must be able to historicize the products sold with their singularity as well as the preferences and personality of each customer.

Thus, as you have seen, the customer relationship in B2B is "stronger" because it is longer and more durable. Thus, these companies are looking for a CRM that allows them to maintain the connection with their prospect/customer but above all to sell their product rather than to make the marketing policy.

In contrast to a B2C activity where the customer relationship is shorter and less humanized, companies will tend to look for a CRM offering the right products at the right time to the right people.

The differences between B2B and B2C CRM:

Thus we will now discuss the differences between B2B and B2C CRM software in 5 points:

1) Contact management:

In B2C, contacts have little or no link between them. Thus, customer databases represent files that are independent of each other.

However, the challenge for B2C companies is to choose the right CRM capable of managing very large volumes of data but also capable of sending marketing campaigns to a multitude of contacts, which B2B CRM software does not always allow.

2) Marketing Automation:

Globally used in B2B to manage the sales cycle, follow up on prospects and measure the performance of your sales teams, the CRM is mainly used in B2C to manage marketing, sales and operational operations on the same interface.

In B2C, the challenge is to integrate your Marketing Automation with your CRM in order to segment your prospects/customers, to target your offers, and to push the right products at the right time. In other words, CRM allows you to personalize your marketing.

3) Management of the transformation stages:

While it is essential for a CRM in B2B to be able to provide teams with visibility into the pipeline and track the progress of each lead through the various stages of the sales cycle, this is not necessary in B2C where sales cycles are very fast with very few stages.

4) Inbound/outbound call management and retention:

In B2C, the voluminous quantity of customers pushes the companies to set up a Contact Center. Therefore, the CRM as well as the Contact Center are each equally important in the implementation of a good Customer Relationship.

As far as loyalty management is concerned, B2C CRMs must be able to manage a loyalty program.

In B2B, the limited number of customers means that calls are manageable for the teams.

B2B CRM software must help the company to develop a serene and strong relationship with its customers ('reminders' to help sales representatives to maintain the relationship with each customer over time)

5) Social network management:

Still not very useful in B2B, social networks are real marketing tools and therefore, sales tools for B2C companies. Therefore, it is important that the CRM can be easily integrated with your social networks, but above all, that it integrates "Social CRM" functions.

To conclude: which functionalities for a B2C CRM?

In summary, the B2C CRM is above all a software capable of :

Manage very large volumes of leads and contacts but also send large emailing campaigns for example

Manage your customer relationship and customer loyalty process through loyalty programs
Manage and maintain large customer files
Easily manage and integrate your social networks
Integrate your marketing automation and personalize your marketing