3 Strategies to Get B2B Omnichannel Right

Imagine you’re a plant manager searching for a crucial piece of equipment. You wouldn’t just walk into a supplier’s office and buy the first thing you see. You’d research online, compare specs, call around, maybe even attend a trade show.

Your B2B customers are doing the same, only their journey is even more complex. They start with a Google search, land on your website, download technical documents, watch a webinar. They reach out to a sales rep, connect on LinkedIn, consult engineers and operations managers.

But their journey isn’t a straight line – it’s a web of online and offline interactions. And if those interactions aren’t connected, the experience feels fragmented.

That’s why the shift from multichannel to omnichannel matters. Many B2B companies already sell across multiple platforms, but true B2B omnichannel commerce ensures those touchpoints work together to create a seamless, informed buying experience. Let’s break down what that means and how to make it a reality.

Omnichannel vs. Multichannel B2B Commerce

Most B2B companies today operate across multiple sales channels. You’re likely connecting with customers through some combination of communication channels:

• Online marketplaces
• Social media
• Direct mail
• Catalogs
• Physical stores
• Your website

That’s multichannel commerce – a presence on various platforms. And it’s a necessary first step. But it’s not the destination. The true evolution is omnichannel customer experience.

The difference? Integration.Multichannel means you have different avenues for customer interaction. But those avenues often operate in isolation. Omnichannel, on the other hand, connects those avenues. It creates a unified experience where customer data and context flow seamlessly across all touchpoints. 

A customer can start researching on your website, call a sales rep with questions, and then visit a showroom – and at each stage of the buyer journey, your team has access to their complete history. It’s a single, continuous conversation, regardless of the channel.

Multichannel is about being everywhere. Omnichannel is about knowing your customer everywhere. It’s about recognizing that the B2B buying journey isn’t a series of disconnected transactions; it’s a relationship. And relationships thrive on consistent, informed communication.

Why B2B Omnichannel Approach Is Essential

We all know customer data is important. But in the B2B context, it’s more than just numbers in a CRM. It’s the key to understanding the narrative of your customer’s interactions with your business. It’s about seeing the full picture, not just fragmented snapshots.

Imagine a customer consistently downloads technical documentation related to a specific product line, but they’ve never actually made a purchase. In a siloed world, this information might go unnoticed by your sales and marketing teams. But with an omnichannel view, you can see the story unfolding: maybe they have a lingering question; maybe they need a custom configuration. With the right visibility, your team can step in, offering a consultation, a product demo, or the exact support they need to move forward.

Omnichannel lets you connect those dots. It allows you to move beyond generic outreach and provide truly relevant, personalized support. It’s about showing your customers that you’re not just collecting data; you’re listening to them.

Omnichannel marketing doesn’t just improve customer satisfaction and experience, it makes operations run smoother, smarter, and faster. It’s about:

• Bridging gaps between teams: Ensuring that information flows seamlessly between your website, your CRM, your sales team, and your customer service department.
• Empowering your employees: Giving your team the tools and information they need to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
• Respecting your customer’s time: Providing quick, accurate, and personalized service that shows you value their business, which leads to increased customer loyalty.

B2B Omnichannel Strategies: Getting Practical

A connected experience doesn’t happen by accident. It takes the right tools, processes, and mindset. Here’s how to bring the omnichannel experience into focus.

1. Share Customer Data Across Channels: The Foundation

Data silos cripple omnichannel. A truly connected experience requires information to flow freely across all touchpoints. This creates a unified view of both the customer and your operations.

To achieve this unified view, a robust, centralized system is essential.

Establish a Single Source of Truth

While a CRM system is often the ideal choice for centralizing customer-related data in B2B, it’s not a rigid requirement. The key is to designate a single system as the authoritative source for specific data types. This could be:

• CRM systems(Customer Relationship Management): Typically the best choice for customer interactions, contact information, sales history, and support tickets.
• ERP systems (Enterprise Resource Planning): Might be the best source for inventory levels, order fulfillment, and financial data.
• PIM (Product Information Management): Could be the central repository for all product-related data (specifications, descriptions, images).
• eCommerce Platform: Could be a good source of truth related to online orders, customer behavior in your online store.

The crucial point is to avoid duplication and conflicting data across multiple systems. One system should be designated as the “owner” of each data type. This system then feeds that data to other integrated platforms.Integrate, at minimum, these essential systems:

• Website: Capture browsing activity, downloads, and form submissions.
• ERP: Connect to real-time inventory, order history, and pricing.
• Marketing Automation: Power personalized campaigns based on behavior and data.
• B2B eCommerce Platform: Track online orders, customer behavior, and product preferences. This is vital for understanding online customer journeys and personalizing the online experience.

Example: A customer places an order through your eCommerce platform. This information should automatically update inventory levels in your ERP and trigger relevant workflows in your marketing automation system. The sales rep, preparing for a follow up, should view it.

Establish Ironclad Data Governance Policies

Without data governance, your customers face a confusing, frustrating experience. To avoid this, focus on these five rules, as outlined in our recent article on product data:

Even the best system and the cleanest data are ineffective if your team isn’t equipped to use them.

Empower Your Sales and Marketing Teams with Data Training

Technology is a tool; your team needs the skills to wield it effectively. Invest in comprehensive training that covers:

• CRM Proficiency: Ensure everyone can navigate the system, access data, and understand its features.
• Data Interpretation: Teach your team to analyze data, identify trends, and draw actionable insights.
• Data Governance Adherence: Reinforce the importance of following established policies and procedures.

This training transforms your team into data-driven decision-makers, capable of delivering a truly personalized and responsive customer experience.

2. Digitally Enable Sales

“Digitally enabling sales” goes far beyond giving your reps laptops. It’s about providing them with the tools and information they need to be effective in a world where the customer journey spans multiple channels. It’s about creating a seamless blend of human interaction and digital capabilities – the essence of hybrid sales.

The Rise of Hybrid:

B2B buying has fundamentally changed. In 2017, only around 20% of industrial companies preferred digital interactions. Today, that number is closer to 67%. But this doesn’t mean eliminating the human element. While B2C often involves entirely online purchases, B2B buyers still value human interaction, especially for complex or high-value purchases.

This is where hybrid sales comes in. McKinsey research shows that hybrid sales can drive up to 50% more revenue, and 85% of companies expect it to be the most common sales role within three years. An eCommerce platform is key to enabling this hybrid approach. 

Think of it this way: Your reps are on the front lines, building relationships and guiding customers through complex purchasing decisions. Your eCommerce platform is their support system, providing them with:

• Instant Access to Information: Imagine a sales rep on a site visit. Instead of fumbling through outdated catalogs or calling the office for information, they have everything they need – product specs, real-time inventory, customer-specific pricing, and the customer’s complete purchase history – at their fingertips, on their tablet. With instant access to information, sales reps can provide accurate answers on the spot, making every interaction more valuable.
• Streamlined Processes: Your eCommerce platform can automate many of the tedious, time-consuming tasks that used to bog down sales reps. Think about automatic quote approvals, instant credit checks, and seamless order processing. With less back-and-forth, they can have more meaningful conversations and drive higher-value sales.
• A Collaborative Workspace: Your eCommerce platform can even become a shared space for reps and customers to work together. They can build orders collaboratively, configure products, and discuss options, all within a single, unified environment.

By using your eCommerce platform as the backbone of your sales enablement strategy, you’re giving your sales team the tools they need to be true partners to your customers, whether they’re interacting online, on the phone, or in person.

3. Proactive Channel Conflict Management

Omnichannel strategies can unintentionally create conflict between the direct sales team, eCommerce, distributors, and other partners. When customers can engage and purchase across multiple touchpoints, questions arise:

• Who owns the customer?
• Who gets credit for the sale?
• How do you ensure channels complement, not compete?

Without a clear strategy, these conflicts lead to frustration, misaligned incentives, and resistance to digital transformation. Instead of improving efficiency, omnichannel can become a battleground.

How to Get It Right

1. Define Clear Rules of Engagement

Sales teams and channel partners need to know exactly how digital channels fit into their role. One way to achieve this is by assigning ownership rules based on industry, region, or account type. 

If a lead comes in through an online form, does it go to a dedicated eCommerce team, or is it assigned to a field sales rep? If a customer places an order online but needs additional configuration, who steps in? A structured approach ensures no one feels cut out of the sales process.

For instance, manufacturers selling through distributors can prevent conflict by routing online inquiries to the nearest distributor instead of fulfilling them directly. This keeps partners engaged and ensures that digital sales channels can enhance, rather than bypass, existing relationships.

2. Align Incentives to Prevent Channel Conflict

If the sales team loses commission when customers buy online, they will actively discourage digital adoption. The solution? Compensation models that reward collaboration, not competition.

How to structure incentives:

• Shared credit models: Give reps commission on online orders from their assigned customers.
• Blended quotas: Set sales targets that factor in both digital and offline sales.
• Distributor-friendly programs: Offer price parity or exclusive incentives to prevent undercutting.

Take the case of a manufacturer expanding its B2B eCommerce presence while working with distributors. Instead of driving a wedge between channels, they implemented a profit-sharing model where distributor partners received a percentage of revenue from online sales in their territory. This eliminated friction and encouraged distributors to actively promote the digital platform rather than resist it.

Meeting Customer Expectations with B2B Omnichannel Sales

B2B buyers don’t just expect options, they expect continuity. The real challenge is ensuring every customer touchpoint works together to support customer expectations and how customers research, evaluate, and buy.

Omnichannel marketing requires more than just connecting systems. It means creating a seamless customer experience across multiple channels, where your sales team works with real-time insights and customers never have to repeat themselves.

The companies that simplify the experience – without losing the depth and expertise customers rely on – will set themselves apart.