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Business-to-Business Marketing

Description

Business-to-Business marketing is concerned with buying and selling activities between and among commercial, governmental, and institutional organizations. Business-to-Business products include anything from heavy machinery and raw materials to hospital beds and computers. Represented in this spectrum would be such things as component parts, processed materials, operating supplies, replacement parts, as well as a myriad of services. Business-to-Business buyers are generally concerned not just with product performance and price, but also with design specifications, delivery reliability, and service after the sale. Business-to-Business marketing is sometimes called the hidden side of marketing since everyday consumers are usually not involved in the buying process.

Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of Business-to-Business marketing is the complex nature of the buying process. In many instances, a number of individuals from differing functional areas in the buying firm play a role in the purchase decision. The marketing professional must try to identify the actual decision-maker. The decision process itself often evolves over a period of six months to two years. Once established, the buyer-seller relationship tends to endure for some time and become more personal. Consequently, the social aspects of the buyer-seller interaction are vital.

Career Opportunities

Business-to-Business marketing firms represent a major opportunity for the college graduate. More dollars are spent and more transactions take place in these markets than in consumer markets. Examples include plastics, electro-medical equipment, computers, environmental controls, specialty steels, and chemicals.

Starting jobs in the Business-to-Business marketing field vary according to the size, needs, and practices of the firm. Training programs may be of the general type providing a view of a variety of opportunities, or specifically focused on some aspect of sales, such as systems selling, sales engineering, or focused upon other aspects of marketing including research, communications and distributor or deal support. A marketing professional career path in Business-to-Business marketing generally includes work in sales, product, and marketing management.

Educational Background

While an engineering or scientific educational background is required for some postings, for others it is useful, but not essential. In either case, the student who seeks a Business-to-Business marketing career is encouraged to pursue scientific and/or technical courses to the fullest extent possible. Other suggested courses included industrial psychology, procurement management, inventory management, and logistics.