Omnichannel or Bust: The Future of B2B Sales

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A Distributor Channel Marketing Moment

Omnichannel or Bust: The Future of B2B Sales

By Desiree Grace

Your best contractor customer? He may not be your best customer for long if you can’t meet him where he’s at, be it the office, the job site, or somewhere in between. He’s busy and looking for solutions, expertise, and value. And value? It’s no longer just about price and product quality. It’s about the ease of doing business.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, B2B buyers aren’t just searching for products; they’re demanding seamless experiences. That’s where omnichannel sales come in. It’s not just a marketing buzzword; it’s a strategic shift that’s transforming how businesses connect, sell, and grow. It’s how you maintain loyalty and earn repeat business.

What Is Omnichannel Sales?

Omnichannel sales is the practice of offering customers multiple integrated ways to interact with your business, across digital platforms, inside sales, in-person meetings, phone calls, video chats, mobile apps, and more. The key is consistency and fluidity: no matter the channel, the experience feels unified and personalized. Your contractor gets accurate product information from your inside sales team, quick answers from your app, and support from your after-hours chatbot, without repeating his story every time.

Why It Matters in B2B Sales

B2B buying cycles are long, deals are large, and multiple stakeholders weigh in. Trust and convenience aren’t luxuries; they’re requirements. Here’s what omnichannel gets right:

11. Buyers Want Flexibility
• B2B buyers now use 10+ channels to interact with suppliers, up from just 5 a decade ago.
• They expect seamless transitions. They want tracking info from your app and expertise from your outside specialist.

22. Digital Drives Big Deals
• More buyers are comfortable spending $500,000+ through remote or self-service channels.
• Even traditionally offline industries (like electrical supplies) are embracing digital-first selling.

33. Speed and Convenience Win Loyalty
• Buyers want to research, compare, and purchase on their own terms.
• If you’re not keeping pace with competitors’ digital tools? They’ll swipe right on someone else.

44. Revenue Follows Experience
• Companies with strong omnichannel strategies generate more revenue from digital channels than traditional field sales.
• In B2B, face-to-face now accounts for just 20% of revenue, while ecommerce and remote interactions dominate.

How to Get Omnichannel Right

Adding channels ≠ omnichannel.
Making the experience cohesive = omnichannel.

Here’s where winning suppliers focus:

• Unified data across all touchpoints
• Sales team training for both digital and physical engagement
• Ecommerce platforms that support high-value transactions
• Real-time support (chat, video, phone) for complex purchases

Final Thoughts

Omnichannel sales isn’t a trend; it’s today’s reality. Meet buyers where they are, make their journey easier, and you won’t just keep customers… you’ll grow them.

Need help getting in the omnichannel game?
River Heights Consulting can help. With years of experience and a penchant for new technologies, Frank Hurtte and Desiree Grace can coach your team on delivering a winning omnichannel customer experience, so you can take home the trophy.


About the Author

Desiree Grace is a sales and marketing leader in the electrical distribution industry.
She’s passionate about helping teams embrace digital transformation, strengthen customer relationships, and drive profitable growth.



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