“B2B customers expect the same experience that B2C customers have.”

Yes and no.

It's commonly said and understood, but the reality is that designing for enterprise customers involves more complexity. While end users desire an intuitive user interface (UI), their purchasing process reveals additional aspects to consider in the overall product experience.

Purchasing decisions weigh heavily on the product design.

During product discovery, attention is often centered on the system's key advocates and most frequent users. This focus is a solid starting point for developing a strategic approach. Yet, as Maja Voje highlights, the enterprise sales process encompasses a broader range of individuals. (https://lnkd.in/gdD-atHE)

She explains that you are most likely selling to DMU, which consists of:

✅ Initiator: first thinks of a purchase
✅ Influencer: influences decision
✅ Gatekeeper: can say no to the decision
✅ Decider: decides what to buy
✅ Buyer: makes the purchase
✅ User: uses or consumes the purchase

B2B selling is challenging because your go-to-market (GTM) strategies must address the entire Decision Making Unit (DMU). However, the end user plays a critical role as they can reveal additional, perhaps unexpressed, features and experiences within your app.

The champion (or initiator) and the user must be equipped to communicate the product's value directly to the DMU through its features and functionality.

This implies that for successful product adoption, it's crucial to integrate certain aspects into the user experience. These include features that demonstrate the product's value, onboarding users, encouraging ongoing usage, and providing ways for users to manage product usage.

The changing dynamics within an organization can make understanding the priorities and needs of different buying group members challenging. This variability complicates determining which features to prioritize in the product.

To all my product people who are building for enterprise, much love. ❤️

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