4 min read

How to define personalization for your B2B organization

Deliver contract pricing, relevant catalogs, and one-click reorders online, and see how practical personalization turns B2B complexity into revenue and loyalty.
Five colleagues gathered around a conference table, smiling and talking while two in the center reach across to shake hands; coffee cups, notebooks, and a tablet with a colorful chart rest on the table, and a corkboard with sticky notes hangs in the background.

Imagine you're a purchasing manager at a mid-sized manufacturing company. You've got tight deadlines, complex equipment orders, and a budget to manage. Logging onto your supplier's website, you're met with an overwhelming catalog, generic pricing, and none of your custom-negotiated terms. Frustrating, right?

77% of companies who deploy one-to-one personalization observe an increase in market share, according to research by McKinsey.

That's why personalization in B2B commerce isn’t just about greeting someone by name. It's about creating a tailored experience that makes life simpler and keeps your customers coming back.

What personalization actually means for B2B

It's not just fancy tech—it's practicality. Personalization ensures each customer sees exactly what they need without digging through irrelevant information.

Tailored pricing

Customers see their exact negotiated prices upfront, no guesswork, no calls to sales.

Simplified catalogs

Each client accesses only products relevant to their industry or past orders.

Streamlined reordering

Customers click once to reorder essential parts they've previously purchased.

Role-based dashboards

Buyers and approvers see different screens suited specifically to their roles.

Why personalization makes a real difference

Think of personalization as removing the friction in your business relationships. Just like an experienced account manager would, but automatically.

Why personalization makes a real difference

Think of personalization as removing the friction in your business relationships. Just like an experienced account manager would, but automatically.

Bigger market share

Companies that excel at one‑to‑one personalization grow market share 77 % of the time (McKinsey, 2023) and see cart sizes jump up to 20 % (Gartner, 2024).

Increases loyalty

65 % of customers stay loyal to brands that personalize (Salesforce, 2024), while the same share of B2B buyers will switch if you don’t (Segment, 2024).

Reduces admin tasks

Fix the data flow and you fix the busywork. 52 % of B2B firms cite poor system integration as their No. 1 digital pain point (Forrester, 2024).

Larger orders

98 % of online retailers report a higher average order value after rolling out personalization (Econsultancy, 2024).

The essential ingredients of B2B personalization 

Personalization in B2B starts with understanding what genuinely helps your customer do their job. 

Negotiated pricing online

Automate your agreed pricing, no more back-and-forth phone calls.

Customized product lists

Show each customer precisely what's relevant, not everything you sell.

One-click reordering

Make it effortless to repeat common orders, significantly reducing friction.

AI Recommendations

Join the 67 % of B2B companies already using AI for product suggestions and segmentation (Statista, 2024).

Real-life personalization wins

It’s one thing to talk about personalization, but quite another to see it in action. Here’s how some companies have transformed their customers' experiences and simplified their internal workflows:

Hobart's big win

Hobart introduced a CSV bulk upload option for ordering spare parts, immediately boosting online sales by 15%. Customers felt understood and rewarded the simplicity.

Hobart

Royal Brinkman's smart content

This agriculture supplier created a personalized website experience, showing tailored product recommendations, pricing, and promotions, enhancing customer satisfaction and boosting engagement.

Royal Brinkman

KWB guided journey

KWB replaced complex product searches with a guided decision tree. Customers found the exact parts they needed in a few clicks, slashing support calls and order mistakes.

Thumbnail_KWB_1

Your roadmap to practical personalization

Start lean, learn fast, and scale what works.[list type="arrows"]

  • Map your complexity: Document unique prices, catalog rules, and approval flows for each segment.
  • Connect the dots: Integration matters—40 % of B2B leaders list ERP/e‑commerce integration as a top investment priority (IDC, 2024).
  • Pilot, test, refine: Launch with a handful of key accounts; gather feedback; iterate.
  • Measure what matters: Track online share of orders, repeat‑order rate, AOV, and ticket volume.

Make life easier for your customers.

Personalization turns complexity into clarity. Talk to someone today to see how Sana Commerce can help.

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