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84% of B2B Sales Start with a Referral — Not a Salesperson

Harvard Business Review

Outbound B2B sales are becoming less and less effective. Meanwhile, 84% of B2B buyers are now starting the purchasing process with a referral, and peer recommendations are influencing more than 90% of all B2B buying decisions. B2B salespeople only need to invest 5% to 10% of their time to be successful with social.

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Focus on Your Customer's Customer

Harvard Business Review

And while these companies were the first to acknowledge the business benefits of delivering a great customer experience, business-to-business (B2B) organizations are increasingly getting in on the game. Often, the best way for B2B companies to satisfy the multitude of business customers is to focus on the needs of their customers' customers.

B2B 15
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The Rise of the Chief Customer Officer

Harvard Business Review

The role exists in B2B and B2C firms as diverse as Allstate, Dunkin' Brands, USAA, Philips Electronics, FedEx, the Cleveland Clinic, and SAP. They have power and influence resources. Paul Hagen is a Principal Analyst at Forrester Research where he serves customer experience professionals.

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