Master B2B Friday 15

Is Price Still the Deciding Factor in B2B Purchases?

This week on the Friday 15:- Can AI chatbots transform customer service?
- Amazon Business adds Affirm as a payment option...can Amazon create the most customer-friendly B2B experience?
- Is price still the deciding factor for B2B purchases?  Forrester recently found that price is why B2B purchases stall or get canceled.  Is that because of the changes in the economy, or changes in the buyer?  Andy thinks it's both.

Can Gen X and Gen Z Actually Communicate in the Workplace?

This week on Friday 15:- Shopify earnings and what that means for their investments in B2B.- Is it up to Gen Xers to adapt to their younger team members, or is it the other way around?- Our poll of B2B execs finds that there's hope for inter-generational communication.

How Will Younger Buyers Affect B2B Commerce?

This week on Friday 15:- Amazon had to release monthly average user data in the European Union. We dig into some surprising tidbits.- Amazon's earnings were a positive surprise for the street, and their advertising business is gangbusters.- Younger B2B buyers are putting pressure on companies to create more product experts and fewer salespeople.

Is eCommerce Only Good for Bottom of Funnel Transactions?

This week:- Convoy, the digital freight marketplace, shuts abruptly after raising more than $200 million.
- Key takeaways from B2B Online in West Palm Beach.
- How can eCommerce be used as lead generation for sales?Read our 5 minute recap of B2B Online:https://www.masterb2b.com/resources/b2b-online-west-palm-beach-2023-5-minute-recap/

Will global economic uncertainty affect B2B eCommerce budgeting?

This week on The Friday 15, Andy and Brian discuss:- Fastenal reveals that 57% of their revenue comes from digital channels.
- Should global economic forecasts even have an impact on how you buget?
- Can companies adopt "agile budgeting?"
- Is this an opportunity to grab market share?

Will Amazon’s legal issues hamper its B2B efforts?

The FTC's lawsuit against Amazon brings up some fascinating legal issues around monopolies and whether companies can be harmed by them, even if prices are driven down.  Because B2B is still such a small part of Amazon, we don't expect the lawsuit to impact Amazon's investments in B2B, and neither do members of the Master B2B community.Plus, we discuss Shopify's investment in the Faire marketplace, and why that's a brilliant move by the eCommerce platform provider.

When it comes to data, is AI ready for prime time?

This week on the Friday 15:
Amazon's investment in Anthropic.Gen Z is excited about shopping with AI.Does the c-suite know where to invest its AI dollars?

Are you screwed if your sales team holds out on eCom?

Andy and Brian discuss whether recent data showing a revenue slowdown for certain distributors is going to affect the broader industry.
 
Then, they talk about whether it actually matters if your salespeople embrace digital.  Is it possible that companies need to accept that buyers have their own channel preferences, so even if you have salespeople holding out on eCommerce, they'll still be kept plenty busy with buyers who prefer a more hands-on buying experience?

Will most B2B be disrupted by Vertical Marketplaces?

Andy and Brian discuss Amazon's new supply chain offering and what that means for distributors.
And what the growth of vertical marketplaces like Faire mean for the industry.