Proven tactics for securing internal buy-in for B2B digital transformation

Highlights

You’ll learn practical strategies to secure internal support to drive your B2B digital change initiative.

Key insights:

• Map and engage key stakeholders early
• Address resistance by communicating assurances and clear benefits
• Create digital champions and train staff in relevant digital technologies
• Use ROI data to show transformation value
• Build a culture of innovation, agility and iterative improvement

Obtain the right internal support to drive your digital transformation using the right tool, like a composable technology.

McKinsey research shows that although 79% of B2B leaders use digital tools to improve customer experience, 70% of transformation attempts still fail. These failures in B2B digital transformation stem from factors like low digital maturity, poor leadership communication and a lack of stakeholder buy-in.

Hence, leaders of B2B organizations must align teams behind change initiatives before going through with new systems. Getting internal support eases the adoption of new tools and strategies. But how can business leaders gain company-wide buy-in for digital transformation?

What is B2B digital transformation?

Digital Transformation in B2B is the application of new tools and technologies to improve customer experiences, operations and automation. It alters work processes and many aspects of business, such as internal operations, workforce enablement and customer interaction.

Digitizing B2B businesses helps them find new audiences, improve internal processes and expand into global markets. Key drivers of B2B digital transformation include customer expectations, operational efficiency, new revenue streams and technology.

Digital optimization vs. digital disruption

B2B organizations can build on their existing technology or break away from it to create a new digital state. While both options aim to achieve digital transformation, they use different approaches. Optimization is gradual and focuses on upgrades to existing systems, while disruption is geared towards legacy systems' overhaul and changes to existing processes.

The case for internal buy-in

Whether an organization aims to optimize or disrupt its current digital ecosystem, relevant stakeholders should be involved, based on their interest and influence. Given the challenge that comes with any change initiative, this is imperative. Getting internal buy-in is essential because it:

• Helps manage resistance to change
• Speeds up the adoption of new digital processes and tools
• Pulls the entire organization towards a common goal
• Acts as a strategy to motivate employees towards increased productivity

Stakeholder buy-in sets the tone for a seamless digital transformation, and it is the responsibility of the leaders to secure it before rolling out change initiatives.

Practical strategies for securing company-wide buy-in

Now comes the question. How can technology leaders secure buy-in from internal stakeholders to drive digital transformation initiatives? Here are some strategies they can apply at various stages of the process.

• Identify and engage key stakeholders: The first step is to map your stakeholders. That way, you can understand their interests and influence. Engage, monitor or keep them informed based on their importance to the business. Then, convince team leads to help you win their team's support.
• Address resistance to change: Ensure that teams understand the reason for the transformation. Give relevant assurances of training and support. Also, explain how digital systems simplify work, save time and create value for the business.
• Demonstrate ROI potential: Share facts and figures that show how the new system can create value for the business in terms of cost savings and revenue growth. Present relevant data to back your propositions.
• Create digital champions: This includes stakeholders with influence, who buy into the vision and can convince their peers. They can be team members, middle managers, IT leaders, etc. You cannot create digital champions; instead, you find and empower them.
• Build a culture of innovation: A culture of innovation is open to learn and continuous improvement. To build one, keep communication lines open, be data-driven and involve staff in decision-making. Organizations with such a forward-thinking approach find it easier to get stakeholders on board with new digital initiatives.
• Apply effective change management: Manage change by understanding resistance, considering stakeholders' interests, providing active and visible executive sponsorship, engaging employees, empowering change agents and providing relevant support to staff.

Common barriers to securing company-wide buy-in

Here are some factors that may hinder internal buy-in when B2B companies try to transform their digital operations and processes.

• Resistance to change: According to research, 54% of employees reject the change in technology, tools and systems. Some staff oppose change because they like the old ways and fear failure.
• Lack of digital maturity: Some teams lack technical skills. This problem makes it difficult for them to use new technologies. Also, staff fail to understand the benefits of using digital systems. So, they prefer to maintain older systems. 
• Misaligned incentives: Many businesses use old performance systems to reward short-term goals. When B2Bs give short-term rewards, their staff will refuse changes that affect them. Leaders also reject new tools that limit their power or control over resources.

The role of leadership and change management

Leaders in B2B companies foster a digital culture that develops into maturity over time. They can also use their influence to prepare staff to expect digital changes. 

Given that any digital transformation initiative can be disruptive, they need to manage change through planning, clear communication and support. By doing so, they will find it easier to secure relevant company-wide buy-in to transform the organization in line with current market or tech shifts. Leaders are to:

• State the reason for the change
• Convey the benefits of digitization
• Organize digital training and support for the staff
• Create a system to reward staff performance

Active leadership in times of transition creates a digital culture where employees are eager and capable of deploying new technologies and tools.

Technology enablers for B2B digital transformation

Technology enablers are tools that help B2Bs make digital changes. Here are some examples:

• Digital experience platforms (DXPs): A DXP creates and optimizes digital experiences. It monitors what customers do online and shows their data in a single view. This way, B2Bs can understand buying habits and tailor their services.
• Automation platforms: These software tools automate repetitive tasks, which saves time. They also reduce workload and human errors. With fewer responsibilities, employees can focus on core internal processes.
• Data analytics and BI tools: These tools offer detailed KPI reports to track progress. They find trends and patterns that help B2Bs plan, forecast and make decisions.
• APIs and headless technologies: Headless technologies, especially APIs, are critical for optimizing systems. With APIs, you can extend a system’s functionality, while a headless architecture offers more flexibility that allows you to create new digital experiences.

API integration and headless architecture benefits

They support systems integration, and this helps you upgrade older systems or add new functionalities. Proper integration also eases information sharing across many channels. B2B companies can also leverage the flexibility of headless architectures to customize their services and enhance the customer experience.

Building a customer-centric digital transformation strategy

Beyond improving a company's workflow, a digital transformation strategy provides value for customers. To achieve this, you can:

• Align digital strategy with the customer journey: Prioritize digital initiatives that optimize customers’ journeys. Ensure that your strategy addresses customers' problems at every phase of the journey and prioritizes easy-to-use digital tools.
• Leverage analytics for personalized experiences: Deploy tools like automation and real-time CDP to integrate and activate customer data in real-time. This will enable you to deliver tailored experiences that customers demand.

Consider how a B2B energy company can use online dashboards to simplify the user experience. These dashboards can use live trackers to report energy usage, which can help customers track and manage their energy expenses.

Creating a holistic digital transformation roadmap

A roadmap helps B2B leaders align their business for change through important steps. Here’s how to build a transformative roadmap.

1. Assess digital maturity and identify gaps

Assess the technical and digital skills of your staff and your current technology stack to understand its strengths and weaknesses. Note the tools that should be replaced or upgraded, as well as the skills gap of the staff. By doing this, you can then plan for the right digital tools and technical training to be deployed.

2. Set clear objectives and KPIs for digital initiatives

Outline the goals for the digital transformation and set specific timelines and KPIs. Use KPIs to continuously track the success of digital changes.

3. Prioritize value-driven digital tools

Decide on what tools to deploy based on business goals. For complex content operations like translating content for a new audience, a headless CMS may be ideal. A real-time CDP would suffice to activate first-party customer data and orchestrate customer journeys. If you aim to combine these tools to create digital experiences, you may consider a composable DXP.

4. Balance digital optimization with disruptive innovation

Know when to optimize your systems, as updating digital tools improves efficiency. Choose disruption for complete transformation using cutting-edge technology. You can deploy a phased approach towards digital transformation. This will enable you to reduce disruption. 

Creating a roadmap helps you stay in line and follow a structured path to securing buy-in. It will also guide your team in applying the B2B digital transformation strategy correctly.

FAQ section

What are the biggest challenges to achieving organizational buy-in for B2B digital transformation?

Major challenges to internal buy-in are staff resistance, lack of digital maturity and poor communication. 

How can B2B companies align their digital strategy with evolving customer expectations?

B2B companies can use analytics to understand customer needs and deploy tools that address those needs. For instance, a real-time CDP allows them to collect customer data and activate insights for personalized experiences.

What technologies are essential for a successful B2B digital transformation?

Some relevant technologies include cloud infrastructure, CRMs, real-time CDPs, BI tools and a composable DXP. B2B companies can also deploy flexible systems powered by headless architecture and APIs.

How do you measure the ROI of digital transformation initiatives in a B2B environment?

Set clear goals, then align and track revenue growth and customer lifetime value metrics. You can also track other performance metrics, such as technology adoption, employee productivity and cost savings. 

Learn more

A B2B digital transformation strategy is crucial for meeting customer expectations and creating stakeholder value. However, the entire organization must pull in one direction. The onus is on leaders to communicate proactively, galvanize change agents and secure relevant company-wide buy-in.

The success of your digital initiatives depends on these factors, and the rewards can range from streamlined processes to improved speed, cost savings and revenue growth. Once you have secured stakeholders’ buy-in, you want to deploy the right tools to tie everything together. 

Depending on your business goals, this could be a real-time CDP, headless CMS or composable DXP. Talk to us today to help you decide the right digital tool to power your transformation.