I run an online language learning platform and would like to expand to B2B clients - for those relocating or needing to brush up language skills for foreign clients.
Do I need to offer certification upon completion or something official to get B2B clients on board? What can I do to build trust and demonstrate results?
Offer the client excellent customer service. The level of customer service you provide has a major impact on the customer's loyalty and return. Publish customer's reviews and testimonials. Be transparent & Always put your customers first.
Hi. I felt you need to establish an MVP - minimum viable product - for this segment. Since this is a service it is easier to do.
Very briefly. Create a package and test this out on a small segment and numbers - say a language or geography or a language learning need etc. Depending upon feedback modify the package and keep doing fast it till you get feedback it is minimally viable to go to market. Alongside find out what your competitors are doing in this area. You will get very good feedback on questions that you ask and many more in this process. Then go a phase 1 of your sales campaign again in a geography or a high value learning where you offer substantial value compared to your competitors. Along side build a business plan on where you want to go 1-2-3 years ahead.
Hope this helps. Let me know if we should talk to flesh this out. All the best.
Hi,
The switch from B2C to B2B can seem massive - and the differences in requirements can be significant. BUT it is usually easier to pivot from B2C into B2B than starting from scratch.
You understand you current market - what your existing customers get from you and their reasons for using you. So your first step should be understanding what need you can fulfil in a B2B environment - that may be more formal than your current set up - e.g. certification on completion to appease HR and L & D departments, or it may be a degree of tailoring the solution through scaling e.g. a level and type of training designed specifically for that client and a number of their employees.
I would try to make some contacts within the type of businesses you would be aiming at, and see how much you can pick their brains on what needs they have that you could design a solution to solve. Once you understand the problems they have, creating a strategy to pivot into that space and fulfil that need will be more straightforward.
In summary:
1/ Understand your own strengths and current B2C USPs
2. Research into the market by talking to as many people as you can
3. Create a solution that is as close to what you already do successfully, to pivot into that space to solve their problem.
4. Plan a review timeframe.
Happy to discuss further if useful - Good Luck!
You can write a book. Writing a book builds your authority around a topic, especially with corporate clients and makes you look more trustworthy.
1) Define in a few words what's your product value proposition: a compelling offering will help clients quickly understand your service
2) Clients: build trusted relationships, avoid car-salesmen type approach. Clients come to you so you can solve their problems easily.
3) Become the trusted advisor: you have the expertise in your field and product and work in the best interest of your clients
4) Be ready to sell under your costs: cold-start is a tough problem to solve, your first clients are the toughed to build, foster and grow a base and you'll be rewarded in the long run.
You demonstrate results from your past and current work. You build trust through word of mouth and reviews (amongst other things). Just be able to display results.
Start talking to businesses about how you've helped people. The main difference is that now instead of talking to an individual about how it can help them, you need to think of how this helps a business - businesses operate for one reason only, to make a profit. So how will your services create value for the business? Once you can succinctly explain this, start reaching out to businesses and open a line of discussion. Try to determine a good target market, though, as there are nearly an infinite number of businesses out there - who can you help the most and how?
