B2B or B2C? Either way, do you know what your customers really want?

Chart of the Day: B2B consumers value a much more personal service than B2C consumers

Across the web, you will find hundreds of thousands of articles describing the difference between B2B and B2C marketing and the differing needs of their respective customers. But it can be hard to know which set of data and recommendations to act upon.

This is where a report produced by Marketo, the marketing automation company, comes in useful. They surveyed 2000 consumers globally and found that B2B consumers value brands or vendors that have a deep understanding of their needs, actually care and offer a personalized service much more than B2C consumers.

This makes sense when you consider that B2C consumers have become used to and prefer purchasing via ecommerce stores, which don't deliver a personal 1-to-1 service. Where as B2B sales are all about the relationship between the vendor's sales reps and the client.

• Sample Size: 2000 global consumers and marketers
• Source: The State of Engagement from Marketo
• Recommended Resources: 10 Business-to-Business Mistakes