As a TO B product operator with a monthly salary of 30,000 yuan, are you good at operating ERP management software?

Internet+ brings new disruptive management and business models to Chinese companies, as well as major changes, opportunities and challenges in business operations . The Internet economy is a community economy characterized by interactive influences between users and strong stickiness of individual groups.

I have browsed some To B product operation cases written by To B product operators or product managers . In order to have a deeper discussion on TO B product operations, we will start the discussion with the various current situations of the leading domestic ERP management software companies to avoid elaborating on too broad a subject and losing the sense of purpose of the operation object.

The complexity of customer purchases of TO B management software products and the long customer life cycle chain. {Business opportunity funnel, order follow-up, bidding, business negotiation, contract signing (by product, implementation, after-sales, etc.), customized implementation, secondary development, after-sales service (technical and marketing ), renewal or service fees, etc.}.

The main nodes for participation and efforts in TO B management software operations are: first , new business opportunities for management software and before new customers sign contracts; second , the operation and maintenance of old customers should focus on investing operational resources. This is the key core indicator data for assessing the KPI of TOB management software operations, and it also reflects the maximum capability and value of TOB management software operations. The operational focus and emphasis in these two stages vary greatly in the key purchasing processes and key decision-makers involved. The following mainly discusses the purchasing process, decision-making, and some operational strategies for new business opportunity customers. The next article will focus on the operation of old customers of TOB management software.

First, let us understand the definition of the ERP management software, the product we operate, and the benefits and value it brings to the companies that implement it.

ERP system is the abbreviation of Enterprise Resource Planning, which refers to a systematic enterprise comprehensive operation platform based on information technology, integrating information technology and advanced management ideas.

Used to solve and meet the different requirements of managers at all levels for informatization: provide a large amount of decision-making information for senior management, provide middle-level managers with operational processing procedures at all levels of the enterprise, and provide grassroots managers with a convenient working environment and easy-to-use operating methods.

This has led to the development of product solutions for different fields, enterprises of different sizes, and many sub-industries, with product prices ranging from several thousand to hundreds of millions of yuan.

1. Illustration of TOB enterprise management software marketing complexity model

The following [Purchase Complexity Model©] presents the complexity of different customers’ purchases and the key points of their marketing/sales management. It will guide our operations to better understand the role of various dimensional factors in the marketing process and the strength of their mutual influence, so as to maximize accuracy and effectiveness.

Based on factors such as customer purchase amount, decision complexity, decision cycle, etc., from left to right, they are roughly divided into fast-moving consumer goods, durable consumer goods, industrial products (and engineering/office), corresponding solutions, etc.

• To the left of the model intersection : the buyers are mainly individuals or families (2C). The lower the unit price of the product, the simpler the end customer's purchase decision and the shorter the cycle. For merchants, market brands, channels , and promotions are more important.
• To the right of the intersection of the model : Buyers are mostly organizations and enterprises (2B). The larger the purchase amount, the more people involved in decision-making. The more complex the final customer purchase decision, the longer the cycle, and the more influencing factors. For manufacturers, sales ability, understanding needs to formulate value plans, and comprehensive service capabilities are more important.

Before purchasing or contacting a manufacturer , or even when demand is still potential, they will learn relevant information through search, social networks , and specific social circles. It can be said that corporate procurement starts online.

Before meeting with sales , customers already have enough information and have in-depth cognitive thinking. The purpose of meeting with sales may be to consult, verify, resolve doubts, or listen to suggestions. Customers are no longer "newbies" who know nothing about you. Customers have the right to all information about the products they purchase.

From the buyer's perspective , faced with an overabundance of information, conflicting opinions, and overwhelming promotions , who should you listen to and believe, and how should you make a decision? Is the motivation for buying stimulated by external factors or generated by internal pressure? What kind of solution is needed to solve the problem and achieve the goal? How to test and verify?

2. Differences between the purchasing process of TO B management software products and TO C consumption

TO B management software procurement process:

Information collection —— Price inquiry and comparison —— Tender evaluation —— Business procurement —— Software acceptance —— On-site implementation —— Usage training —— Payment —— Maintenance

The sales amount of TO B management software products to new customers is large, the sales cycle is long, there are many roles involved in the purchase, the needs are complex, the interpersonal relationships are complex, and the product usage and purchase decision chain is relatively long. It is a process of group participation, continuous improvement and spiral forward screening, and a comprehensive result of making resolutions and consulting with the group.

3. Important roles in purchasing TO B enterprise management software

Key tips for ToB enterprise management software product decision-making: The product business belongs to the enterprise, the purchase and usage scenarios, and the benefits belong to each role.

• Product user : The person who uses the product and first makes the recommendation to buy and use the product.
• Product selector : The person or department responsible for checking product functions, technical standards, service content, business negotiation and other processes.
• Product influencers : People who can influence purchasing decisions, who may be internal or external to the company, such as a management consulting firm.
• Final product decision maker : the person or team who makes the final decision on the purchase. No further inquiries are needed.

Judging from the participation of the above important roles in purchasing decisions, corporate procurement of ToB products, in addition to the visible purchase cost, also has invisible higher maintenance and migration costs. Therefore, the entire process is rational, professional, and team-based decision-making. Each purchase involves many key roles, unlike the consumption characteristics of individual TOC, where basically one person makes the final decision.

IV. Requirements for TO B Management Software Product Operation Manager

Regarding the requirements for TO B product operation managers, many companies have already made specific indicators and hard requirements for professional positions. I will not go into details here. I just want to get closer to the operation positions of TOB management software and make some explanations of the special operation requirements.

1. TO B management software product operations managers should not take things for granted and think subjectively for customers. Think like a "novice" customer and act like an expert to gain a thorough understanding of the products, customers, markets, etc. Only in this way can you know which software function, module, or new technology is the core, hot spot, and handle of your operation.

2. The operational focus of TO B management software products is on the product itself. The extensions of the product are consumers, payers, customers, and markets. These are compulsory courses for managers. Immerse yourself in it for a long time and professionally, smell it, understand it, sort it out wisely, explore the essence of needs, and extract the correct logic. We need to have divergent thinking to extend the needs, otherwise we will just become the recorder, transmitter and translator of the needs. It is inevitable that the subsequent recipients of the job information will curse, slack off, and work late. The boss's capital will be wasted and it is certain that it will not be enough.

3. The operations manager of TO B management software products must focus his own resources and energy. Like an ERP consultant or financial analyst, you should concentrate on and persistently study product and industry dynamic information and trends to accumulate your thickness in this industry and become a business and product expert. Not just a junior-level operations product manager, he also has rich experience in various product operations.

4. Many companies now turn operations positions into purely technical positions, requiring a wide range of model tools and process maps. As a software operations manager or senior operations manager, you only need to master the operations tools . The core operations skills lie in your brain and the quality of your output content.

5. It is best if the TO B management software operation or product manager has worked in the marketing, pre-sales, business negotiation, product implementation, and customer after-sales of the corresponding product. Without the accumulation and foundation of these comprehensive professional qualities in the industry, and only knowing how to use some operational tools and Internet work routines and paths is very thin. Without profound ideas, confidence, or sense of direction, there is no way to talk about progress.

Conclusion : Pay attention, TO B management software products are so complex that every industry has its own unique challenges. If you switch to another industry, you will basically have to start from scratch to sort out the products, customer attributes, marketing tactics, etc.

5. TO B software operation products and customer classification system

Due to the different product positioning objects and customer attributes of TO B management software, the ideas, methods and paths in TO B customer operations vary greatly.

TO B software operation product category

• Offline: ERP management software. Vertical industry software
• Online: SAAS CRM, HR, Cloud ERP

Tool products (omitted)

Customized products (omitted)

Industrial product categories (omitted)

TO B software customer classification

• New Customer
• Old Customers
• Industry benchmark customers
• Strategic Customers
• High value-added customers
• Potential customers

Small and micro enterprises, medium-sized enterprises, extra-large enterprises, administrative institutions, industry customers, central enterprises and state-owned enterprises.

VI. Customer Operation Strategy System of TOB Management Software Products

As mentioned above, the operation process of TOB management software products is not facing a single person, but individuals from multiple departments within the enterprise. What we are facing is not just one company, but the mutual influence between multiple companies inside and outside the industry. TOB product operation is not a battle fought by you or a team alone, but a systematic advancement to support the soldiers fighting on the front line.

1. In the Internet era, in any industry, the head effect of products is huge and has a strong siphon phenomenon. Otherwise, your input-output ratio and lead conversion rate are extremely low, and you will be embarrassed to talk about your customer acquisition cost. The most important thing is that the marketing difficulty coefficient of offline personnel has greatly increased.

2. TO B management software products, whether general software or industry software, regardless of the stage, market position, company size, and amount of resources. The first thing is to combine your own reality, integrate all resources in a high-level manner, use various offline and online channels in a three-dimensional matrix, plant points everywhere, continuously expose, shape a good corporate image and brand influence, establish your own market position in the industry, and subtly influence potential users' first perception.

3. Everything the operations manager does is to let the important roles in the TOB management software purchasing decision , such as the IT director, chief financial officer, general manager or president, see, hear and leave an impression. These personnel roles, online and offline, the sources of information they are exposed to, the circles of people they come into contact with, their occupations or personal hobbies, etc., are the tentacle maps of our targeted operations.

Of course, these operational actions are huge, systematic, matrix-based, long-term, and have a silent accumulation effect. We cannot judge when or which point was seen and received by these roles.

4. One of the most difficult aspects of TO B management software at present is leads, new customer acquisition and conversion . Many corporate resources are concentrated in this area. On the basis of clarifying the functional positioning of your own TOB products, find the subdivided industries, industrial clusters, and pixel-level customer groups with a high degree of demand matching, expand in depth according to the characteristics of their information reception channels, improve conversion rates, and manage customers in a hierarchical manner.

Currently, traditional ERP software manufacturers and channel members have a shortcoming in operating the customer system. They have customers but no operations, or they do not know how to operate.

5. TO B management software enterprise purchasing group effect : Similar enterprises will spontaneously form community tribes to spread focused themes, community experience and word of mouth, resonate with similar business scenarios, trigger motivation, and for enterprise-level TO B products, there is no meeting, no experience, and no purchase.

6. TO B management software product exhibition and training

Brand trust is an important basis for TO B user decision-making units to make decisions. TO B companies can hold offline marketing activities, participate in some related exhibitions to promote the company's brand, and communicate in depth with key potential user roles through offline teahouses, coffee and other activities to form a good and familiar interactive relationship. We can provide training and lectures on thematic content at multiple frequencies, for different roles and levels, to create the influence of urban products in a certain region.

7. TO B management software customer success team

In a To B company, there is a team that is different from traditional companies - the customer success team. The customer success team needs to ensure that users can effectively obtain the expected value effects when using the product. Only users who can deeply feel the value will become sticky to the platform and stay . The main means of the customer success team: providing technical and operational support, shaping the dissemination of user success stories, and hosting salons for clients in the same industry.

8. Many startup or early stage TO B software companies do not have many resources. To do this, we need to build our own industry advantages and barriers in a specific segment or region . And they own strong and well-known companies in fields or regions with data advantages.

9. Regional market and regional customer cultivation

In a market where rigid demand for products is not strong, we must be patient and continue to cultivate demand. Shape the influence of products and companies in the local area and industry. When potential customers have needs, your products and company are the first thing they think of. Therefore, we must make great efforts to select advantageous regional markets and high-quality enterprises in the industry to solve, sort out, grasp and refine their current needs, development needs, explicit and implicit needs, grow together with regional customers, and not fall behind. This forms your competitive threshold. If we wait until the customer raises a demand, then we will enter the price-cutting stage. This is the industry or customer barrier that each regional channel member must establish.

Key points of conclusion : (Knock on the whiteboard) In the Internet age, companies will not complete the entire process from start to finish and engage in long-term cooperation with the same supplier.

10. Build the company's ecological chain platform: No matter at which stage the company is, it must pay attention to building its own ecological traffic platform. It can cooperate with other platforms or companies to divert traffic and build an ecological chain together.

11. Conventional ways to operate TOB management software

• Online operations: Weibo, WeChat, Baidu SEM , SEO , corporate websites, e-commerce platforms, self-built shopping malls, social networks, self-media , new media , etc.
• Offline operations: self-owned or leased commercial stores, direct sales, meeting sales, word-of-mouth sales, etc.

Conclusion: At present, the most effective and high-conversion methods are still traditional methods, such as Baidu SEM, manufacturer 400, direct sales, traditional channels, ground promotion , telemarketing, meeting sales, etc.

The operation of ToB management software in China is still in the initial exploratory stage. As an emerging marketing model, it is allowed unless prohibited by law. It requires frequent trial and error, practice, and iteration. Perhaps you and I will be at the forefront in the field you are good at.

Operations managers should not be too self-centered, thinking of themselves as experts and assuming a series of users and products. Educating and cultivating market users requires sufficient marketing investment and advertising bombardment, which most startups today do not have.