Customer experience in pharmaceutical B2B markets: perspectives of buyers and sellers

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand customer experience (CX) in business-to-business (B2B) markets through the perspectives of buyer–seller dyads. This study aims to evaluate how customer journey, touchpoints and digital and social media (DSM) influence CX and offer avenues for sellers to align their efforts with buyers’ requirements to create and manage CX. Design/methodology/approach Integrating insights of practicing buyers and sellers in the pharmaceutical B2B industry, this study follows the phenomenological approach to understand their experience through their perspectives on the customer journey, touchpoints and DSM. Findings The findings of this study include convergence in the perspectives in journey stages, journey enablers, stakeholder involvement, touchpoint preference and DSM’s use. The study findings also include divergence in perspectives in the senior management engagement, journey enablers, selling center involvement, DSM purpose and usage of DSM platforms. These offer opportunities for sellers to align with buyer journey, touchpoints and DSM to create and manage CX. Practical implications Sellers in pharmaceutical B2B markets have been dependent on traditional knowledge to influence customer journey and touchpoints and the advent of DSM has enhanced the challenge. To avoid this confusion, sellers need to have clarity of customers’ expectations on the journey, touchpoints and DSM. This enables sellers to allocate their resources better to achieve the desired outcome in CX. Originality/value This first-of-its-kind study captured the convergence and divergence perspectives of pharmaceutical B2B buyer–seller dyads from the lens of the uncertainty reduction theory and social penetration theory. The study suggests opportunities for pharmaceutical sellers to create and manage CX.

Demonstrating commitment

“…The work of Abraham et al (2023) has looked at the evolving methods of implementing customer experience into the B2B elements of the pharmaceutical industry. They have focused on this industry due to the elements of standardization which exists – all companies operating within the pharmaceutical industry have to conform to various generic laws and regulations – but where increasing levels of customization is becoming normalized.…”

“…Abraham et al (2023) have identified three key takeaways when engaging with the concept of customer experience in B2B sales, specifically from their research done into the pharmaceutical industry: to improve the customer journey – i.e. the process of building a relationship with a customer, taking it from informal to secure – senior managers should get involved with discussions or negotiations in order to increase company credibility as well as demonstrate commitment.…”

“…The ever expanding and increasingly crowded international B2B markets also mean that there is a greater need for sellers to set themselves apart from the competition. As such, the work of Abraham et al (2023) has demonstrated that there is now an increasing demand in the B2B market for customer experience. Critically, this follows the increased prominence of digital and social media (DSM) marketing for B2B, and the understanding of the relevance of social penetration theory (SPT) on B2B sales.…”