Turn small B2B customers into top-line growth

In many manufacturing and trading companies, sales teams focus almost exclusively on A-customers. These are the accounts that seem to move the needle: large volumes, long relationships, high visibility.

But focusing only on the top tier means ignoring a huge part of your portfolio: the long tail of small customers.

With the right digital setup, your smallest customers can become your biggest growth opportunity. Self-service, automation, and activation of data make it possible to serve them efficiently and reduce the cost to serve.

Profitable by DIGITAL SELF-SERVICE

At first glance, small customers seem like too much effort for too little reward. The common view is that the cost to serve outweighs the return. And if you’re working with manual processes and traditional account-based models, that’s often true.

But with digital infrastructure in place, the marginal cost of selling to small accounts drops to near zero. making the long tail a strategic growth driver.

“In recent years, B2B companies have become more focused – but often at the expense of reach. As they double down on A and B customers, the C-segment remains largely untapped,” says Kasper Knudsen, B2B Industry Lead, IMPACT Commerce

A long-tail strategy becomes viable when it’s supported by digital commerce and self-service. That means:

• Automating low-value manual tasks
• Simplifying complex product offerings through configurators
• Delivering a seamless, self-directed buying journey

“Most B2B companies could grow their top line by targeting the long tail. But it requires a shift in mindset and a digital-first operating model,” says Kasper Knudsen.

An optimised customer experience, powered by automation, allows you to serve smaller customers with minimal friction – freeing up your sales teams to focus on strategic accounts. Interestingly, our research shows that B2B customers are increasingly demanding self-service options, making it a win-win situation.

MEET THE MODERN B2B BUYER

Today’s B2B buyers are increasingly digital natives – born after 1981 and raised with online-first habits. They’ve moved into procurement and decision-making roles, and they expect seamless digital experiences that they know from their personal interactions with B2C businesses.

“This new generation isn’t loyal in the traditional sense. They choose suppliers based on ease and accessibility – not handshakes and hospitality,” says Kasper Knudsen.

This isn’t just about adding a webshop. It’s about designing digital journeys tailored to the expectations of today’s B2B buyers. They want to explore, configure, and purchase on their terms.

CONFIGURE AND CONVERT

For companies selling customised products that are looking to capture the value of the long tail, digital product configurators can be essential. They empower customers to serve themselves while reducing operational complexity for the business.

Selling customised products often involves “hard choices” (dimensions, material, colour options, etc.), which makes it ideal to handle digitally.

Advanced configurators now support 3D visualisation, texture rendering, and rule-based personalisation, enabling a high-end experience, allowing the customer to take the first steps themselves. In some cases, followed by internal validation before the order is placed.

Data is the foundation for your transformation

To deliver tailored experiences at scale, you need control over your product and customer data. That includes account structures and permissions, individual pricing models, and purchase history and product preferences.

With this in place, you can personalise self-service experiences, even at scale. Imagine spare parts tied to the customer’s existing assets. Pre-approved bundles. Volume-based pricing. All handled automatically. No friction. No extra effort.

Self-service stops being a convenience and becomes a competitive edge.

What sounds like just another digital project is, in truth, a commercial transformation. To unlock the long tail, you have to rethink your organisation – from incentives to workflows to customer touchpoints. Activating the long tail requires organisational focus:

• Rethinking sales roles and KPIs (incentive models).
• Improving digital skills and workflows.
• Aligning pricing, marketing, and product teams.
• Consolidating and activation of data across platforms.

Handling a large volume of small customers is not easy, but handled correctly it holds great potential. Furthermore, it is often a part of the market that is exposed to less competition. We have assisted several B2B companies in capturing the long-tail value.

IMPACT Commerce combines strategic consulting, commerce technology, data expertise, and organisational support to unlock real growth. Whether you need help with the business case, the architecture, or the implementation, we’ll meet you where you are.