Abstract
Research has shown that the North American B2B e-commerce market is set to surpass US$4,900 billion by 2026. Any discussion of B2B selling must include a look at the characteristics of the buyers and the tactics that sellers might use. B2B sellers must recognize the generational preferences of the buyers. Different age groups have different preferred ways of interacting, different experiences, and different feelings about the use of technology. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has changed how society conducts business.
TopGeneration Preferences In Business-To-Business Selling
There is a great deal of research that shows that the North American B2B e-commerce market is set to surpass US$4,900 billion by 2026” (Senn-Kalb & Mehta, 2022, p. 2). Any discussion of B2B selling must include a look at the characteristics of the buyers and the tactics that sellers might use. B2B sellers must recognize buyers’ generational preferences. Different age groups have different preferred ways of interacting, different experiences, and different feelings about the use of technology. A study by Deloitte concluded that
There are distinct generational differences in how respondents perceive the changes wrought by COVID-19, Almost 80 per cent of all respondents report that they have experience one kind of change to their working lives, but it is younger employees who are more likely to experiencing at least one change to a moderate or significant extent. In comparison, the older the employee, the higher the likelihood is that they experienced no changes at all it or only to a small extent. (Poirel & Coppola, 2021, p. 2)
B2B buyers are of different ages, and that makes them members of different generations, and varies their changes and experiences from the pandemic.
Figure 1. Note. From B2B Marketing Trends to Watch for 2023 by K. Voss, (2022, p. 1), Insider Intelligence eMarketer. Copyright 2022 by Insider Intelligence. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission granted by Insider Intelligence Inc. A popular method of classifying people by age is to use the generational labels accepted by most. These age ranges are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. | Generational Label | Age Group Definition |
| The Greatest Generation | Born before 1928 |
| The Silent Generation | Born 1928-1945 |
| Baby Boomers | Born 1946-1964 |
| Generation X | Born 1965-1980 |
| Generation Y, termed Millennials | Born 1981-1996 |
| Generation Z | Born 1997-2015 |
Note. From Generation Gap in the U.S. (2023, p. 3)
It should be noted that some observers lump the Greatest Generation and the Silent Generation into one group, termed Traditionalists. This group has generally aged out of the workplace through retirement and thus constitute a mere 5% of today’s workforce (Wiedmer, 2015, p. 2). Seen more visually, the population of the U.S. is spread among the generations as shown in Figure 2.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Tactics: Tactics are specific actions, methods, or procedures employed to achieve a particular goal or objective. In various contexts, tactics are the practical means used to implement a strategy (OpenAI, 2023 AU17: The in-text citation "OpenAI, 2023" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Generational Preferences: Generational preferences refer to the unique attitudes, behaviors, and values shared by individuals of a particular generation. Generations, such as Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z, may exhibit distinct preferences based on the historical and social context in which they grew up (OpenAI, 2023 AU15: The in-text citation "OpenAI, 2023" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Traditionalists: Traditionalists, also known as the Silent Generation, refers to individuals born roughly between the mid-1920s and early 1940s. This generation experienced significant historical events such as World War II and the Great Depression. Traditionalists are characterized by values such as discipline, loyalty, and a strong work ethic (OpenAI, 2023 AU18: The in-text citation "OpenAI, 2023" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Anthropogenic: Anthropogenic refers to processes, activities, or environmental changes that are derived from human actions or activities. It is often used in the context of human-induced impacts on the environment (OpenAI, 2023 AU14: The in-text citation "OpenAI, 2023" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Social media: Social media refers to online platforms and technologies that enable users to create, share, and exchange content in the form of text, images, videos, and other multimedia. Examples of social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn (OpenAI, 2023 AU16: The in-text citation "OpenAI, 2023" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).