When Technology Falls Short, Buyer Intent Stalls — Here’s How Distributors Can Close the Gap
B2B commerce has evolved in every direction, except the one that matters most: how buyers actually complete a purchase.
Distributors continually invest in new tools and resources to enhance their operations. But what about the core systems that determine how customers pay, access credit, and complete a purchase?
Those remain slow, outdated, and disconnected.
The bottom line: B2B technology hasn’t kept pace with modern buyer expectations. Let’s break down why it matters and where distributors can lead the shift.
The Changing Psychology of the Business Buyer
Today’s business customer wants control and clarity in every step of the purchase process.
Across each channel, they expect:
Instant access to terms
Consistent pricing
Flexible payment options
A frictionless approval process
But most distributors haven’t caught up. They’re still relying on manual credit checks, outdated approval processes, limited payment options, or rigid terms that don’t align with buyer needs.
Buyers aren’t just asking for more options. They’re asking for fewer obstacles.
The Missing Middle: Where Technology Hasn’t Caught Up
It’s not that distribution firms aren’t investing in modernization.
They’re optimizing their front and back ends with innovative, omni-functional CRMs for lead management and integrated ERPs for operations and invoicing. It’s the technology connecting these systems that’s missing – the middle layer that buyers actually interact with.
And that gap comes at a cost. A recent study revealed that 85% of B2B buyers reported process frustrations that led to an abandoned purchase.
Without a seamless link between buyer intent and purchase completion, momentum dies.
Friction Creates a Chain Reaction of Delays
The impact isn’t just one lost sale. It’s not just one frustrated buyer.
This friction sets off a domino effect throughout the entire sales cycle.
For buyers:
Lost time and stalled projects
Missed opportunities to invest in growth
Inability to purchase what they need, when they need it
For distributors:
Quotes abandoned before closure
Orders delayed while buyers wait for credit approvals
Slower turnover on high-demand inventory
A shift is overdue, and the time is now.
The New Expectation: Instant Trust, Instant Access
It comes down to speed and flexibility.
The longer a transaction takes, the more complicated it feels, and the less confident a buyer is in the distributor’s ability to provide what they need.
They don’t want to jump through hoops. They don’t want long processes that just result in restrictive payment terms. They want it to be simple, straightforward, and personalized.
And not just the payments themselves.
Transparency, flexibility, seamlessness – they should be a part of the greater product experience. That is what buyers expect, and it’s what will push them not only to complete a purchase, but to keep coming back.
Forward-Thinking Distributors Don’t Just Fulfill Orders – They Enable Growth
Technology constraints are a challenge, but they also provide an opportunity.
The shift to new and improved systems is allowing modern distributors to differentiate themselves from their competitors. And more importantly, it’s allowing them to provide buyers with what they truly need.
Embedding financing and flexible payment options directly into the customer experience closes the gap between buyer intent and action – and 91% of business decision-makers say that easy, streamlined, and secure payments drive business growth.
It’s not just modernizing the checkout process.
It’s redefining the distributor-buyer relationship around trust, convenience, and continuity.
The Future: Seamless Distribution Built Around the Buyer
A new era of B2B distribution is here.
It’s time to invest in the systems and technology that empower buyers to purchase with confidence. Flexible and innovative processes, such as BackdPayments, are already eliminating friction and unlocking faster growth.
No more outdated credit processes. No more slow, disconnected systems.
Just a buyer-centric experience that will accelerate growth across the entire supply chain.
