In B2B, digital expectations often collide with analogue habits. That’s why many Danish manufacturing companies are sitting on a huge, untapped opportunity: ringing their sales operations into the digital reality their customers already live in.
Your Customers Are Online. Your Sales Still Aren’t.
Imagine a B2B buyer named Susan. Like the rest of us, Susan shops online all the time - and she loves when things are smooth, fast and frictionless.
On the weekend, she’s sitting in her living room, scrolling through user-friendly, personalised experiences from Zalando, Søstrene Grene, and Amazon.
But come Monday morning, she’s back at her desk ordering new parts for the company’s production line. And suddenly, the seamless experience is gone. Instead of quick clicks and instant confirmation, she’s waiting for a PDF, a phone call, or a reply to an email before she can even place her order.
"This just isn’t good enough," Susan thinks to herself - before turning to Google to see if there are better options out there.
And she’s far from alone. Recent analyses from Danish Industry (DI) and Danish Chamber of Commerce (DE) paint a clear picture:
- 66% of B2B buyers prefer digital channels.
- 77% expect their suppliers to offer online purchasing.
- 62% of Danish B2B buyers shop online for business every week — and 91% do it at least once a month.
Yet, one in four B2B companies still has no ecommerce solution, and only 27% operate a mature, customer-oriented sales platform. That means lost business, weaker customer retention, and an open window for more digital competitors to step in.
Digitalising sales pays off. 75% of B2B companies see higher revenue, and 69% say their customer experience has improved dramatically.
From Personal Contact to Digital Connection
Digital sales aren’t about replacing the human relationship. They’re about freeing up time for advisory dialogue and upselling. When your platform handles reorders, pricing, documentation, and order tracking, your sales team can focus on proactive, value-creating conversations instead.
It’s about transforming sales from a time-consuming, resource-heavy process into an efficient, data-driven and scalable engine for growth. And the companies that have already made the shift are feeling the results:
- 75% have increased their revenue
- 61% have reduced sales costs
- 69% have significantly improved the customer experience
The right kind of digitalisation isn’t about removing people, it’s about using technology to give customers an experience that’s both efficient and personal. One that’s free from opening hours and manual bottlenecks, yet still deeply connected to the people behind the business.
A digital sales platform offers flexibility and buying on the customer’s terms. It reduces the need for manual quotes and gives customers the freedom to self-serve - while keeping the door open to human connection when it really matters. A combination of the best of both worlds.
The Personalised Customer Experience as a Differentiator
In the recent survey by the Danish Chamber of Commerce, more than 50% of B2B buyers said that personalisation and tailored communication have a major influence on their purchasing decisions. Yet, true personalisation remains a rarity on most B2B platforms.
That makes it an obvious opportunity for differentiation: To show customers that you understand their needs and can act on them. Whether it’s by customising content, recommendations, or pricing, personalisation signals relevance, attentiveness and professionalism.
It’s also time to challenge the idea that B2B buyers have lower expectations than private consumers. The same person placing orders at your company is also used to personalised recommendations, deal notifications, and flexible payment or delivery options when shopping privately. Naturally, that shapes an expectation that professional purchases should be just as easy, fast, and intuitive.
In a B2B context, the immediate benefits of digitalisation include:
- Targeted product recommendations based on previous purchases
- Differentiated pricing according to customer profiles
- Automatic reorder reminders
- Personal dashboards and customer statistics
All of this drives greater loyalty, higher customer value, and increased cross-sales. And perhaps most importantly: It makes customers feel understood and supported without needing to talk to a sales rep every single time.
The Paradox: Buyers Love Digital, But Companies Cling to Personal Contact
Here lies one of B2B’s central dilemmas. On one hand, customers want speed, transparency and flexibility. On the other, many manufacturing companies still see personal relationships as their strongest competitive advantage.
In Danish Industry’s latest survey, 58% of B2B companies said that personal sales interactions remain more important than digital channels when it comes to building trust.
But the buyers tell a different story. According to the same survey, 25% of B2B buyers purchase exclusively through digital channels - such as EDI, webshops, marketplaces and online portals. Another 47% use a hybrid mix of online and offline channels, combining seller visits, phone calls or physical stores with digital touchpoints.
In some industries, a strong focus on personal sales makes sense, particularly where the products are complex and sales cycles are long. But in many cases, it reflects internal resistance to change or a fear of losing control. The truth is that in most B2B contexts, the sales process can be greatly enhanced by digital support.
The solution isn’t either/or - it’s both/and. Digital sales should free up time, so sales teams can focus on what truly builds loyalty: relationships, development and strategic advice - not manual order entry or quote creation.
Barriers: Why Is Progress So Slow?
Despite the clear advantages of digitalisation, many B2B manufacturing companies are still moving cautiously. According to recent analyses, the main obstacles are not technological — they’re organisational and cultural.
One of the biggest misconceptions is the overestimation of cost. Many companies assume that a digital sales platform requires major investments in custom-built software and heavy IT resources. In reality, modern solutions can be implemented quickly and far more cost-effectively than before. And the ROI is often high, as even small automations can free up significant time and capacity within the sales organisation.
Another barrier is technological fear - especially the concern that integrating with existing ERP or CRM systems will be overly complex. But most modern platforms now offer open APIs and standard integrations, making it possible to achieve seamless data flows without having to rebuild the company’s entire system architecture.
Finally, there’s the human side: Change fatigue and a fear that new digital processes might weaken personal customer relationships. Here, it’s crucial to shift the focus because digital tools don’t replace salespeople; they elevate them. The seller’s role evolves from transactional to strategic and advisory, strengthened by the digital channels that make every customer interaction more meaningful.
International Competition and Export: Digitalisation as the Entry Ticket
For B2B manufacturing companies with export ambitions, digitalisation isn’t just a competitive advantage - it’s often a prerequisite for doing business in global markets.
In international markets, meeting customers face-to-face is rarely feasible. That makes an intuitive and accessible digital sales platform the primary point of contact. A company without online product information, technical documentation, configuration tools or digital ordering options will often be ruled out during the initial research phase. According to Danish Industry, in markets such as Germany, the Netherlands and the United States, digital B2B solutions are no longer a differentiator — they’re an expectation.
Digitalisation also makes it possible to scale sales without building costly local sales organisations. A company can now enter new markets through localised webshops, multilingual customer service and digital marketing funnels. All without physical presence. This opens the door for small and mid-sized businesses that previously relied on distributors or trade fairs to reach new customers.
Analyses from Danish Industry show that companies prioritising a digital sales strategy have entered new export markets faster and achieved higher international customer satisfaction. In other words, digitalisation isn’t just an efficiency driver - it’s a market opener.
Conclusion: Digitalisation Is No Longer an Option — It’s a Necessity
The data speaks for itself: There’s a clear and tangible business potential in digitalising B2B sales processes. Especially for manufacturing companies. It’s about building a future-ready, customer-centric and efficient sales organisation that can serve markets both locally and globally.
At the same time, companies must recognise the paradox between customers’ digital expectations and their own traditional practices. The way forward lies in hybrid solutions that combine the best of both worlds. Powered by data, automation and personalisation.
At Vertica, we don’t see this as a choice between technology and people. Quite the opposite. We believe in building digital solutions that make human relationships stronger - by letting the platform handle everything that can be done quickly and seamlessly.
For the companies that succeed in this balance, the reward is clear: A more efficient, scalable and customer-oriented sales model ready to grow in a digital world.
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