---
title: "B2B Sales: Definition and Examples"
description: "B2B sales is selling products or services from one business to another instead of to consumers."
path: /glossary/b2b-sales
family: glossary
updated: 2026-10-17
html: /glossary/b2b-sales
sources:
  - "https://www.salesforce.com/sales/what-is-b2b-sales/"
facts:
  term: "B2B sales"
  also_called: "business-to-business sales, B2B selling"
  category: "Sales"
---

# B2B sales

B2B sales is selling products or services from one business to another instead of to consumers. Deals usually involve several decision makers, longer sales cycles, larger contracts and a formal buying process with budget approval.

## What Is B2B Sales?

**In short:** B2B buyers rarely decide alone.

A software purchase can pull in the person who will use it, their manager, IT, security, procurement, legal and finance, and any of them can slow or stop the deal. Salesforce describes stakeholders from IT, legal, procurement and the C-suite all taking part in one purchase.

Teams split the work by stage. SDRs or BDRs book first meetings, account executives run discovery, demos and negotiation, and customer success keeps and grows the account. Deal size sets the motion: cheap tools sell self-serve or through inside sales, large contracts through field reps and long evaluations.

## B2B Sales Example

Example: a company selling a $40,000-a-year security tool to 500-person firms works with 6 people per deal over 4 months. An IT manager finds the tool, the head of security owns the budget, and procurement, legal and the CFO each sign off before the contract closes.

## B2B Sales in Practice

For outbound, B2B means you can target precisely. Company size, industry, location, tech stack and hiring all show who has the problem, so outreach can start from a defined list instead of a broad audience.

## FAQ

### What is B2B sales?

Selling products or services from one business to another. Salesforce defines it as a transaction where one business sells goods or services to another.

### How is B2B sales different from B2C sales?

B2B deals involve more people, a longer cycle and larger contracts. A B2C purchase is usually one person deciding quickly. In B2B, IT, legal, procurement and senior leaders can all be part of the same decision.

### What are the stages of the B2B sales process?

Most teams use a version of prospecting, qualification, discovery, demo or proposal, negotiation and close. The names vary. What matters is that each stage has a clear exit rule your CRM can track.

### What are the main roles in a B2B sales team?

Sales development reps (SDRs) and business development reps (BDRs) create and qualify meetings, account executives (AEs) take deals to signature, and account managers or customer success managers keep and grow customers.

## Do this in Ken

### Do This in Ken

Campaigns runs the outbound part of B2B sales, with email and LinkedIn sequences to lists built in Ken Search. Ken CRM (Coming) will track accounts, people and opportunities through each stage.

- Link: [Do This in Ken](/how-it-works)

## Related

- [GTM Glossary](/glossary): Every GTM term, grouped by topic.
- [Inside sales](/glossary/inside-sales)
- [Outside sales](/glossary/outside-sales)
- [Buying committee (buying group)](/glossary/buying-committee)
- [Sales cycle](/glossary/sales-cycle)
- [Account executive](/glossary/account-executive)
- [Sales pipeline](/glossary/sales-pipeline)
- [How Ken works](/how-it-works)

## Sources

| Source | URL | Checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Salesforce: What is B2B sales? | https://www.salesforce.com/sales/what-is-b2b-sales/ | 2026-10-17 |

## Changelog

- 2026-10-17: Page published.