B2B: definition
Business to business: when your product is aimed at other companies rather than individual consumers.
By Isidore Mikorey-Nilsson · May 14, 2026
Definition
B2B (business to business) refers to one company selling to another. In B2B SaaS, decision cycles are longer, there are often several people to convince, and the channels that work (cold email, LinkedIn, expert content) differ from those aimed at consumers. The average deal size is higher, which changes the entire economics of acquisition.
Why it matters
Knowing you're in B2B shapes your whole go-to-market: higher deal sizes allow for a higher CAC, which makes channels like direct prospecting or assisted selling profitable. Copying B2C playbooks onto a B2B product is a common cause of acquisition failure.
When to use it
You think in B2B terms as soon as you define your target and your channels. In practice, you identify the different decision-makers within an account (user, champion, budget holder) and build a message for each one, over a cycle that's often measured in weeks or months.
Example
Payroll software sold to small and medium businesses is B2B SaaS; a meditation app sold to consumers is B2C.
Common mistakes
- Copying B2C playbooks onto a B2B sale.
- Talking to only one decision-maker when there are several.
- Underestimating how long the decision cycle is.
Don't confuse it with
- b2c: B2C sells to individuals (volume, short cycle, low price); B2B sells to companies (long cycle, high price, multiple decision-makers).
Related terms
Articles that use this term
Frequently asked questions
- Do B2B and B2C sell the same way?
- No: in B2B you often have to convince several decision-makers over a long cycle, in B2C you aim for volume on a quick decision.