A salesperson selling software licenses to a local authority does not manage the same cycle as one pushing a SaaS subscription to an SME or an average basket on a consumer e-commerce site. The constraints differ at each stage: prospecting, contracting, invoicing, payment terms. Understanding these three models (btob, btoc, btog) allows for calibrating commercial processes instead of applying a single method to incompatible realities.
Electronic invoicing: the convergence point of btob, btoc, and btog
In discussions comparing these three models, invoicing is rarely mentioned. Yet, it is the area where they have converged concretely in recent years, due to regulation.
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In France, the Chorus Pro platform is already mandatory for issuing invoices to public entities (btog). The European standardized format EN 16931 governs these exchanges. In btob, the obligation for electronic invoicing is gradually coming into effect by 2026-2027, with a timeline based on company size.
The European package “VAT in the Digital Age” (ViDA), politically adopted in late 2023, pushes towards a common infrastructure. The same technical base will serve for btob invoices, remote btoc sales, and btog public contracts, with harmonization expected by 2028.
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When we delve into the differences between btob, btoc, and btog, we find that invoicing remains the only process that truly converges among the three. For the rest, the logics diverge significantly.
Btob sales cycle: why it lasts longer
Let’s take a concrete case. An industrial supplies company approaches a food group. The first contact goes through a buyer, who transmits it internally. A technical manager assesses product compatibility. The financial director approves the budget. The legal department reviews the general terms and conditions of sale.
In btob, the number of stakeholders mechanically lengthens the cycle. You do not sell to one person; you convince a decision-making circuit. Marketing content adapts: white papers, case studies, technical demonstrations. The buying motive is based on return on investment or solving an operational problem, not on impulse.
Payment terms illustrate this reality well. In btob, payments at 30 or 60 days are the norm. The business relationship is built over time, with framework contracts and volume commitments. Customer loyalty relies more on service reliability than on brand recognition.
The trap of btoc marketing applied to btob
We regularly see btob companies copying btoc strategies: emotion-driven social media campaigns, flash promotions, mainstream storytelling. Feedback on this varies, but generally, a btob prospect seeks expertise, not entertainment. A technical webinar or an industry study converts better than a viral video.
Btoc sales: volume, speed, and direct customer relationship
In btoc, the end consumer decides alone (or almost). The sales cycle is counted in minutes for an online purchase, and a few days for an engaging product like household appliances.
- The target is broad: addressing thousands, even millions of consumers with varied profiles
- The buying motive mixes functional need, desire, and impulse, making emotional marketing more effective
- The average basket is generally lower than in btob, but the volume of transactions compensates
- After-sales service and customer reviews directly influence reputation and conversion rates
The btoc marketing strategy relies on visibility: organic search, paid advertising, social media, and influence. The goal is to capture attention in a saturated environment. In btoc, proximity to the brand comes through user experience, not through personalized business relationships.
Public market btog: regulatory constraints and structured purchasing process
Btog (business-to-government) involves selling products or services to public administrations: local authorities, ministries, hospitals, and semi-public organizations.
In practice, you do not approach a town hall as you would a company. The process involves formalized calls for tenders, with precise specifications, weighted evaluation criteria, and strict response deadlines. In btog, administrative compliance takes precedence over the business relationship.
What changes compared to classic btob
- Public contracts impose mandatory competition beyond certain thresholds, whereas btob allows for direct negotiation
- Payment terms are regulated but often remain long in practice
- Invoicing must go through Chorus Pro, with standardized formats that btob does not yet require everywhere
- The supplier must prove their technical and financial capacity in advance, through specific administrative documents
A small business accustomed to btob that wants to respond to a public market must review its internal processes. Writing a technical memorandum, assembling a tender application, monitoring platforms for publishing calls for tenders: all of this represents a significant time investment.
Btob, btoc, btog: choosing your model or combining them
Some companies operate on two or three of these models simultaneously. A furniture manufacturer may sell in btoc through its online store, in btob to interior designers, and in btog to local authorities equipping schools.
Each model requires a distinct commercial organization: pitch, sales cycle, invoicing tools, prospecting strategy. Trying to unify these approaches under one process means poorly serving each segment.
The hybridization between these models is progressing, particularly driven by electronic invoicing and European standardization. The tools are converging, but the commercial logics remain fundamentally different. A good starting point for a company that is hesitant: first identify who makes the purchasing decision and how long the cycle lasts, then adapt everything else accordingly.