Key Dimensions for Categorizing B2B Customers

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The process of categorizing B2B customers often involves analyzing multiple dimensions simultaneously. These dimensions provide a robust framework for creating meaningful and actionable segments.

Firmographics: This is perhaps the most fundamental dimension, analogous to demographics in B2C markets. Firmographics include objective, quantifiable characteristics of a business. Key firmographic data points typically include:

Industry/Sector: Grouping customers by their primary industry (e.g., manufacturing, healthcare, technology, finance) allows for highly specialized messaging and product development, as each industry has distinct regulatory shop environments, technological needs, and operational processes.
Company Size (Revenue, Employee Count): Small businesses, mid-market companies, and large enterprises often have vastly different budgets, decision-making structures, and internal resources. A solution that fits a startup might be entirely inadequate for a multinational corporation, and vice versa.