Behub-e: positive initial result after 6 months of activity
We asked Geoffroy de Roffignac, Director of Online Sales, about developments since the platform was launched six months ago.
What is Behub-e?
It is an innovative B2B platform designed to help boost the efficiency of our energy and industrial customers’ supply chain. It allows member suppliers to offer their surplus production and product ranges to a wide base of purchasers in the sector, who will be able to reduce their procurement costs and encourage the circular economy.
Focus on the new features
The sales cycle has been improved. Customers are now informed by email of the different stages of their order.
They can also request a quote online and finalize the order later, whereas, initially, only an immediate purchase was possible.
Another new feature is the possibility for sellers to offer discounts or promotional codes.
"On the sales side, we have made progress on our customer panel. Karim Erian, Business Developer of the platform, has identified different types of potential buyer who may be interested in our products and services," adds Geoffroy. "We contact them directly to tell them about the platform, our product offers and the various benefits they can enjoy on Behub-e. We also do mass mailing and have bought keywords on the Internet (Google Ads, Bing Ads, etc.). So, when customers do an Internet search, they immediately find Behub-e. Finally, we also use social media a lot."
Shipping is also at the heart of discussions. This feature, currently being studied, should enable shipping costs to be calculated automatically. The customer could then choose from among three or four freight companies, previously selected.
More and more visitors
In terms of visibility, the platform has grown from 30 to 40 visitors per day at its launch to about 100 today. Although visitors to the platform come from many geographic areas, they are mainly from the United States, which is understandable as Behub-e has been promoted primarily in this region. Before extending the platform to other regions, its success will first be assessed in North America. However, market research has already been launched in the Middle East to assess the extent to which the business model of Behub-e could be adapted to this region.
“In the case of our first sale, the buyer was American and the product he was interested in was stored in Europe,” notes Fabienne Kestemont, Marketplace Customer Service Representative. “It was the platform that acted as an intermediary. The buyer was able to benefit from a product offer that he would not necessarily have found through his traditional purchasing channel, while the seller had access to a customer base outside of his direct trading area.“
The main lines of development to come
- Consolidating the network of buyers. This is our number one priority.
- Developing sales.
- Supporting all our users during their digital adoption process by constantly innovating and simplifying the use of the platform.
- Offering a “shipping” feature integrated into the platform.
What makes Behub-e different?
- B2B orders as easy as B2C orders.
- The best solution to manage online sales.
- Finance. This is one of the main differentiating factors for buyers and sellers.
- Support from Vallourec, a trusted partner and world leader in the oil and gas industry.
- Participation in ecological transition (resale of slow-moving inventory, purchase/sale of used or reconditioned items, inspection services available to clean, inspect, test, etc. the product).
Andreas Roche will represent Behub-e at the ADIPEC exhibition and will be present on the Vallourec Booth 3115 Hall 3 from October 31 to November 3 in Abu Dhabi.
Contact : [email protected]
More informations : https://behub-e.com/
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