Guided Selling Examples: Best B2B Practices to Boost Sales Efficiency

B2B buyers are shifting towards a buying experience that is more aligned with their needs and wants. They don’t want generic offerings anymore; they want pitches and products that resonate with them on a personal level. According to Gartner, by 2025, 75% of B2B sales organizations will augment their sales motions with guided selling solutions to improve effectiveness and consistency.  As a result, guided selling has emerged as a powerful sales methodology, especially in B2B industries with complex products or high-stakes decisions.

What is guided selling?

Guided selling is a process where sales teams use data, insights, and automation to guide buyers through the purchase journey, offering tailored product or service recommendations based on their needs, preferences, or behaviors. With the rise of buyer enablement and consultative sales, guided selling tools are helping teams improve engagement, reduce friction, and boost win rates.

While selling is the main goal, nurturing strong relationships with customers can lead to repeat business, referrals, and a positive brand reputation - all of which can be accomplished by this type of selling methodology. In this article, we’ll break down how guided selling works, show real-world guided selling examples, and explore how B2B businesses are using it to scale smarter and sell better.

How Does Guided Selling Work?

Guided selling in B2B is a sales technique that uses contextual data, automation, and sales enablement tools to lead buyers toward the right solutions, step by step. Rather than relying solely on rep instinct or static pitch decks, it creates a dynamic path based on each prospect’s unique profile and pain points.

“In B2B, we build an initial profile based on pain points, early conversations, or CRM data,” says Abhisheka Reddy, Maionic’s Senior SDR. ”From there, we start with tailored recommendations, and hyper-personalize as we gather more insights along the way.”

Here’s how guided selling tools typically work:

• Build a prospect profile based on CRM data, web behavior, and initial outreach
• Suggest relevant products or services from the catalog
• Automatically adapt recommendations as more buyer information is uncovered
• Provide content or demos at the right moment in the sales cycle

This approach helps sales reps deliver personalized, consultative experiences at scale. It reduces guesswork, improves confidence, and aligns solutions more closely with actual needs.

Industries like pharma, manufacturing, and enterprise tech, where products are highly specialized and decisions involve multiple stakeholders, stand to benefit the most. In these spaces, guided selling can turn complexity into clarity by offering a structured, data-backed journey from the first touch to the final decision.

Now that we’ve covered what guided selling is, let’s look at how companies are applying it successfully in the real world.

Top Guided Selling Examples in B2B

1. Merck Life Science

Merck partnered with Maionic to transform how it showcases its vast product catalog, especially during the pandemic when physical visits to its M Lab weren’t possible. The result: an immersive virtual showroom with guided tours, webinars, and product simulations for bioprocessing and excipients.

Merck showcased over 100+ pharmaceutical and life science products using interactive demos and information hotspots. These virtual environments featured tools like real-time guided tours, simulation-based product usage, gamification, and embedded virtual assistants to answer customer queries. 

This allowed Merck to demonstrate complex products like excipients, normally difficult to showcase, through simulations and interactive walkthroughs. While primarily used in biopharma and manufacturing contexts, similar guided selling frameworks can be adapted for sectors like industrial automation, healthcare devices, or even automotive R&D environments, where complex technical products need visual storytelling.

For Merck, this approach simplified product discovery, improved customer understanding, and boosted engagement significantly.

This is a strong guided selling example of how B2B companies can replace physical limitations with tech-enabled, highly personalized buying experiences.

2. Salesforce 

Salesforce uses its own guided selling tools to help reps prioritize leads, recommend next steps, and personalize offerings based on data from CRM activity and past interactions.

The platform suggests the best timing for follow-ups, predicts potential objections and recommends complementary products or services. This helps reps be more strategic and improve the experience for customers who receive highly relevant solutions.

A standout case is T-Mobile, which adopted Salesforce’s guided selling features to streamline sales processes and deliver personalized support. As a result, they achieved faster sales cycles, higher productivity, and stronger customer satisfaction.

This is one of the best-guided selling examples in B2B software, where AI and automation turn complex sales data into actionable insights.

3. Caterpillar

Caterpillar uses guided selling to simplify complex purchasing decisions for its industrial customers. Its “Build & Quote” feature helps contractors choose the right equipment—bulldozers, excavators, loaders—based on project needs like terrain, budget, and application.

The system also offered details on financing and maintenance plans, making it easy to evaluate the full ownership experience. For sales reps and dealers, it enables value-added consultations that feel more consultative than transactional.

By matching the right machine to the right job, Caterpillar boosted customer confidence and reduced errors. This approach not only improves buying clarity but also strengthens relationships between sales teams and clients.

Caterpillar’s guided selling model shows how large product catalogs can be turned into streamlined digital journeys in the industrial world.

4. Siemens

Siemens employs guided selling through its SiePortal platform, helping B2B buyers navigate their extensive range of automation and industrial solutions.

Buyers answer a few quick questions about their production setup, goals, and challenges. Based on this input, Siemens’ system recommends the most suitable digital and automation tools, saving time and reducing overwhelm.

By guiding engineers and decision-makers toward best-fit technologies, Siemens not only simplifies complex choices but also builds trust. The tool is especially valuable in industries like energy and manufacturing, where stakes are high and wrong decisions are costly.

This is a standout guided selling B2B use case that blends product complexity with a customer-first experience.

5. Amazon Business

Amazon Business uses guided selling techniques to help B2B buyers find the right products fast. It analyzes past purchases, order trends, and industry behavior to offer personalized product recommendations directly in the user dashboard.

Buyers can filter by brand, price, and specs, and even set approval workflows for compliance. This makes procurement not only faster but also more controlled and policy-compliant.

Used by thousands of companies across sectors, Amazon Business showcases how guided selling can simplify high-volume, repetitive B2B buying. It’s a clear example of how e-commerce-style personalization can drive efficiency and satisfaction in enterprise purchasing.

Benefits of Implementing Guided Selling Tools in B2B Sales

Guided selling tools are changing the game for B2B sales teams. They use real-time data and smart recommendations to help both buyers and sellers move through the sales process more easily. Guided selling tools enhance the sales experience for the sales team by personalising interactions, streamlining sales process and and making it efficient. As for customers, the buying experience becomes more relevant and easier for them to navigate. Lets explore the benefits of this sales process in B2B:

Shorter Sales Cycles

In B2B, buying decisions can take weeks or months. Guided selling tools cut down that time by recommending the right products or services from the start, so buyers don’t waste time figuring it out themselves.

Better Conversion Rates

When people see solutions that actually fit their needs, they’re more likely to buy. That’s what guided selling does—it gives personalized recommendations that feel relevant and useful, making it easier for customers to say “yes.”

Stronger Customer Engagement

It’s not just about selling—it’s about helping. Guided selling tools ask the right questions, listen to what the buyer wants, and respond with tailored suggestions. This makes the process feel more like a conversation and less like a pitch.

More Efficient Sales Teams

Sales reps don’t have to spend hours figuring out what to offer. Guided selling tools do the heavy lifting of matching the right product to the right customer, so reps can focus on building relationships and closing deals.

Top Guided Selling Tools for B2B Sales Teams

As guided selling becomes more mainstream in B2B sales, having the right tools is essential for scaling personalized experiences and boosting sales efficiency. These guided selling tools help sales teams recommend the right products, streamline buyer journeys, and make informed decisions faster and more effectively. Below are some of the most widely used platforms, each suited to different industries and sales models.

Maionic Interactive Solutions

Best for: MedTech, industrial manufacturing, pharma, complex B2B product, sales

Maionic helps B2B companies turn product discovery into an experience. Through tools like 3D product demos, virtual showrooms, and interactive configurators, Maionic enables guided selling by simplifying complex product information and aligning it with buyer needs—visually and contextually.

• Features: Interactive 3D product demos, virtual showrooms, AR/VR sales tools, decision-support hotspots
• Why it works: Ideal for industries where in-person demos are challenging, or products are too technical for a traditional sales deck
• Pricing: Project-based; tailored to scope and asset type

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Salesforce CPQ

Best for: Enterprise software, telecom, professional services

Salesforce CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) is built to guide reps through complex pricing models and product configurations. It uses AI to suggest add-ons, pricing tiers, and even objection-handling cues based on CRM data.

• Features: Smart product bundling, dynamic pricing, automated approvals
• Why it works: Reps spend less time quoting and more time closing.
• Pricing: Starts at $75/user/month as an add-on to Salesforce Sales Cloud

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HubSpot Sales Hub

Best for: Mid-market B2B companies, SaaS, agencies

HubSpot offers guided selling through features like lead scoring, sales playbooks, and email sequencing, all within a user-friendly CRM. It helps reps personalize outreach based on prospect behavior and lifecycle stage.

• Features: Behavioral tracking, integrated playbooks, email automation
• Why it works: Great entry point for teams new to guided selling.
• Pricing: Free tier available; paid plans start at $45/month

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Conga CPQ

Best for: Manufacturing, logistics, enterprise sales

Conga simplifies the sales process for teams handling large catalogs and multiple pricing models. Its guided selling engine allows reps to build tailored proposals with less room for error.

• Features: Visual configurator, guided proposals, quote management
• Why it works: Reduces friction in complex deal environments.
• Pricing: Custom (varies by deployment scale)

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Oracle CX Sales

Best for: Large-scale enterprises, finance, automotive

Oracle CX Sales includes intelligent guided selling capabilities that help sellers prioritize leads, craft relevant offers, and align with marketing automation tools across channels.

• Features: AI-based lead scoring, next-best actions, cross-channel insights
• Why it works: Designed for cross-functional enterprise sales teams.
• Pricing: Custom (enterprise-grade)

These guided selling tools don’t just support sales—they help B2B organizations sell smarter, reduce guesswork, and improve customer satisfaction. Whether you're selling software or industrial machinery, there’s a tool built for your sales model.

Wrapping up

B2B sales today are more complex than ever. Long cycles, multiple decision-makers, and intricate products make it a challenge for both buyers and sellers. That’s where guided selling comes in. Guided selling has emerged as a powerful strategy for B2B success, helping businesses provide personalized and valuable experiences to their customers. 

By helping sales teams deliver personalized, relevant recommendations at every stage, guided selling tools reduce guesswork, save time, and build stronger customer relationships. Whether you're in manufacturing, MedTech, or professional services, real-world guided selling examples show that the ability to tailor your pitch and guide prospects through complex decisions can mean the difference between a stalled conversation and a signed deal.

And the impact isn’t just on the customer; it shows up in your results too. Shorter sales cycles, higher conversion rates, and more confident sales teams who know they’re offering the right solution at the right time.

If you're looking to simplify complex sales, improve team productivity, and make your product offerings easier to understand, now’s the time to act.

Let Maionic help you build a guided selling experience tailored to your industry.

Contact us today to see how interactive tools like 3D demos and virtual showrooms can power your next-gen sales strategy.

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FAQs 

1. What is guided selling, and how does it work in B2B sales?

Guided selling is a sales approach that uses data, automation, and digital tools to recommend the most relevant products or solutions to buyers. In B2B sales, it helps reps personalize the buying journey based on customer needs, preferences, and past interactions.

2. How can guided selling tools improve sales conversion rates?

Guided selling tools increase conversion rates by delivering personalized recommendations that align with buyer needs, reducing decision fatigue. They streamline complex sales processes and help sales teams focus on high-intent opportunities.

3. What are the best guided selling tools for B2B businesses?

Top guided selling tools include Salesforce CPQ, HubSpot Sales Hub, Conga, and Maionic for interactive 3D demos. The best choice depends on your industry, product complexity, and sales team structure.

4. How do I implement a guided selling strategy in my B2B company?

Start by mapping your buyer journey and identifying key decision points. Then, choose a guided selling tool that integrates with your CRM and train your sales team to use it for delivering tailored recommendations.

3. What are the challenges of using guided selling, and how can I overcome them?

Common challenges include system complexity, poor data quality, and team adoption. These can be overcome by choosing user-friendly tools, ensuring clean CRM data, and providing proper onboarding and training.

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