B2B marketing and sales strategies are often very different from those used by B2C companies. When selling to another business, you need to be prepared for longer sales cycles, more complex decision-making processes, and a range of unique challenges. That’s where B2B sales training and marketing courses can help.
We’ve reviewed a range of courses offered by reputable institutions around the globe, to bring you the of the best B2B courses online.
Top 10 B2B Online Courses
- International B2B (Business to Business) Marketing
- Digital Marketing Full Course
- Attract and Engage Customers with Digital Marketing
- B2B Sales for Startups
- B2B Social Media Marketing
- B2B Lead Generation
- Business to Business Sales
- Inbound Sales Course
- Understand B2B Business Development & Sales
- B2B Marketing For Beginners
1. International B2B (Business to Business) Marketing
Learn how to take your B2B marketing skills to an international audience with this B2B course from Yonsei University.
This online training course provides a unique perspective on the complex nuances of B2B advertising, and how professionals can build meaningful relationships with their target audience. You’ll also get an insider’s guide to expanding across countries and industries.
Who is this for?
Designed for marketers interested in rapid scale and growth, the International B2B online courses from Yonsei will prepare you for building a successful company in an agile environment.
The B2B Marketing course is part of the International Marketing & Cross Industry Growth specialization track.
It’ll prepare you for further education in international marketing, or simply give you the basic overview you need to get started.
While no prior training is required, you may find it helpful to take courses 1 and 2 from the specialization track before you start these lessons.
What you’ll learn?
This online training experience starts with an overview of the differences between B2C and B2B marketing. You’ll learn how to approach marketing challenges from an inter-organizational perspective and discover the basics of decision-making at buying centers.
This course includes innovative insights into B2B marketing at a cross-country and cross-industry level, with full guidance on:
- Practical methods for marketing to B2B customers
- Price, place, product, and promotion techniques
- Managing the total buyer experience
- Solving common problems with growth in marketing
There are also helpful case studies to give you a closer look at how other brands have dealt with scale over the years.
How much does it cost?
You can take this course for a price of $49 per month. Because the lessons only take around 10 hours to complete, you should be able to finish them with just a 1-month subscription. For the full International marketing specialization, you can expect to spend 6 months and $294.
- Vendor: Yonsei University (via Coursera)
- Cost: $49/mo
- Duration: 10 hours
- Certification: Certificate of Completion
2. Digital Marketing Full Course
One of the best resources for B2B marketing training is the Digital Marketing Full Course by Reliablesoft academy. The bundle includes 13 courses covering everything you need to know about online marketing. It's a comprehensive course built from the experiences gained running the marketing campaigns of companies in the B2B and B2C industry for the last 20 years.
Who is this for?
This is a course for B2B owners wishing to learn how to promote their businesses online using ALL available digital marketing channels. It covers both the fundamentals of marketing and advanced techniques.
You'll get step-by-step instructions and proven blueprints you can easily replicate for your own campaigns. The course is suitable for startups and established businesses that want to improve their marketing.
What you’ll learn?
Throughout the course, you'll learn how to create a digital marketing strategy to promote your B2B products and services. In particular, you'll learn:
- How to appear on the top positions of Google for searches related to your business
- How to use Google Ads to target your audience with Ads
- How to use Facebook Ads to promote your products or services to the right audience
- How to use Email Marketing for lead generation purposes without being spammy
- How to retarget your existing customers and lower your customer acquisition costs
- How to connect with your audience on social media networks
- How to create content to capture and nurture leads in all the stages of the sales funnel
- How to use YouTube (and video marketing) as an effective sales channel
How much does it cost?
The cost to enroll in the bundle is $149. Unlike other academies, you only pay once and get lifetime access to the courses and free updates. The bundle comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee (the highest you can get for online training - most academies offer 15 days). You can read tons of reviews here from existing students.
The course takes around 2 weeks to complete and you can pursue an SEO Certification and a Digital Marketing Certification.
- Vendor: Reliablesoft Academy
- Cost: $149
- Duration: 2 Weeks
- Certification: Digital Marketing Certification
3. Attract and Engage Customers with Digital Marketing
Delivered by the team at Google, this is one of the best B2B courses online for those with a focus on digital marketing.
The “Attract and Engage” course is one of seven courses in the full Google Digital Marketing & Ecommerce certificate. It teaches students how to use crucial advertising tactics, from SEO to Search Engine Marketing to connect with customers online.
Who is this for?
Ideal for companies with a strong focus on the digital landscape for promotion, Google’s course explores all the stages of the marketing funnel. You’ll learn how to connect with your audience throughout the digital journey, using fundamental skills like keyword research and link building.
As the second course in Google’s full digital marketing and eCommerce specialization, this educational experience focuses primarily on engaging customers. You can take it as a standalone learning opportunity, or follow on from the first course in the series, which introduces the foundations of digital marketing.
You won’t need any additional knowledge in digital marketing to thrive in this course, but it’s helpful to have a basic idea of what SEO is, and how Google works.
What you’ll learn?
The Engage and Attract course concentrates on helping businesses to form deeper relationships with customers throughout the buying journey. You’ll learn how to identify customer personas, and understand who your target audience is in the digital world. Students also access all the tools they need to create and leverage comprehensive marketing funnels.
The full course starts with an introduction to engaging customers with digital marketing, followed by topics such as:
- Understanding search engine optimization and algorithms
- Applying SEO strategies for content, images, and website promotion
- Leveraging SEM and display advertising
- Using Google Console to monitor your site’s presence online
How much does it cost?
This course is available at a price of $39 per month and will take approximately 21 hours to complete. There’s a 7-day free trial period, and you can carry on with the full Google Ecommerce and Digital Marketing course if you choose. The full course takes about 6 months to complete at a pace of 10 hours a week, costing around $234.
- Vendor: Google (via Coursera)
- Cost: $39/month
- Duration: 21 hours
- Certification: Certificate of Completion
4. B2B Sales for Startups
Providing a complete step-by-step playbook for B2B sales training, this high-rated course is ideal for those who want to learn how to sell in a B2B environment.
Students learn the proven “Sales Valley” methodology for building business relationships and generating revenue. You’ll also get behind-the-scenes insights into different business development deal structures
Who is this for?
If your focus is more on the sales side of B2B transactions than the marketing side, this could be the course for you. The training experience covers everything you need to know about the challenges of building a startup for the B2B landscape and securing crucial deals.
Built specifically for those in Silicone valley, using a range of proven sales strategies, this course will be excellent for professionals in the technology landscape. The course targets B2B sales people, freelancers, startups, consultants, and entrepreneurs.
You won’t need any prior knowledge or training to get started, but it’s important to be familiar with email and similar online tools.
What you’ll learn?
The B2B Sales for Startups course uses the “Sales Valley” methodology to teach you all the basics of building your own successful startup. You’ll discover how to write emails designed to generate responses, even without copywriting experience.
The course covers steps on how to build a lead generation machine to get consistent prospects into your funnel, as well as tips for how to close deals more effectively. Some topics covered include:
- How to find prospects within your target audience
- How to develop relationships for customers with long-term sales
- Using email scripts and templates to optimize deals
- Pitching and selling techniques to make your products stand out
How much does it cost?
This course costs around $73 in total, with a 30-day money-back guarantee and full lifetime access included. The full training experience is split into 6 sections and 39 lectures, with a total of around 6 hours and 21 minutes of content.
- Vendor: Udemy
- Cost: $73
- Duration:6 hours 21 minutes
- Certification: Certificate of Completion
5. B2B Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing isn’t just for B2C companies. The B2B Foundations in Social Media Marketing will teach you how to build a B2B brand on the right social channels. This B2B training solution explores how buyers use social platforms to research the products and services they need. You’ll discover what it means to find and communicate with your buyers on a massive scale.
Who is this for?
Whether you’re interested in building a better brand image online for your B2B company, or you’re a freelance marketer working for other companies, this could be an excellent course for you. You won’t need any prior education to get started, though it does help to have a basic knowledge of the top social media platforms and how they work.
Social media expert Luan Wise provides a full introduction to how social media marketing works in the B2B context. This ensures business leaders and marketing professionals alike can develop a more extensive strategy for online advertising.
What you’ll learn?
With this B2B marketing course, you’ll discover the basics of how to leverage social media to make more sales in a B2B environment. The course covers an introduction to B2B marketing and how to define your ideal customer, as well as the benefits of social media for business. You’ll also get a complete overview of how to choose the right social platforms for your campaigns.
Throughout the training experience, you’ll learn all about the features of leading platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. There’s advice on generating awareness on social media, engaging with and nurturing business owners, and seeking out prospects. Other topics covered include:
- Creating the right content for B2B social media marketing
- Designing thought leadership pieces on social media
- Social media listening for B2B companies
- How to manage your campaigns and measure success
How much does it cost?
If you haven’t used this platform before, you can access a month’s free trial which should be enough time to take this course. Alternatively, the course will take around an hour and 22 minutes to complete with a month’s subscription to LinkedIn Learning at $29.99.
- Vendor: LinkedIn Learning
- Cost: $29.99
- Duration: 5 hours
- Certification: Certificate of Completion
6. B2B Lead Generation
If you’re more interested in sales than B2B marketing courses, the B2B Lead Generation course could be perfect for you. This course provides a behind-the-scenes guide to LinkedIn Lead Generation and sales tactics, to help increase your conversions. You’ll even get access to a range of freebies like downloadable spreadsheets, and access to an exclusive Facebook community.
Who is this for?
The B2B Lead Generation course provides top tips and guidance for companies hoping to increase their leads and sales opportunities. If you’re trying to attract more attention for your brand, or you want to help clients increase sales as a freelance professional, this is the course for you.
You’ll need a basic knowledge of how to use email, as you’ll be reliant on this tool for outreach. However, no prior education is required. It’s also worth making sure you have a LinkedIn account you can use for social outreach.
What you’ll learn?
The B2B lead generation and B2B sales course covers all of the insights salespeople need to gain access to new prospects and leads. You’ll discover how to master high-ticket B2B sales techniques, and use lead nurturing to build relationships with clients.
There are useful scripts available to help you enhance your email autoresponders and connect with people over LinkedIn. You’ll even discover the basics of retargeting ads, and how they can help you to increase your profits. Some of the topics covered include:
- What to expect from lead generation for B2B customers
- How to use the D7 tool for lead generation
- How to write a business proposal and outreach emails
- What it takes to set up a successful page on LinkedIn
- How to nurture prospects into customers
How much does it cost?
You’ll be able to take this course for a fee of $99.99, which includes full lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The course is broken down into 18 sections and 114 lectures, adding up to around 7.5 hours of training overall.
- Vendor: Udemy
- Cost: $99.99
- Duration: 5 hours
- Certification: Certificate of Completion
7. Business to Business Sales
Providing a comprehensive insight into the unique nuances of B2B strategies, this B2B sales training course will help you to understand the differences in selling to certain types of customers. The simple, but insightful training experience provides beginners with an introduction to the methods they can use to connect with customers anywhere.
Who is this for?
Designed for beginners and intermediate sales professionals, this course is ideal whether you’re just getting started in B2B sales, or you’ve been building your knowledge for a while. No prior knowledge is needed to get started. You can even use this course to transition from B2C focused selling to a B2B audience.
The learning experience is brimming with tips and insights into the typical day of a B2B sales professional, from meeting with prospects to closing deals. You can even discover what kind of personality traits and characteristics you need to develop to thrive in this area. The course also includes a certification of completion, so you can make your resume stand out.
What you’ll learn?
The Business-to-Business Sales course starts with an introduction to the basics of B2B selling and the kind of people you can expect to interact with. You’ll learn about the distinctions between B2C and B2B sales, what it means to engage in “inside” or “outside” sales, and what the standard sales process might look like.
Robbie Baxter will cover some of the top techniques leveraged by sales professionals in the modern world. You’ll also discover how to create a team to help you reach your goals, and collaborate with other professionals on sales strategies. Some of the topics covered include:
- How to ensure a great prospect meeting and handle objects
- Closing B2B deals and managing missed sales goals
- Developing the right personality skillset for B2B sales
- How to structure, run, and collaborate with a B2B team
How much does it cost?
Beginners on LinkedIn Learning can access this course as part of an initial free month trial for the service. The course only takes a little over an hour to complete, so your month’s trial should be more than enough. If you’ve already used the trial, you’ll need to pay for a month’s subscription to LinkedIn Learning for $29.99.
- Vendor: LinkedIn Learning
- Cost: $29.99
- Duration: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Certification: Certificate of Completion
8. Inbound Sales Course
Perfect for increasing sales opportunities in the B2B world, the Inbound Sales Course focuses on teaching you the methods you need to use to attract customers to you. Covering everything from how to identify the best contacts to reach out to, to what it takes to connect with your most promising leads, this course could enhance any company’s profit potential.
Who is this for?
Designed for sales reps and sales managers, the Inbound Sales Course from HubSpot is an end-to-end training opportunity for those making their way into B2B sales. You’ll learn how to master more focused inbound sales methods, focusing on building relationships over cold outreach.
If you need help shifting to an inbound sales methodology, or you’re looking into B2B opportunities for the first time, HubSpot’s course could be ideal for you. The course also includes a video transcript in case you learn better using written resources. What’s more, you’ll get a globally recognized certification.
What you’ll learn?
Hubspot’s personalized approach to education delivers one of the best B2B courses online for inbound sales professionals. The course will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the techniques you can use for building customer profiles and reaching out to the right buyers.
The educational experience begins with an introduction to inbound sales fundamentals, and the strategies used to prioritize active buyers over passive leads. You’ll also learn what it takes to grab the attention of empowered customers. Other topics covered include:
- Building relationships with B2B customers
- Understanding buyer context and intent
- Building full inbound sales strategies
- Delivering personalized sales presentations
How much does it cost?
This course is completely free to access, with a total of 2.5 hours of educational videos and insights included. It can also be an excellent addition to other HubSpot courses about sales enablement and sales management.
- Vendor: HubSpot
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 5 hours
- Certification: Inbound Sales Certification
9. Understand B2B Business Development & Sales
The “Understand B2B Business Development & Sales” course provides an overview of everything you need to know to increase business revenue with B2B marketing and sales tactics. This free course comes with all the guidance beginners need to start developing a strong sales and marketing strategy from scratch, including insights into finding your target audience.
Who is this for?
Created for business leaders, salespeople, and entrepreneurs, this course promises to help professionals define all the elements involved in business development and sales. If you need to grow your own company or help a client achieve better sales, this is the course for you.
The training experience teaches advanced techniques for managing the entire customer journey, from online marketing to lead generation.
Areas covered include everything from the definition of business development to creating smart business plans. You won’t need any prior knowledge to get started.
What you’ll learn?
This comprehensive course starts with an introduction to business development and goal setting, teaching you how to identify your market and customer. You’ll also discover how to set reasonable targets for your sales strategies.
The course then covers tactics for connecting with your leads, from lead generation strategies like email marketing to setting up appointments and dealing with objections. You’ll learn everything you need to build a successful business, covering topics like:
- Sales system and email response strategies
- Understanding B2B business development
- Managing the art of cold calling and emails
- Tracking sales results and analytics
How much does it cost?
This course is completely free to take, although you will need to pay if you want to access the CPD certificate at the end of the lessons. The full experience should take around 6 hours to complete.
- Vendor: Alison
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 6 hours
- Certification: Yes (Paid)
10. B2B Marketing For Beginners
B2B Marketing for beginners is one of the most popular and valuable B2B marketing courses available today. This learning experience helps marketing experts and business leaders to connect with potential prospects through email databases and powerful marketing messages. You’ll even learn how to build effective buyer personas.
Who is this for?
This course is intended for marketing professionals, consultants, business leaders, and entrepreneurs hoping to increase lead generation. You can create a website capable of capturing the attention of buyers in a range of B2B environments, and learn how to leverage the power of emails. There are even insights into how to create your own webinar.
You don’t need any prior knowledge of marketing strategies, but you do need a basic knowledge of how to use email and similar online tools. Anyone with a desire to develop their understanding of B2B marketing best practices will benefit from this course.
What you’ll learn?
With the B2B Marketing for beginners course, students access an end-to-end guide to everything they need to know to flood their sales teams or email inbox with more leads. You’ll learn about designing your own website and filling it with captivating content to reach your audience. There are also insights into how you can build an effective email database.
Whether you’re using webinars or newsletters to connect with your audience, the course will help you to hone your skills. Other topics covered include:
- How to develop buyer personas to understand who you’re selling to
- How to craft more effective marketing messages
- Using subject lines to improve click-through rates
- Testing methods to improve your marketing and sales strategies
How much does it cost?
This brief course only costs $49.99 for full lifetime access, and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The cost includes 1.5 hours of training and a certificate of completion.
- Vendor: Udemy
- Cost: $49.99
- Duration: 5 hours
- Certification: Certificate of Completion
Are B2B Courses Worth It?
Marketing, selling, and building relationships with B2B audiences requires a different approach to connecting with B2C consumers. B2B buyers have more complex decision-making structures to consider, and often have to do extensive research before agreeing to a transaction.
The best B2B courses show you everything you need to know to master the B2B world. You can learn how to reach your target customers wherever they are, and how to build B2B buyer personas. Plus, you can develop skills for more effective B2B sales strategies.
A good B2B training solution can help you:
- Discover and attract the kind of B2B customers you want for your business.
- Design end-to-end marketing strategies intended to convert and nurture clients, no matter how complex the purchasing funnel might be.
- Highlight your skills as an expert in B2B marketing or sales when developing your brand as a freelancer, consultant, or agent.
- Strengthen your business brand with more opportunities to attract warm leads for sales professionals.
- Convert customers with successful sales strategies, personalized pitches, and campaigns.
- Measure the success of your efforts and use the information you learn to optimize future marketing and sales strategies.
Methodology
To help you find the best B2B course to build your business to business skills, we've looked at online courses offered by reputable academies in the marketing, business, and education fields. The courses that made it to the top 10 list cover a range of topics related to B2B businesses including sales, marketing, lead generation, customer communication, and business development.
Unfortunately, there is no single course that will teach you everything you need to know about running a B2B business, so you may have to follow one or more courses to get the full picture.
From our experience working with companies in the B2B industry, the hardest part is to accurately define your target audience and find the right channels to communicate with them.
Related Courses and Certifications
To learn more about B2B marketing, entrepreneurship, and businesses, you can consider looking into the following options:
- Online Business Courses - a list of the top courses to learn how to run a business (either B2B or B2C).
- Best Entrepreneurship Courses - build the skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur.
- SEM Courses - master search engine marketing and boost B2B sales.
- Digital Marketing Courses - most of the concepts you'll learn in a digital marketing course are applicable for both B2B and B2C businesses.