Customer education in business-to-business contexts

Abstract

Current trends in business-to-business (B2B) services are increasingly bringing customer education (CEd) to the spotlight. Despite the growing recognition of the benefits of CEd, understanding how it is deployed in B2B firms remains a gap in academic literature. Our study addresses this gap by following a qualitative, empirical approach to investigate how CEd is managed across 29 B2B firms. The findings from our research suggest that CEd is a complex set of activities involving multiple stakeholders from both the customers as well as the B2B firm. Our research identified CEd as a process comprising three stages: (a) prepare for CEd, (b) deploy CEd, and (c) measure CEd. Basing ourselves on the findings from our research, we propose a conceptual framework of CEd in B2B contexts. Our findings contribute to the literature by offering a process-based view of CEd, clarifying the intra-organizational coordination it requires, and demonstrating how CEd unfolds across the customer journey. This research advances theoretical understanding of CEd as a cross-functional capability in B2B settings. We provide managerial recommendations and suggest areas for future research. HIGHLIGHTS • Offers an activity-based view of B2B customer education (CEd) across three phases: Prepare, Deploy, Measure. • Shows how B2B firms organize CEd through resource allocation, role assignment, and cross-department coordination. • Shows that CEd spans the full customer journey, from awareness to renewal—not just post-purchase support. • Provides practical guidance to implement, scale, and assess CEd as a strategic, cross-functional capability.