Hello. I'm Haga, a new planner in the BtoB team.
The BtoB team, which celebrated its fifth anniversary this January, is engaged in a variety of activities, primarily focused on website production, with the theme of "pursuing websites unique to BtoB."
However, having only recently joined the company, I still don't fully understand what the BtoB team has done so far or where it is headed.
So this time, we decided to ask the team leader, Sakamoto, about how the team was formed, what they have done so far, and their thoughts on B2B companies.
It started with an interview,
New communication.
It all began in 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, affecting the entire country of Japan, and the web industry was no exception.
Meanwhile, within Monosus, the team began to explore, "What can we do through the web?"
So a new team was formed by gathering together members who were within the company at the time and were capable of handling everything from planning to design and production.
"That became the precursor to our current B2B team. We started calling businesses we hadn't approached before, such as B2B, hospitals, and clinics, to find places where we could use Monosus' web technology...and gradually B2B companies started to take over." 
Sakamoto is a leader in the Marketing Department's BtoB team, working as a salesperson and spending his days running around both inside and outside the company.
In the field of creating various corporate websites, we began to see that the actual situation of BtoB companies was different from that of BtoC, and at the same time, we began to hear many voices from web managers who wanted to know the trends of other companies. Although there were statistical materials targeting users, such as the Internet White Paper, at the time there was no data that investigated the actual usage of the web limited to BtoB companies.
If there is no data, we can just go out and do the research ourselves and create it. With this in mind, the BtoB team's work and direction are gradually decided.
Thus, in 2012, the team began working on producing the "Corporate Website Operation Status Report."
"Once we decided to write a report, the next step was to make a list of places to visit and make appointments. We needed to think about how to put together the report, so we started by deciding what to cover."
This was an unprecedented interview with a company representative. Naturally, no one in the company would tell him how to do it. Looking back, it was at this time that Sakamoto's desire to join the BtoB team began to take root.
"We started doing interviews that no one in the company had done before. I had to think about how to do it myself, and I wanted to take responsibility for it as my job. I've decided to work hard as a member of the BtoB team from now on."
Before the BtoB team was established, Sakamoto worked in sales, mainly at web development companies. When he started interviewing people, he found that they were from industries and professions he had never been involved with before. They were from a wide range of generations, so he had a hard time communicating with them.
"When I started interviewing B2B people, it was difficult. I wondered what to say to get people to talk to me about web design, even though we were from different generations and industries. I tried out a variety of topics, and sometimes I found that some of them didn't go over well, and other times I found that some of them were surprisingly well-received (laughs).
It feels like I built it up inside of me through repeated trial and error."
When he first started interviewing, he had to do so without a "Report on Operational Status" in place. He felt bad that he had no data to show the web managers of the companies he visited. So Sakamoto came up with an idea and put it into action.
"After visiting 20 companies, I decided to compile the data I had gathered and create a simple report. I was then able to explain, 'After interviewing 20 B2B companies, we saw the following trends,' and I also wanted to make people happy by seeing it."
"Corporate website operation status report" compiled by analyzing the interview results
Two weeks that changed my fate
And so, little by little, the team's activities began to take shape. Then, a consultation came in about a large-scale project that marked a turning point for the BtoB team.
"If we were to win this project, the fate of the team might change. I felt that something important would change for myself, for the members who worked hard with me, and for the team. So I thought that I absolutely had to accept this project.
The outcome depends on the accuracy of the proposal, the accuracy of the design, and the preparation of the presentation. For the next two weeks, I was determined to do my best, knowing that if I failed, the team would not be recognized and, worse, it might even disappear.” 
Even after the presentation, the BtoB team responded to additional questions, sent supplementary materials, and did everything they could. Sakamoto's vision bore fruit, leading to a successful order.
"I was genuinely happy when the client chose us. It was very gratifying to have someone say 'I want to ask Monosus' out of all the production companies out there,' and it made me feel like I was needed. I think it was around that time that I started to think that our work was something that B2B companies needed." 
We want to help convey the appeal of BtoB.
Sakamoto has continued working in the BtoB team up to this point. What are his thoughts behind that? What is his driving force? I wanted to hear more.
"There are a lot of really fascinating people in B2B companies. They take their work seriously and I respect them for that. They are incredible people who use their advanced technical skills to create world-class products, but because web design is not their specialty, they are very willing to listen to what we have to say and are genuinely happy to help.
I'm happy to meet the amazing people who support Japanese manufacturing, and I want to help bring these amazing technologies and products to as many people as possible through the web. I think that's the biggest feeling I have."
"When I think about the significance of Monosus and the significance of the BtoB team, I want to help these people and bring out their strengths and meet their expectations. I can't put it into words, but that's how I feel.
We believe that our job is to provide proposals and production that utilize the know-how and knowledge that only a BtoB team can have.
I don't do it because someone else makes me do it, I do it because I think, 'This is my role,' so it's fun and maybe that's why I've been able to continue."
Sakamoto's stance can be seen in the way he interacts with clients. As the project progresses, you'll notice that the two people involved have become as friendly as friends. This shows Sakamoto's passion for BtoB projects.
"Since I started working in B2B, I feel like I've become closer to my customers. I was reminded for the first time in a long time of the excitement I felt when I first entered the web industry, of 'creating a website together with a customer.'"
"Even before the project begins, I always think, 'What kind of proposal would make them happy?' and 'What will the person in charge think?' And before I know it, I've grown to like the company and the person in charge (laughs). Strangely enough, those kinds of projects tend to go well." 
Think again about your team's work.
"I'm glad I was able to talk about the team like this. I wanted to convey the essence of what we're doing and what our feelings are when we start working together on the same team with Haga-kun from now on."
"In the future, I want to increase the number of customers who say, 'Without Monosus, our company would not have existed,' and I want to do that kind of work. We've finally got the foothold to do that. Our current goal is to further increase our value as a BtoB team. So I hope Haga-kun will also gain strength quickly (laughs)."
In this interview, I was able to learn about the thoughts and feelings of the BtoB team I am currently a part of that has brought us this far. They think about people inside and outside the company as one team, transcending the roles of members of other departments within the company and external web managers, and have an attitude of "Let's work hard together!" as they work toward their goal.
The thoughts I received from Sakamoto's talk will be important and will be the core of my work as a planner. I will once again be reminded that as a member of the team, I will work with that core in mind.
It may take some time, but as soon as possible, I want to become a planner who can meet the expectations of Sakamoto, the other members of my team, and the B2B companies that I will be working with in the future.
I will continue to learn from you, senpai!
モノサスアーカイブ