Conducting B2B Market Research the Right Way — Here‘s Everything I’ve Learned

Few things bring maine joyousness for illustration diving into a Wikipedia rabbit spread for a fewer hours. I relish nan chance to investigation topics and ideas and observe nan unexpected ways they connect.

And while I whitethorn relax that measurement successful my individual life, I besides usage those skills successful business, wherever I behaviour B2B marketplace investigation to build trading strategies and plans.

Understanding businesses arsenic buyers is its ain benignant of rabbit hole. They tin beryllium analyzable entities, pinch dozens aliases hundreds of labor and leaders, each possessing unsocial needs and desires.

It’s a batch to unpack — but, to thrive successful nan modern marketplace, knowing your purchaser is nan foundation.

Let’s chat astir really you tin study astir B2B buyers and really marketplace investigation tin equip you and your squad for success.

Table of Contents

• What is B2B marketplace research?
• How To Do B2B Market Research
• B2B Market Research vs. B2C Market Research
• Benefits of B2B Market Research
• B2B Market Research Methods
• Conducting My Own B2B Market Research

Market research uncovers important accusation like:

• How companies position their manufacture and nan marketplace for your products.
• What institution leaders request and want from a peculiar vendor.
• Where they are successful nan buying rhythm and what it’ll return to move them along.

B2B marketplace investigation requires some quantitative (hard, numerical) and qualitative (softer, subjective) data. The extremity end is to hole your institution to champion position your offerings pinch your target business market.

We’ll get to circumstantial methods of conducting B2B marketplace investigation later. But items for illustration surveys, competitory analyses, and customer interviews will supply nan information you request to make nan champion decisions.

B2B Market Research vs. B2C Market Research

If B2B marketplace investigation is really you understand companies arsenic consumers, past B2C marketplace investigation is really to observe nan aforesaid specifications from consumers themselves.

What makes them different, and erstwhile should you usage each?

Buying Complexity

Both nan target assemblage and merchandise marketplace are much analyzable successful B2B buying scenarios.

With B2C buying, you’re trading straight to 1 consumer. They — aliases possibly on pinch a spouse, partner, aliases different family personnel aliases friend — are nan eventual determination maker.

For instance, if you’re buying a caller car, you whitethorn see your spouse aliases partner successful viewing and trial driving vehicles. But nan car dealership is trading to you, nan eventual buyer. The merchandise aliases work is truthful straightforward: Here’s nan car pinch definite features and nan price.

B2B buying gets analyzable quickly. Usually, B2B products are much complicated.

They require aggregate stakeholders to get invested successful nan process, and they scope crossed respective departments. Consider integrating a caller CRM crossed an enterprise.

That alteration will impact a batch of employees.

As such, B2B buying happens arsenic a committee effort. The mean B2B buying committee has astir 11 people, according to Gartner. B2B sellers request to “multi-thread” their deals by moving alongside each these willing parties to adjacent nan deal.

Decision Making

The differing levels of complexity impact really buying decisions are made.

B2C transactions typically hap quicker. Now, buying a car is usually a multi-week affair. Instead, let’s see your past travel to nan market store.

How agelong did you walk deciding to buy, let’s say, a container of Hamburger Helper? If you’re for illustration nan mean consumer, that’d beryllium 13 seconds.

These decisions besides thin to beryllium much impulsive aliases emotionally driven. You’re quiet (bonus tip: ne'er shop hungry). And Hamburger Helper sounds delicious. So, you transact and bargain a container for dinner.

B2B transactions impact much group and deeper investigation and consideration. Ergo, they return longer. The emblematic B2B rhythm tin tally from a fewer weeks to 3-9 months, depending connected what you’re buying. Personally, I’ve seen these decisions return years to afloat soma out.

Because you’re successful it for nan agelong haul, B2B buying besides relies much connected relationships and trust. Buying meal from nan market shop doesn’t require a nurture cycle. But if I’m trusting a vendor pinch my enterprise’s caller CRM (and perchance hundreds of thousands aliases millions of dollars), I request to judge they’re nan champion fit.

Emotions tin play a domiciled — you want to for illustration who you’re buying from. But these are often much logical buying decisions, focused connected business needs, ROI, and worth propositions.

Preferred Research Methods

Perhaps 1 of nan astir important differences betwixt B2B and B2C marketplace investigation is really you get information for decision-making. While some types usage quantitative and qualitative data, they usage that accusation differently.

For instance, B2C marketplace investigation is typically much quantitative-driven.

Researchers usage user surveys and polls to stitchery information. They want to seizure a divers user base, truthful nan number of participants is high.

B2C researchers activity “statistical significance,” which intends they received capable responses from consumers to use their findings crossed nan broader user base. The number to scope value should beryllium astir 10% of your target population. For astir research, that falls betwixt 100-1,000 respondents.

Conversely, B2B researchers astir apt dream of convincing 1,000 businesses to respond. Business markets are usually much niche, meaning they person less imaginable respondents for surveys. Plus, business buyers often clasp accusation person to their chests; they don’t want proprietary information to leak.

B2B marketplace investigation is truthful much qualitative-driven. Researchers usage much in-depth surveys, imaginable interviews, and attraction groups to stitchery intelligence.

They’ll target questions to get to nan existent nutrient of nan matter. What are nan deepest symptom points? And what do leaders request and want to lick it?

You’ll besides spot researchers spot greater weight connected responses based connected a respondent’s power complete a last decision. The CEO’s answers will mean much than nan Marketing Manager’s.

If you’re struggling to get high-quality accusation from your B2B sources, perceive what B2B International has to say.

And, if you’re craving much astir nan B2B/B2C divided and really B2B buyers position nan market, spot our latest data-packed research study connected B2B buyers.

Benefits of B2B Market Research

Conducting marketplace investigation should present a batch of benefits. But which ones tin thief companies nan astir correct now?

To reply this, I talked pinch Theresa Goodwin. She’s nan CEO of Boldthink, a marque consultancy. Goodwin shared respective benefits caller clients person received from B2B marketplace research.

1. Expanded Market Reach and Growth

Regular investigation helps your institution grow: master services trading patient Hinge recovered companies that behaviour B2B marketplace research astatine slightest quarterly turn up to 70% faster and are almost 50% much profitable than firms that don’t.

You tin besides scope caller markets aliases grow into existent ones pinch bully research.

One of Goodwin’s clients wanted investigation into their employer marque and really to usage it to pull much clients and employees. Through superior and secondary research, Goodwin’s institution helped nan business redevelop their employer brand, gaining marketplace stock wrong talent pools.

2. More Effective Outreach

Market investigation besides helps you talk to nan right companies and group for increasing your business.

For instance, Goodwin’s customer saw a surge successful applications from qualified talent who aligned pinch nan company’s values.

“By connecting pinch nan correct talent, they didn’t conscionable prosecute much people, they hired group who wanted to instrumentality around,” she said.

3. Increased Brand Engagement

Across integer and beingness channels, Goodwin’s customer saw much group interact pinch their brand. What’s more, labor began advocating for nan brand. They actively shared their marque experiences — further attracting like-minded talent.

4. Streamlined Operations

It’s easy to place soul benefits. But, nan process of knowing buyers and nan marketplace tin thief standardize operational needs.

“The caller materials we developed made things for illustration RFPs and proposals much businesslike for their soul team,” Goodwin shared. The customer could do much acknowledgment to a clear knowing of their business and positioning.

B2B Market Research Methods

A bully B2B marketplace investigation study will usage superior and secondary sources and quantitative and qualitative information to create insights. How do you get that information? I’ll screen immoderate of nan astir communal investigation methods below.

1. Surveys

A B2B study should stitchery important accusation connected your imaginable buyers like:

• Company profile.
• Needs and challenges.
• Product aliases work use.
• Decision-making process.
• Details and perceptions connected nan industry.

B2B surveys don’t request nan aforesaid level of statistical value that B2C surveys require. But, you do request capable business leaders to respond.

You tin expect a response complaint for a B2B survey betwixt 10-30%. Make judge you scope retired to a lengthy database of imaginable respondents to stitchery capable data.

2. Interviews

Use customer interviews to cod highly elaborate qualitative information. You tin grip this process wrong attraction groups aliases individual interviews.

You tin get a batch of awesome info from interviews, but you don’t person arsenic overmuch power complete nan process. Customers tin spell disconnected connected tangents aliases rotation into unexpected territory. Goodwin says that tin beryllium a bully thing.

“Embrace nan messiness of nan process,” she said.

“Not each speech will spell arsenic planned, and sometimes unexpected insights will popular up that situation your assumptions. Be fresh to pivot and set your attack arsenic you go. Flexibility is cardinal and sometimes nan champion insights travel from nan conversations you didn’t anticipate.”

3. Competitor Analyses

Know wherever your institution sits successful narration to your competitors. Price, merchandise features, and customer support are each differentiators your buyers will attraction about.

Also measure much qualitative elements for illustration competitors’ trading portfolios and worth propositions to get a amended consciousness of who they are and what makes you unique.

Pro tip: Generative AI tin thief cod and crunch competitor information to nutrient a coagulated competitory analysis. Tools for illustration ChatGPT tin parse done publically disposable archiving and uncover caller insights into competitors.

4. Digital Marketing Analysis

Review publically disposable accusation online astir your industry, competitors, and imaginable buyers. Everybody is posting something, truthful look into immoderate of nan astir communal places:

• Social media for illustration Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
• Websites hosted by competitors and buyers.
• Aggregate sites for illustration G2 that supply nationalist information connected products and services.

Pay adjacent attraction to engagement connected societal media (i.e., How galore likes did your competitor’s latest posts generate?). Also, if you person entree to SEO investigation tools, excavation into keyword use. Google Trends offers a good top-level spot to begin.

5. Pilot Programs

If you’re launching aliases revamping a merchandise aliases service, connection pilots to existent aliases imaginable customers. You tin stitchery important amounts of information — particularly qualitative information and valuable testimonials.

Don’t hide to question and reply programme participants aft their aviator ends.

Pro tip: If you’re fresh to get going pinch immoderate of these investigation methods, aliases want to excavation deeper into marketplace investigation how-tos, our market investigation guide tin help.

When you’re fresh to commencement B2B marketplace research, travel these steps to hole you and your statement for success.

Step 1: Define investigation objectives.

If you want coagulated insights astatine nan end, laic a bully instauration astatine nan beginning, and intelligibly specify what you’re seeking to execute pinch your B2B marketplace research.

Think of objectives like:

• Understanding marketplace size.
• Identifying customer needs.
• Analyzing competitors’ strategies.

You won’t cognize what nan consequence will look for illustration yet, but found objectives to begin.

Step 2: Set target audience.

Build nan boundaries for who you want to respond to your investigation outreach.

Filters could include:

• Geographic location.
• Industry type, including niche options.
• Company size and makeup.
• Leadership level for perfect respondents (e.g., VP of Marketing aliases CMO).

A target assemblage pinch these types of boundaries will thief you seizure an meticulous portion of your larger market.

Step 3: Conduct superior and secondary research.

Depending connected your objectives and target audience, commencement digging into disposable data. Secondary investigation for illustration manufacture publications, nationalist information sets, and reports from authorities agencies and marketplace investigation firms connection ample information.

If you want to get specific, however, see superior research, too. Surveys and interviews tin supply a qualitative boost to your research.

Pro tip: Explore HubSpot’s database of market investigation tools to thief you stitchery information and analyse for insights.

Step 4: Assess occurrence metrics and insights.

See really nan accusation you gathered fits into your objectives. Did you seizure nan correct kinds of data? How did it lucifer up to your goals? What did it each reveal?

Qualitative information tin connection a large boon to your business. Goodwin and her squad stock this truth pinch clients.

“I measurement nan occurrence of a B2B marketplace investigation task by nan insights it brings to nan table,” Goodwin said.

“Success isn’t conscionable astir confirming what we already cognize — it’s astir uncovering thing new. Did we person that ‘aha’ moment? Did we find nan answers to our halfway questions that validate aliases situation our assumptions? If nan investigation leads to actionable insights that pass strategy aliases thrust decisions, past it’s been successful.”

Conducting My Own B2B Market Research

When I’m building B2B marketplace investigation plans, I thin connected a fewer tips to retrieve during nan process. I besides asked Goodwin for immoderate of her feedback connected moving these programs.

Foster comfortable, engaging question and reply environments.

In nan past, I did a batch of thought activity development, which included acting arsenic a journalist. I’d question and reply taxable matter experts and toggle shape their ideas into actionable insights. You want that benignant of journalistic flair erstwhile you tally investigation interviews.

Goodwin elaborates connected this point: “Asking group for specifics encourages them to spell beyond surface-level responses and makes nan speech much individual and applicable to them,” she said.

“This allows you to dive deeper and get insights you whitethorn not person different gotten from conscionable asking 1 question. Plus, it helps them consciousness much comfortable knowing location isn’t a correct aliases incorrect reply because it’s each astir their unsocial perspective.”

Pro tip: Goodwin besides cites “Buyer Personas” by Adele Revella arsenic a awesome guideline for preparing and moving top-notch purchaser interviews. “It taught maine really to building my conversations, excavation deeper, and make interviews consciousness much earthy alternatively than scripted,” she said.

Proactively grip organizational impatience.

Doing awesome investigation takes time. There’s tons of crushed to screen erstwhile readying objectives, conducting research, and compiling results.

During this process, group tin get antsy. Leaders whitethorn expect results sooner than you’re fresh (or able) to share. Everyone wants juicy insights, but you person to gain them.

Goodwin sometimes sees this impatience pinch her clients and has developed her ain attack to that conversation.

“My favourite saying is, ‘We person to slow down to velocity up,’ and I usage it each clip I explicate my marketplace investigation process. Rushing done investigation tin lead to costly do-overs later, truthful investing clip upfront saves resources successful nan agelong run,” she said.

“When clients understand this, they spot nan worth successful letting nan process unfold. If a customer insists connected moving quickly, I group clear expectations and explicate that insights will beryllium constricted and could effect nan strategy’s effectiveness. That way, they understand what they’re sacrificing for speed.”

Develop Your B2B Market Research Acumen Today

B2B marketplace investigation requires diligence, patience, an oculus for detail, and a keen liking successful knowing information and relationships. When activity wants answers yesterday, each of this tin consciousness overwhelming.

But, conducting marketplace investigation tin beryllium an enlightening experience. You perceive straight from customers and prospects. And you tin lead fascinating conversations that return unexpected but absorbing turns.

All successful all, B2B marketplace investigation tin beryllium fun.

With nan galore devices and techniques disposable online, you tin commencement conducting heavy investigation into your target market, audience, and imaginable business customers.

Set 2 aliases 3 targeted investigation objectives and commencement seeking nan unexpected today.