A company plans to enter a new market. It needs to know who makes purchasing decisions, what customers expect and why they choose one supplier over another.
A general consumer survey will not answer these questions. Business purchases often involve several people. Users, managers and procurement teams may want different things. This is where B2B market research helps.
B2B research allows companies to understand professional buyers, identify customer pain points and reduce the risk behind important decisions. This guide covers the main types of B2B market research, common methods and practical examples.
What is B2B market research?
B2B market research is the process of collecting and analysing information about companies, professional buyers and business markets.
The participants answer questions as part of their professional role. They may be business owners, procurement managers, engineers, doctors, IT directors or distributors.
Companies conduct B2B market research to:
- understand customer needs and pain points;
- estimate the size of a market;
- test new products or services;
- compare their offer with competitors;
- learn how customers choose suppliers;
- improve marketing and sales strategies.
Good research does more than describe a market. It explains why customers behave in a certain way and what could change their decisions.
How does B2B research differ from B2C research?
B2C research studies people who buy products for themselves or their households. B2B research studies people who buy on behalf of a company.
The B2B audience is usually smaller. A consumer brand may have millions of possible buyers. A specialist equipment supplier may have only a few hundred potential customers in one country. Researchers must therefore recruit participants more carefully.
Business purchases also involve more people. A technical user may test a product, a manager may compare suppliers and a procurement team may negotiate the contract. Senior management may approve the final budget.
These decision making processes can take weeks or months. Price is important, but buyers may also consider technical requirements, support, security and risk.
Researchers need to understand these roles before they design the study. A survey sent to the wrong person may produce clear answers that have little value.
Types of B2B market research
The right type of research depends on the decision a company needs to make.
Market sizing and market entry research
Market sizing estimates the number of potential customers and the value of a market. It may also examine growth, customer spending and barriers to entry.
Market entry research adds local information. It looks at regulations, distribution channels, customer expectations and competing suppliers.
For example, a company planning to enter Poland may discover that buyers expect local support or prefer to work through distributors. This information can change its entry plan.
B2B customer research
B2B customer research explores what current and potential clients need. It identifies pain points, buying criteria and reasons for choosing a competitor.
Companies often use this type of research when sales fall or customers cancel their contracts. Interviews may show that the product works well but the support process is too slow.
The company can then solve the actual problem instead of making changes based on assumptions.
Competitor research
Competitor research looks at competing companies, their offers and their position in the market.
Desk research covers websites, reports, prices and public company information. Interviews add the buyer’s point of view.
Customers may see the market differently from suppliers. A company may consider itself an innovation leader, while buyers know it mainly for its low prices. Research can uncover this gap.
Product and concept testing
Product research tests an idea before a company invests in development or launch.
Participants can review a concept, prototype, feature or service model. Professional users often notice technical problems that a general audience would miss.
Early testing can prevent expensive mistakes. It can also help the product team decide which features customers need most.
Brand and buying journey research
B2B brand research measures awareness and reputation. Buying journey research looks at the steps customers take before they select a supplier.
The study may show who identifies the need, who compares the options and who approves the purchase. It can also reveal where potential customers leave the process.
Understanding these decision making processes helps marketing and sales teams provide the right information at the right time.
Qualitative B2B research methods
Qualitative research explains why people think or act in a certain way. It works well when the subject is complex or the target group is small.
In-depth interviews
In-depth interviews are private conversations between one participant and a moderator.
The moderator can ask how a purchase began, which suppliers the company considered and what influenced the final choice. Participants can also discuss sensitive business issues without competitors or colleagues in the room.
IDIs work particularly well with senior managers and specialist professionals.
Focus groups
Focus groups bring several participants together to discuss a topic.
The conversation shows where people agree and where their views differ. Researchers can use focus groups to test concepts, marketing materials and market trends.
This method does not suit every project. Competitors may not speak openly in the same group. Senior managers may also be difficult to schedule together. Individual interviews are often better in these cases.
Online communities
Online communities allow participants to complete tasks over several days or weeks. They can review materials, test a product and describe their experience.
This method gives participants more time to think. It also shows how their opinions change as they use a product.
Quantitative B2B research methods
Quantitative research measures how many people share a view or behaviour. It uses structured questions and a larger sample.
Online surveys
Online surveys can measure customer satisfaction, brand awareness, purchase criteria and interest in a new offer.
The target group may come from a verified research panel, a professional database or the client’s customer list.
B2B questionnaires should be short and relevant. Busy professionals will leave a survey if too many questions do not apply to their role.
CATI telephone interviews
CATI research uses trained interviewers and a computer-managed questionnaire.
Telephone research can reach business owners, managers and specialist professionals who are difficult to find through online panels. The interviewer can also explain a question if the participant does not understand it.
Mixed-method research
Many companies combine interviews and surveys.
The interviews identify customer pain points and possible reasons behind them. The survey then measures how common those problems are.
This approach gives the company both context and measurable results.
Recruiting B2B research participants
A job title does not prove that someone is the right participant.
Two procurement managers may work in different industries, manage different budgets and influence different types of purchases. Researchers need to check each person’s experience.
A screening process may confirm:
- industry and company size;
- job responsibilities;
- role in purchasing decisions;
- recent experience with the product category;
- technologies or suppliers used.
A smaller sample of verified buyers is more useful than a large sample of people who do not match the target group.
Researchers must also protect confidential information. Participants should know how the team will use their answers, and reports should not reveal sensitive comments.
Examples of B2B market research
Entering a new European market
An industrial supplier wants to expand into Poland. Desk research estimates the number of potential customers and maps local distributors.
Interviews with procurement managers then explore current suppliers, service expectations and barriers to switching. The company learns that customers expect local technical support, so it changes its entry plan.
Developing a software product
A software company plans a new reporting feature. Interviews with logistics managers identify their main pain points.
The company tests two possible workflows and then runs a survey. The results show which problem affects the largest part of the market. The product team can now choose what to build first.
Understanding customer loss
A service provider sees several clients leave at renewal. Account data shows the cancellations but not the reason behind them.
Interviews with former customers reveal that the service itself was satisfactory. Slow communication caused the problem. The company can now improve its support process and track the results.
Choosing a B2B market research agency
A research agency can help define the target group, choose suitable methods and recruit qualified participants.
Ask potential partners how they verify respondents and who will conduct the interviews. Their proposal should also explain how the research will support the original business decision.
Stratega provides B2B market research in Poland and across Central and Eastern Europe. Available methods include IDIs, focus groups, CATI and online surveys.
From research to action
B2B purchases involve several people, longer sales cycles and more risk than most consumer purchases.
B2B market research makes these decisions easier to understand. It shows who influences the purchase, which pain points matter and why customers choose one supplier over another.
A useful project starts with a clear question, reaches the right participants and ends with a practical decision.
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