Business-to-customer and business-to-business are two terms that describe the selling and marketing process and nature of different products and services. B2B products are sold directly to the companies, while B2C products are sold to the end users. B2B products are purchased by the businesses for the sake of personal manufacturing, while B2C products are treated with numerous transitions and value-add processes for better presentation to the end users- customers. This basic difference between both these transactions also affects the procedure of market research used for both.

Why B2B Marketing Research is Different from B2C Research?

Industrial analysis still is one of the most powerful tools for a business looking to get ahead of its competitors. It is the best solution when it comes to understand the target customers and potential market for different products and services. While most basic business research tools and techniques used for B2B and B2C are the same, businesses may reach to misleading conclusions, if entered into each other’s territories. Business-to-business research is typically complex than a B2C business.

Following are some major factors where both the processes different from each other:

• The most important factor is the end user of the research. In case of B2B research, entrepreneurs or company owners and top rank officials hold the key. In such cases, researchers need to gather information relevant to the decision makers of the organization. Interviewing such limited yet exclusive group of people is easier and effective as well.
• Accounts with strategic importance need greater attention during the process. Rather than concentrating on all the accounts, researchers need to deal with those with greater strategic value. That way, you can save more time and resources, which can be utilized where required.
• Along with the decision markers of the organizations, researchers also need to analyze the influential factors that make these decision makers work. Collecting their views and statistics gives volume and to the project.
• Apart from decision markers of the business, consider the authorities that handle customer relationships in the organization. These people hold the keys to well-behaved customers and their impact on the entire marketing strategy of the business. Hurting them is in a way directed at hurting the customers.
• While collecting information, it is crucial to maintain privacy and authenticity. Analysts need to promise confidentiality to the people chosen to share their opinion. This is extremely essential to building a strong relationship with the customers in a futuristic way.
• Always maintain the fact that business-to-business buyers are experts. They know what they are doing. Hence, treating them in an intelligent way is extremely essential. Researchers conducting interviews and focus groups need be thorough professionals in the respective fields for positive impact of the marketing research company.

Along with thorough market research, researchers also need to understand the effective ways to build a strong relationship with the kingmakers and decision makers in various organizations. Using business-to-customer research approach into B2B environment could easily distract the goal and branding.