As a business owner, you must be well-acquainted with the business benefits of conducting market research. While it’s a critical tool for building and maintaining your brand strategy, finding and recruiting B2B survey respondents is not always easy.

To get the best results from your market research, you need to capture the attention of your ideal reader—and keep them engaged through the end of your survey. Here are four qualities to look for in your B2B research survey respondents.

#1: Values the Project

A respondent must understand the value of the research. The goal and aim, and value of their feedback should be communicated clearly and repeatedly throughout the interview process so that participants know they are part of something great.

Make respondents know they are part of something great by taking them through each step of how their feedback will be used:

  • How will this information be used? 
  • What decisions does it inform? 
  • Who else might use it?
  • How does it relate to other data points? 
  • What insights can be gained from this information? 
  • How might we improve our processes based on this data point?

Participants who attempt to rush through the call, are consistently off-topic, or constantly making jokes are indicators that they are not taking the project seriously. You should always be sure that your respondents feel that your project is valuable. If you sense any hesitation or lack of commitment from a participant, you should replace the person.

#2: Provides Valuable Feedback

Participants who know how to communicate their feedback are more likely to provide valuable insights. They should be able to articulate their thoughts clearly and explain why they feel a certain way about an issue or topic. 

If you’re asking questions that require numerical answers, such as  “How satisfied are you with your current job?”  then participants who can provide specific numbers (e.g., 91% satisfied) will give you better results  than those who respond with vague answers like “Somewhat satisfied” or “Not at all.” 

Participants who ask questions are also a good sign because it shows that they are interested in the topic at hand and care about providing high-quality feedback to improve our product or service.

#3: Engages in All Aspects of the Project

Engagement takes many forms. If a respondent can engage in all aspects of your research project, they’re likely to be the most valuable for your research. For example, if you’re recruiting for a remote usability test and have tech requirements, you will want to make sure your participants meet all technical requirements for the project. 

Asking questions with a yes/no response can be less valuable since participants may say “yes” even if they don’t fully understand what you’re asking. Instead, leading questions are often more helpful because they help participants understand what you’re asking.

For example, when recruiting for remote usability tests, we like to explain each step of the project and then ask: “Is there any reason you would be unable to participate in this research project?” 

This open-ended question is helpful for two reasons: 

First, it shows that we understand a participant’s capability and availability may change and their willingness. Second, it provides an opportunity for participants to share any concerns they may have about their ability to participate that you didn’t address.

#4: Must be Interested in Participating and Have a Friendly Attitude

Participants must be looking forward to sharing their ideas and being creative with their feedback. Exciting participants drop more insight by answering questions differently or offering opinions that don’t conform to the norm.

When recruiting B2B survey respondents, recruiters should display interest in their opinions, take an active role during surveys, and show enthusiasm for what they are doing. Exciting participants drop more insight than those who see the surveys as a chore.

Surveys that ask open-ended questions tend to get better responses because they allow respondents to be more creative with their answers. Recruiters can encourage this by asking open-ended questions or providing space on surveys for additional comments. 

Participants should also display creativity by offering new ideas or different perspectives on existing ones in previous responses.

Final Thought

Recruiting a business-to-business survey respondent may look like a no-brainer, but the quality of participants determines the survey’s success. Grapedata can use resources and experience to get the best respondent and ensure that your respondent is not just people but decision-makers who know what they are talking about. Contact us today to get started.