Customer Research: The Foundation of B2B Tech Marketing Success
Achim Klor
May 31, 2024
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2 min read
TL;DR
B2B tech marketing success isn’t achieved by guesswork and chasing shortcuts. It starts with a deep understanding of your customers (aka Insight). Real-world conversations and smart data analysis can help us escape common marketing traps and build a B2B tech brand that builds trust and drives long-term growth.
Key Takeaways
Customer research is the bedrock of B2B tech marketing success: Without a deep understanding of our customers, even the most brilliant campaigns will fall flat. We can’t solve problems we don’t understand.
Conversations trump assumptions: Don’t guess what your customers want; ask them directly. Regular, honest conversations are the most valuable source of insights.
Data is a tool, not a magic bullet: Use data to inform your decisions but don’t let it dictate your strategy. Focus on understanding the customer journey and use web analytics and predictive analytics to track patterns.
You’ve developed a B2B tech solution you’re proud of. But are the right customers finding it?
Who are the key decision-makers?
What are their motivations and priorities?
What influences their buying decisions?
Before redesigning your website or launching another campaign, consider this: Do you truly understand your customers?
Great marketing stems from deep customer insights. The most effective way to gain these insights is through meaningful conversations with our customers, the decision-makers behind complex purchases.
Why B2B Tech Companies Struggle with Marketing
If marketing feels like a hamster wheel, you’re not alone. Many B2B tech companies struggle because they don’t treat marketing as a core business function, and they don’t ask their customers what they need on a regular basis.
(gotta get more leads... gotta get more leads...)
Leading to more of this:
Siloed Thinking: We love our product and believe everyone else will too. But rushing into flashy product ads often leads to disappointment because they don’t resonate with buyers.
Unrealistic Expectations: We expect instant results, but B2B buying decisions are complex and take time. Impatience leads to frustration because it can take many months, if not years, before buyers are ready to buy again.
Hard Sell Tactics: Desperate for quick wins, we push product demos and free trials, often repelling potential customers and tarnishing our brand reputation.
Ignoring the Customer: In a rush to sell, we make assumptions instead of listening to real customer needs and insights. We end up talking to ourselves and loving our products more than our customers.
Focusing on the Wrong Data: We obsess over short-term lead generation metrics instead of building long-term brand awareness and trust.
In the long run, we end up chasing our tail instead of gaining insights that can point us in the right direction.
A shift in mindset can be the difference between winning and losing.
Schedule Regular Dialogue With Customers
Instead of assuming what customers want, ask them directly. Regular, honest conversations reveal what’s really happening.
Uncover Hidden Problems: Regular dialogue and thoughtful questions can reveal deeper challenges we have yet to consider. These insights can help us improve our products and the way we market them.
Understand the Buying Journey: B2B buying isn’t linear and talking to customers at different stages helps us understand their motivations, concerns, criteria, and process.
Build Relationships: Every conversation is an opportunity to build and maintain trust and rapport. When customers feel heard, they become loyal advocates who provide real-world testimonials and case studies.
Believe it or not, your customers will tell you what to say, how to say it, and how to make your solution the obvious choice.
When and how often you reconnect with your customers depends on the size of your customer base and the size of your team. Once a quarter is ideal but aim for at least once each year.
Encourage Open Conversations
Drop the Sales Pitch: Focus on listening, not selling. This is about understanding, not quotas.
Schedule Interviews: Talk to existing customers one-on-one. Be prepared and use a guide, but be flexible and open to detours. Not every interview will be the same.
Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage detailed responses and avoid yes-or-no questions. For example, “What were your biggest challenges before using our product?” Not, “Do you like our product?”
Listen Actively: Pay close attention to verbal and nonverbal cues that could potentially unearth insights that you didn’t know or misunderstood. Ask follow-up questions to clarify responses and understanding.
Need Help Getting Started?
You can use the process I have followed over the past 10+ years; it has worked very well for me.
TIP: Prepare ahead of time and don’t boil the ocean. Focus on the ONE thing you want to accomplish with your interview. Schedule follow-ups if you have more than one topic to cover.
You can also customize your own process by using the following resources:
I’m not a data scientist, but after 20+ years in B2B tech marketing, I’ve seen one mistake made repeatedly: neglecting to invest in proper measurement.
Data is abundant, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed or misled. Guesswork is not the answer; it only perpetuates outdated stereotypes.
Try tools like SEMRush, Ahrefs, and Hotjar (free or paid) for SEO and website performance optimization.
Mine your CRM for customer insights hidden within historical sales and customer success data.
Talk to your Sales, CX, and product teams.
Go Deeper with Predictive Analytics
B2B tech buying journeys are complex and lengthy. To be effective, we need to understand the entire customer journey.
As we build our brand reputation as a trusted source, customers will begin interacting with us through multiple touchpoints. That can take many months or even years before a decision is made. We want to make sure we show up on their radar when they are ready.
How can we unravel these multi-touch journeys? How can we identify the marketing efforts that truly impact our bottom line?
Predictive analytics and multi-touch attribution models offer potential solutions. However, approach vendors’ claims cautiously, as some overpromise and repackage legacy tech as new tech.
Recommendations
Choose a model aligned with your growth objectives and invest in the appropriate analytics tools.
Use data to inform your marketing decisions and achieve better outcomes.
Interpret data with critical thinking because results are not foolproof.
For objective advice and proven methodologies, follow domain experts like:
“What you see determines what you understand, and that, in turn, drives your decisions.” Mark Stouse, CEO, Proof Analytics
Escape the Hamster Wheel
You’ve done your research: talked to customers, analyzed data, and identified the pitfalls and opportunities. Now what?
Principles and Questions to Ponder
Customer obsession: Your customers are your most valuable resource. Work to understand their needs, challenges, and how they make decisions. What do they value most? What frustrates them? How can your solution make a real difference in their work lives?
Data-informed decisions: Use data to guide your strategy, but remember it’s a tool, not a rulebook. Don’t get bogged down in analysis paralysis or pursuing perfect data because human behavior can be random and irrational. What metrics truly matter to your business goals? How can you collect and analyze data efficiently?
Value over features: Focus on how your solution solves real problems and delivers unique value. What specific pain points do you address? How do you save customers time or money? What sets you apart from the competition?
Trust and credibility: Building a reputable brand requires consistently sharing valuable insights and thought leadership to position your brand as a trusted source. How can you demonstrate your expertise? What kind of content resonates with your target audience?
Experiment and adapt: Marketing is an ongoing function of any business. Test different approaches, measure results, and iterate. What channels work best for your audience? What messaging gets the most engagement? Try new things like B2C approaches and learn from your mistakes.
Patience and persistence: Stay focused on consistent effort and continuous improvement. What are your long-term goals? How will you measure your progress and reputation over time?
Final Thoughts
Customer research is the starting point for achieving market success. The most successful B2B tech companies are the ones that deeply understand their customers.
Talk to your customers regularly. Find out what they really need; what’s changed. Use that insight to help them get what they need.
Don’t guess or chase shortcuts. Markets change slowly and buyers take their time. Focus on consistent effort and adding value at every touchpoint.
Use data to track and validate what’s working and what’s not. But don’t just measure, understand. Why are some things working better than others? What patterns do you see?
Try new things like brand storytelling. It works wonders in both B2C and B2B. Just don’t expect instant B2C results. B2B marketing is still a marathon.
