Seven challenges facing business-to-business research

Discusses the problems of research in business-to-business markets. Seven challenges are discussed: 1) encouraging participation in surveys; 2) actionable segmentation; 3) establishing what really makes business respondents `tick'; 4) recruiting and training the right staff; 5) coping with globalisation; 6) the management consultancy challenge; 7) knowledge management.

Seven challenges facing business-to-business research

Business research underpins business communications, but how effective is it? David Smith of DVL Smith Ltd surveys the issues face by researchers

David Smith

Business-to-business research has a chequered past. Much pioneering research undertaken in the 1930s was among organisations, rather than consumers. Subsequently, business research was overshadowed by consumer research developments. Thus, as late as the 1970s, there were few specialist business research agencies. But then there was a renaissance. Today, 15% of UK market research expenditure is on the business sector and there are over 120 UK agencies promoting some form of business...

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