Recruiting Hard-To-Reach B2B Users for Design Research Programs
Facing the challenge
The biggest obstacle associated with B2B user research is recruitment. Identifying experts qualified to comment on niche products and services can be daunting, and convincing those individuals to spend time participating in research is tough. This is something I’ve experienced first-hand while leading B2B UX research programs in various industries.
When I worked at Vericast, I needed research participants with executive leadership experience in our target market so I could study potential use cases for a new marketing technology platform. I also needed current clients to participate in a longitudinal study so that I could collect ongoing feedback as we iterated on the design of the platform.
In my current role at Vanguard, my entire team needs routine access to senior leaders working in HR benefits and finance for research on retirement plan sponsors. Though some of our needs can be met through quick, asynchronous survey methods, we often require significant time with research participants for one-on-one qualitative sessions.
Across these roles, I’ve found that incorporating three specific strategies into research recruitment efforts can significantly increase engagement for hard-to-reach B2B users.
Building rapport before making the ask
Tactics that work well for B2C recruitment are often ineffective for B2B recruitment. B2B users tend to be busy professionals not looking for opportunities to participate in research. Inundated with communications, they are unlikely to respond to unsolicited emails about user research from people they’ve never met. Given these circumstances, it can be helpful to spend considerable time building rapport with B2B users before asking them to participate in research studies.
One option is to imbed research recruitment efforts into more general business events that have broad appeal. At Vanguard, for example, I collaborated on the creation of a new client roundtable series for retirement plan sponsors. Instead of receiving an invitation to participate in a research study, clients receive an invitation to participate in a social event where they’ll have the opportunity to network with industry peers, learn about emerging trends, and influence the development of Vanguard’s products and services.
This year we provided the opportunity to meet with several Vanguard experts over dinner and discuss How America Saves, the company’s influential annual report on retirement savings trends. The response was positive, and clients were enthusiastic to set aside several hours to attend.
The event was not focused on UX research, but my role as facilitator allowed me to establish personal connections with individual clients. Later, when I reached out with research recruitment materials, I was in a strong position to ask for a favor. I wasn’t just some anonymous researcher spamming their inboxes with requests for time. I was the friendly, thoughtful researcher who had hosted them for an evening of delicious food and thought-provoking conversation.
Making research mutually beneficial
The small monetary incentives that entice B2C users to participate in research will rarely impress B2B users. And in some highly regulated industries, researchers may even be prohibited from compensating B2B clients for their participation in certain types of studies. In this context, recruitment efforts will be more successful if research activities are crafted to benefit research participants in creative ways.
Generating unique status and recognition for B2B user research participants is one way to achieve this. For example, at Vericast, my team created a formal title for the early adopters of our new platform who agreed to participate in extensive research activities over the course of a year: Client Advisors. We did not merely invite clients to fill out a single survey or complete a single interview; we invited them to serve as trusted advisors on a significant collaboration.
Even though it’s common practice to keep the identities of research participants confidential, we understood that, in this case, clients would find value in having their identities publicized widely. This is why our offer included opportunities for Client Advisors to be featured in marketing content promoting our collaboration. Clients were eager to associate their brands with our innovative work and therefore viewed participating in research activities as worthwhile.
Getting help from trusted partners
In many organizations, efficient B2C user recruitment processes are well-established, allowing researchers to build samples and conduct studies on-demand. However, B2B user research often requires bespoke recruitment processes, making it challenging to drive efficiency through standardization. Therefore, it’s crucial for researchers to maintain a network of trusted partners who can assist in recruiting B2B users through a variety of different mechanisms.
When recruiting existing B2B clients, it’s wise to enlist help from colleagues in client-facing roles, like relationship managers and account directors. These colleagues have already built rapport with clients and can facilitate personal introductions for researchers. They can also target potential recruits faster and more accurately than a typical screener survey process.
When expanding beyond existing clients, it can be beneficial to hire external vendors specializing in B2B recruitment. Companies like GLG and NewtonX can recruit single samples or entire panels to meet even the narrowest criteria. As third parties, these vendors can also ensure confidentiality for firms wishing to gather data without revealing their identity. Although these services can be costly, they often save significant time and achieve results that would otherwise be unattainable.