Recruiting and data collection in B2B research

Editor’s note: Jolene Vanthuyne is vice president, marketing at Itracks, a Saskatoon, Saskatchewan research firm.

Recruiting in the B2B world is a little like running the gauntlet. Interviewers must sail over hurdles, parry with gatekeepers and land interview times with grace. Project managers must keep a keen eye on the budget and guard the precious sample list with care. Researchers watch with bated breath and discuss strategies for addressing their research objectives without wearying the respondent. With contributions from Western Wats, On-Line Communications and Itracks’ CATI center, this article highlights best practices for securing business interviews that will ensure you emerge unscathed from the obstacle course.

• Hurdle 1: gatekeepers

Ideally, your interviewers know the contact name and have their direct line. However, usually the first person to answer your call is the one responsible for accurately directing the caller and screening out irrelevant calls for their boss. “The main obstacles are getting around the gatekeeper and actually getting to the respondent. A good gatekeeper is taught to screen out calls like ours,” says Lisa Joseph, vice president, client services at On-Line Communications, a Bartlesville, Okla., call center operation.

Rather than treating them as an obstacle to hurdle over, Ray Whitton, CATI project supervisor at our firm Itracks recommends enlisting their help. “Be honest, state your reason for the call, and don’t be afraid to ask for the gatekeeper’s help in reaching the correct respondent, which will save you time and energy,” he says.

The people at Western Wats, a Provo, Utah, call center, agree. If you can’t maneuver quickly around the gatekeeper, treat them as an ally. “We try to keep our contact with the gatekeeper as brief as we can, unless we need to enlist their assistance in finding the correct respondent within their company. In that case, we will explain as much as we can about the qualifications we are looking for and ask for their help to direct us to the correct individual,” says Gordon Bishop, director of client services for Western Wats.

• Hurdle 2: Voice mail

The experts are split on the role of voice mail messages in B2B research. Do you leave a message and risk preparing the respondent to avoid your call in the future? Or do you leave a message and indicate that you’ll look forward to talking to them when you call back? “Leaving messages has both positive and negative implications,” says Itracks’ Whitton. “On the upside, you can begin the rapport-building process right away. On the downside, there just isn’t enough time to explain the purpose for the call. I stay away from leaving messages, primarily because I prefer a live audience. That way I can address concerns or hesitations right off the bat.”

Joseph agrees that leaving messages is a judgment call. “Sometimes we leave a message, sometimes we don’t. It depends on how hard it is to reach the respondent and how much sample we have. If you have limited sample then you really need to leave a message with your toll-free number and tell them what the call is about.”

However, Bishop is adamant that in the B2B space, the rules change and not leaving a message indicates a lack of professionalism.   “In our opinion, not leaving a message is an unprofessional thing to do within a professional environment. No one likes to think someone keeps trying to blind side them by calling but not leaving a message.”

Bishop actually feels that voice mail represents an opportunity for Western Wats to get closer to the respondent. “We’ve found that answering machines and voice mail can actually be quite helpful in reaching the correct respondent. They often will provide a contact name, and direct number to reach the respondent on subsequent calls. We ask our interviewers to listen for this information,” he says.

• Hurdle 3: Timing

You’ve managed to identify the right person, get past the gatekeeper and leave a voice mail. Now you need to talk to them directly and ask for 10 or 20 minutes of their time, or longer. Their own staff members sometimes don’t get this much time from them and you’re asking them to set aside the demands of the day for you.

First, you have to find a time to talk to them long enough to book an appointment, or, if everything works in your favor, conduct the interview. Whitton recommends calling at off-peak times. “Most are decision makers committed to getting things done, which means you will find them in the office long before anyone else and long after everyone has left. These stolen moments are used to tidy up unfinished business away from the challenges they may face during their regular busy day. This is an excellent opportunity to call them.”

Western Wats relies heavily on callback appointments to make it as convenient for the respondent as possible. As Bishop says, “Try to get as specific a callback appointment as you can. Set a date and time, rather than a general callback, say, for tomorrow afternoon.”

Extra motivation: incentives

Incentives are part of the package that will entice a respondent to complete a survey. You just need to find the right incentive for the right demographic. “The incentive really depends on the profession, level of professional responsibility, and the level of difficulty securing their cooperation because of the respondent’s work environment. We would recommend an incentive commensurate with the professional’s business environment. For example, when we ask for time from a lawyer, practicing physician or accountant, we are taking time they would otherwise bill for. For others who work in a more free-flowing business environment it is a factor of their level of responsibility,” says Bishop.

While personal cash rewards are “hands down what works best,” says Joseph, there are other options such as charitable donations and a summary of the survey findings. Whitton recommends giving the respondent options between a personal cash reward and a charitable donation. “Give respondents the choice to keep or donate the funds. Offering an incentive anything short of their hourly salary could show we don’t value their time. However, depending on the individual, a charitable donation made in their name may be a classier option,” he says.

“Some populations value knowledge more than money and are more interested in an executive summary of the results. We have found this to be the case with educators, for example,” adds Bishop.

The catapult to success: the interviewer

The interviewer must be confident, well-spoken and polite without being arrogant or overly solicitous. They have to inspire a mutual respect and rapport while being respectful of the executive’s position. They must be persistent, adaptable and patient because they will get more rejection than agreement and will be faced, at least occasionally, with the rude or waffling respondent. “The interviewers that are most successful are those who are most adept at securing specific callback times, staying persistent - we often have to call multiple times - and can quickly and confidently explain the purpose and importance of their call to gain respondent cooperation on the initial call or a subsequent call,” says Bishop.

Whitton recommends looking for three particular characteristics in an interviewer: patience, professionalism and adaptability. “Not everyone is able to maintain a professional presentation. Researchers should be looking to work with interviewers who exhibit the attributes necessary to complete the strenuous task of tracking down busy executives,” he says.

Adds Bishop, “Unlike consumer interviewing, professional interviewing requires the interviewer to work comfortably in an unscripted environment when securing the respondent’s cooperation.” Itracks typically selects people for B2B interviewer training who have excelled at consumer interviews and exhibit the following qualities:

  • Patience: Will they be able to look for the needle in a haystack without becoming frustrated or complacent?
  • Professionalism: How do they sound? Would you be willing to listen if they phoned you? Crucial components such as tone, enthusiasm and speed will play a huge factor in obtaining a professional rapport.
  • Adaptability: Are your interviewers willing to try something different if at first they don’t succeed?

Careful negotiation

Getting the time and attention of busy executives involves a careful negotiation of the hurdles. The key is the interviewer, who persistently tracks down the right person and, when they’ve reached that person, politely persuades them, using incentives, scheduled appointments and professionalism to take time out of their busy lives for research that ultimately will benefit the end client.