Meet the team

As a loyalty insights agency we work with both B2B and B2C brands and organisations. I wouldn’t necessarily say I chose B2B specifically but it does account for a good proportion of our work. 

To meet with like-minded people and practitioners, to learn more about B2B research specifically, get the latest thinking in business research and how that is evolving.

I think BIG has two important roles to play: firstly as a source of useful knowledge and learning about business market research and the latest B2B developments, via our Forums, e-newsletter, website and so on. Secondly, it provides a place for research practitioners to network and meet others in the business research community to share ideas, tricky issues, get advice…oh and a glass of wine!

In a word ‘engage’. Engage with your clients, their brands and markets, so you understand the issues they are facing. Engage with and embrace the changes and developments happening in our industry. These are exciting times and offer so much potential for us. And lastly, engage with BIG: there is so much knowledge and expertise you can tap into and learn from.

People might tell you that conducting B2B research is the same as B2C. Well, that’s not always the case and an appreciation of the differences between them, at the points that matter, will make the difference between you being an ok B2B researcher & insights person and an exceptional one.

It might be fairer to say that B2B actually chose me. Having initially worked on consumer projects, a we were approached by potential new clients interested in using our skills to help them understand more about their business customers. I was immediately attracted to the greater challenge that B2B offers in so many ways. 

Having attended a number of BIG forums and conferences I decided it was a valuable community to be part of and one that I felt I could help build.

Thinking back over my time with BIG, what I am most grateful for is the sense of community it provides and more specifically all the people it has allowed me to meet. The committee itself has given me the opportunity to work with and learn from many highly intelligent, funny and hugely generous researchers (and non-researchers). BIG’s many social events have also allowed me to meet a whole range of people working in the research industry, including some of my best clients and friends.

As a group we are going to need to be increasingly inventive in order to encourage any participation from an overworked and over researched B2B audience. Over time we have been making use of a greater range of research techniques with our B2B projects – online communities, skype interviews, cati to web. For me it’s about being as flexible as possible and embracing new technology. We can no longer just design a rigid CATI approach for an SME project and expect it to work in the same way it used to.

Simply to go for it. B2B research is undoubtedly challenging but the work is interesting, varied and ever-evolving. The rewards are extraordinary.

At school and university I was always a jack of all trades (my A-Levels were English, Maths and German, a fairly odd combination) and research definitely suits all rounders.  Seemed a good fit back then.

I was told to join by an old boss and I enjoyed the forum meetings and conferences enough to joint the committee and eventually become the Chairman (since given up to become Treasurer).

An opportunity to meet with, share experiences with and gain mutual support from like-minded people.

Keep and open mind, embrace new techniques where they are useful but continue using whichever tools are right for the job, whether they are new or old.

Join BIG.

I decided to get involved with BIG after attending a couple of their forums, having worked on various B2B projects I wanted to learn more about B2B Research. The BIG Forum topics are geared to the B2B audience and attended by clients, agencies and suppliers. The forums initially ran in London, my role on the committee is to arrange regional forums, so we can share B2B knowledge across the country. We have conducted forums in Manchester and Bristol, with Leeds, Edinburgh and Nottingham in the pipeline.

BIG is all about learning together and feeding off each others experiences. It offers a community and platform to share ideas and meet likeminded B2B Research professionals.

Keep up with the latest trends, terminology and methods – read industry news, attend conferences and forums of interest and relevance to B2B Research.

Get involved in industry events, get out there and network – talk to others in similar roles and companies – learn from their advice and experiences.

I didn’t it chose me.

To engage with the industry in which I recruit.

A place for like-minded individuals to engage and learn.

The landscape is forever changing, and all researchers should be prepared to adapt and adopt and not be afraid to use new methodologies and technology to answer the business question in a strategic way. Be prepared to learn…always.

Enjoy the bigger picture of b2b research and it might be more exciting than you think…

I love the diversity and range of topics. One minute we could be dealing with a survey on Wind Power Services, the next Digital IT security. Not always sexy – but fascinating!

The opportunity to learn from Industry peers and to share my personal experiences of running a business for over 20 years.

BIG is a great resource exclusively for B2B market researchers with a laser sharp focus on the needs of B2B market researchers / market research companies where you can share, learn and grow.

Really get under the skin of the client. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of their needs and pain points, offering bespoke solutions to answer their business questions.

Join external networking groups for learning and sharing. There is so much experience out there and people are delighted to support and mentor.