Market research serves its purpose well by categorizing customers based on their feedback on surveys. This becomes the benchmark for businesses to work on, improve and deal with. However, there are great differences in reactions when it comes to cultural factors. Each country has different ways of approaching market research due to their respective cultural biases.
The results from several countries clearly state the different selling techniques that should be applied when pursuing an international trade. Countries with extreme responses could be attributed to the fast-paced lifestyle of their people. Countries with midpoint responses could generally explain indecision on most of their countrymen. Lastly, countries with acquiescence responses have people who intend to please other nationalities. Based on this, b2b market research could provide comparisons between the preferences of customers from different countries.
- Latin America
Respondents from this region have extreme responses with high acquiescence towards the interviewer. Based on their culture, these people are considered as happy buyers since survey results elucidate that Latin Americans are the happiest people.
- China
The results from China clarify that despite their inclination towards high acquiescence, these people’s scores are evenly distributed on the scale that gauges openness of a respondent. Their collaboration with western businesses gives them more perspective on b2b market research.
- USA
As a primary b2b research market, the scores of US respondents are distributed evenly. This can be attributed to global-range businesses that commence and grow in this region.
- Western Europe
The Western European markets have an almost similar approach to surveys as that of USA, with only a slight difference in their lower acquiescence scores.
- Australia
Australians have very low acquiescence bias. They are straightforward buyers who look deep into the quality of products and rate market researches based on their experience with the company’s items.
- South East Asia
South East Asian countries differ from the Chinese results due to their inclination to midpoint responses on the scale. Japan and Korea – although rated as having mid-high acquiescence – would still prefer rating products without aggravating companies.
- Singapore
These respondents have strong tendencies towards midpoint responses. They also rate market surveys based on their product experience and not on any company biases.
Apart from cultural biases, respondents have individual responses that could be blamed to the language and methodology of the surveys. Rigorous market research could expose the individual biases of respondents in each country. Therefore, sales agents from Australia could use the straightforward approach of their customers as an advantage to improve business; while agents from Latin America could start digging deeper into the real need of their buyers to find the possible dissatisfaction lurking beneath the contented façade.
Reducing cultural bias
So how can researchers reduce cultural bias impact on a global scale research? Can the data gathered from b2b research market generalize the overall performance of businesses from different countries?
Here are means to at least minimize the effects of these biases in the market:
- Learn to use native languages on surveys. This technique will exhort the best answers from respondents due to their language familiarity.
- Make use of numerical scales rather than word scales. If presented by numbers, respondents tend to see the real situation compared to using worded scales. Utilizing the numerical values would instill a more definite answer from people with midpoint responses.
- Conduct preliminary surveys before going all-out on the global scale. This method could identify problematic questions before putting them into legitimate use. It also allows in-depth revision of survey.
B2b market researchers vastly affect the industries in each country. This could take a business into valuable heights or pull them into unfathomable depths. Careful analysis and robust study of cultures could assist sales agents when promoting products to the international community.
For further information on business comparisons with other countries, read more on topics about sales and distributor.
