B2B Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A B2B marketer needs to quantify the total addressable market (TAM) for a new SaaS product. Which method uses industry data multiplied by average revenue per account?
- Bottom-up estimation
- Top-down estimation (Correct answer)
- Value theory sizing
- Conjoint modeling
Correct answer: Top-down estimation
Top-down estimation starts with macro market data (e.g., analyst reports) and narrows down using share assumptions to estimate TAM.
Question 2: Which measure of central tendency is most resistant to outliers in a dataset of B2B deal sizes that includes several unusually large enterprise contracts?
- Mean
- Mode
- Median (Correct answer)
- Standard deviation
Correct answer: Median
The median is the middle value of a sorted dataset and is not distorted by extreme outliers the way the mean is.
Question 3: An ethnographic research approach in a B2B context would most likely involve:
- Distributing a 50-question Likert scale survey to 500 IT managers
- Observing how purchasing teams actually use software during their workday (Correct answer)
- Running multivariate regression on CRM conversion data
- Conducting blind A/B tests on landing page copy
Correct answer: Observing how purchasing teams actually use software during their workday
Ethnography involves observing people in their natural environment to understand real behaviors rather than self-reported ones.
Question 4: In a B2B survey, a Likert scale question asking respondents to rate 'vendor trustworthiness' on a 1–7 scale produces what level of measurement?
- Nominal
- Ordinal
- Interval (Correct answer)
- Ratio
Correct answer: Interval
Likert scales are typically treated as interval-level data because the distances between points are assumed equal, though technically they are ordinal.
Question 5: A B2B firm compares sales pipeline conversion rates before and after a new content marketing program using historical CRM data. This is an example of:
- A randomized controlled trial
- A quasi-experimental design (Correct answer)
- Primary qualitative research
- Cross-sectional descriptive research
Correct answer: A quasi-experimental design
A quasi-experimental design lacks random assignment but uses comparison of pre- and post-intervention data to infer causal effects.
Question 6: When reporting B2B research findings to C-suite stakeholders, which presentation approach is most evidence-based?
- Lead with the methodology section to establish credibility before showing results
- Present the key insight first, then support it with data and methodology (Correct answer)
- Share all raw data tables so executives can draw their own conclusions
- Focus only on qualitative anecdotes since executives prefer stories
Correct answer: Present the key insight first, then support it with data and methodology
Evidence-based executive communication leads with the conclusion (BLUF — Bottom Line Up Front) and supports it with data, respecting time constraints.
Question 7: Which research design is most suitable for testing whether a new ABM (account-based marketing) strategy causes higher pipeline velocity?
- Cross-sectional survey of sales reps
- Randomized controlled experiment assigning accounts to ABM vs. control (Correct answer)
- Retrospective analysis of closed-won deals
- Focus groups with marketing leadership
Correct answer: Randomized controlled experiment assigning accounts to ABM vs. control
Only a randomized controlled experiment, where accounts are randomly assigned to treatment or control, can establish causal evidence that ABM drives pipeline velocity.
B2B Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3
A B2B marketer needs to quantify the total addressable market (TAM) for a new SaaS product.
Which method uses industry data multiplied by average revenue per account?