This article will guide you on how to create a B2B buyer survey about vendor selection criteria. With Specific, you can build a survey like this in seconds using AI, giving you instant access to conversational feedback.
Steps to create a survey for B2B buyers about vendor selection criteria
If you want to save time, just generate a survey with Specific. It’s that easy.
Tell what survey you want.
Done.
You honestly don’t need to read further unless you’re curious. The AI takes your instructions and instantly creates an expert-level survey—complete with automatic follow-up questions to dig deeper and gather actionable insights. If you need a custom approach, try the AI survey generator for semantic surveys about any topic.
Why B2B buyer surveys on vendor selection criteria matter
Let’s talk about why these surveys are a big deal. When you ask B2B buyers about vendor selection criteria, you uncover what actually drives their decisions, not just what they claim in boardrooms. Miss this step, and you’re missing out on the real reasons buyers add (or skip) vendors like yours to their shortlist.
Over 85% of B2B buyers are inclined to shortlist vendors they recognize and trust [3]. If you’re not measuring what builds or breaks that trust, you’re blindly steering your vendor strategy.
Buyer feedback is gold for product teams, marketing, and sales. Social proof, clear barriers, and new opportunities—all surface when you run conversational interviews.
You’ll also spot shifting trends in priorities: tech integration, pricing, support, or even the need for personalized demo experiences.
The bottom line: If you’re not running B2B buyer surveys on vendor selection, you’re missing clear opportunities to align your offering and messaging exactly where it matters. Running these surveys with conversational AI unlocks the “why” behind the “what”—which is where real business improvements happen.
What makes a good survey on vendor selection criteria
You can only trust your survey if B2B buyers actually want to respond and are willing to be honest. Here’s what separates a good survey from a bad one:
Clear, unbiased questions: Avoid jargon, double-barreled questions, or anything that might lead the buyer. If your questions are neutral, your data is reliable.
Conversational tone: Make it feel like a discussion, not an interrogation. Specific’s approach to conversational AI surveys means buyers respond more thoughtfully—no more one-word answers or box-ticking.
Relevant follow-ups: A good survey adapts in real time, just like a live expert would in a discovery interview.
Bad practices | Good practices |
|---|---|
Long, overwhelming forms | Conversational, short, engaging questions |
Jargon-heavy, unclear wording | Simple, direct language buyers use |
No follow-ups or probing | Dynamic, AI-driven clarification questions |
Measure success by both quantity and quality of responses. You want a high response rate and true, detailed, actionable feedback. That’s where well-built conversational surveys deliver. If you want more tips, check out our guide to the best questions for B2B buyer surveys on vendor selection criteria.
Survey question types and examples for B2B buyer survey about vendor selection criteria
Let’s break down the most powerful question types for a B2B buyer survey focused on vendor selection criteria.
Open-ended questions let buyers tell you what’s actually on their mind, surfacing issues or motivators you’d never think to ask about. Use them to start conversations, uncover new factors, or explore priorities in-depth. Great when you need stories, not just stats.
What made your team consider a new vendor for this solution?
Describe a recent vendor evaluation that impressed (or frustrated) you—what stood out?
Single-select multiple-choice questions are perfect when you want structured, easily comparable data. Use these for ranking criteria, segmenting buyers, or checking which evaluation factors really drive shortlisting.
When selecting a new software vendor, which factor has the greatest impact on your shortlist decision?
Product features
Pricing and ROI
Integration with existing systems
Vendor reputation
Customer support
NPS (Net Promoter Score) question gives you a powerful pulse on advocacy—would your buyers recommend you? Use NPS near the end of your survey to benchmark loyalty and prompt rich qualitative feedback. You can generate an NPS survey for B2B buyers about vendor selection criteria instantly.
On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend your preferred vendor to a fellow decision-maker?
Followup questions to uncover "the why" are game changers in a conversational survey, especially for B2B buyers. When someone picks “Pricing” as their top priority, ask what “good pricing” means in their context. Don’t assume—probe! A few examples:
Can you share what made you feel that way?
What would have changed your mind in this situation?
Want a deep-dive into question types and real-world survey tips? Browse our article on best B2B buyer survey questions about vendor selection criteria.
What is a conversational survey?
Conversational surveys turn the dry Q&A format of Old School forms into something that feels more like a friendly, expert-led interview. Instead of a grid of boxes, buyers reply in natural language—and the AI probes, clarifies, and encourages detail, just like a sharp researcher.
Here’s the difference:
Manual surveys | AI-generated conversational surveys |
|---|---|
Static forms with fixed questions | Dynamic, adapts questions based on responses |
Limited probing/follow-ups | AI asks smart follow-ups automatically |
Lower engagement rates | Feels like chat—much higher completion & better data |
Why use AI for B2B buyer surveys? With AI survey generators, like Specific, you offload the time spent designing, editing, and testing questions. Instead, just describe your audience and goal, and you get a survey built with expert logic—plus conversational, context-aware follow-ups you won’t get from forms. Try creating a survey yourself, or learn more in our how-to on analyzing survey responses.
Looking for an AI survey example that feels smooth and engaging? Specific always focuses on best-in-class conversational experience—buyers feel like they’re being listened to, not just filling out another form.
The power of follow-up questions
Follow-up questions are where conversational surveys outshine everything else. Instead of flat, partial answers, you get the full picture—without the game of email tag or staged interviews. If you want a true expert approach, check out how Specific’s automatic AI follow-up questions dig deep in real time, using context to ask smarter, not just more, questions.
B2B Buyer: “Integration is important.”
AI follow-up: “Can you give an example of how a lack of integration made a past project more difficult?”
How many followups to ask? In general, 2-3 targeted follow-ups are enough—just enough to clarify and surface key insights, not so many that it feels repetitive. With Specific, there’s even a setting to skip to the next question when you’ve gathered what you need.
This makes it a conversational survey. Your survey becomes a back-and-forth conversation, not a checklist or static form.
Analyzing responses with AI is a breeze, even for long, open-text answers. Our platform’s AI survey response analysis compiles, summarizes, and distills responses into actionable insights. Learn more with our in-depth guide on AI survey analysis.
These automated follow-ups are a new standard. Try generating a survey and see how much richer your insights become when every reply is explored fully in the moment.
See this vendor selection criteria survey example now
Create your own survey and start gathering actionable, high-quality insights from B2B buyers instantly—experience expert-level conversational surveys that adapt and dig deep, all in seconds.