If You’re in B2B, You Have to Have a CQA Program. Here’s Why.

In complex B2B sales environments, understanding your customers can make the difference between hitting your targets and falling short. Voice of Customer (VoC) programs will help you unlock powerful knowledge, and one of the best VoC initiatives for achieving that is Client Quality Assessments (CQAs). CQAs are in-depth interviews with existing, former, and even prospective clients. They reveal what clients really value, so you can fine-tune your offering, strengthen relationships, and seize new opportunities. CQAs give you a strategic edge. By systematically gathering candid feedback, you gain the insights needed to drive customer satisfaction, retention, and more intelligent decision-making.

Imagine hearing exactly what your customers love, and what keeps them up at night. CQAs do that. They let stakeholders speak freely about their experiences, so you can challenge assumptions and pivot where needed. As one global risk-analysis and cybersecurity client discovered, quarterly CQAs helped them “address evolving needs… saving time, effort, and money by adjusting plans based on feedback.” CQAs turn hidden unknowns into actionable intelligence. They help you understand market demands and customer satisfaction at a depth that generic surveys or sales anecdotes simply can’t match. With that knowledge, your sales and product teams can craft more effective strategies, from messaging to product roadmaps, that resonate with the people who matter most: your customers.

Why Every B2B Company Should Conduct CQAs

Your existing customers are a powerful source of market insight. CQAs collect rich, qualitative intelligence on how clients perceive your company, teams, and solutions. Client feedback reveals what matters most, where to improve, and how you rank, which in turn can fuel new revenue, market insight, and team performance to drive retention and growth.

CQAs also align with global quality standards. ISO 9001:2015 “… helps organizations of all sizes and sectors to improve their performance, meet customer expectations, and demonstrate their commitment to quality. Its requirements define how to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve.” By complying with this ISO standard, you show that you are committed to delivering flawless products or services. CQAs can help you achieve compliance.

Personal Interviews versus Online Surveys

Not all feedback programs are created equal. The most effective CQAs stand out because they include human-led interviews, not impersonal online surveys.

When an experienced interviewer engages clients in conversation (ideally by phone or video), they uncover specific, candid feedback. Customers offer context, share stories, and clarify concerns. Unlike checkbox surveys, these conversations are dynamic and meaningful.

MarketLauncher has over 24 years of experience conducting these interviews. We've completed thousands for B2B clients across North America and beyond. And we practice what we preach by regularly assessing our clients at multiple stages of their engagement with us. The difference is clear: human-led interviews typically yield a 40–60% completion rate, compared to just 10–20% for electronic surveys.

Done correctly, interviews generate more than just data; they provide insight. Responses are nuanced and context-rich. You'll capture insights that offer actionable feedback, the kind that shapes high-impact business decisions.

Avg Completion Rate-1

8 CQA Program Best Practices

Set Objectives Aligned with Business and ISO Goals. Start with the end in mind. Define what success looks like. Want to measure NPS? Identify friction points? Ensure the interview guide is structured to support internal KPIs and, if applicable, ISO 9001 compliance.
Choose the Right Interviewees. Select a mix of clients: new, long-term, churned, and even prospects. Include both day-to-day users and senior decision-makers to get a 360° view. ML’s experience shows that combining perspectives provides the most valuable insights.
Use Open-Ended, Conversational Scripts. Design your questions to probe satisfaction, areas for improvement, and buying criteria. Keep interviews to 15–20 minutes. Open-ended questions work best. Let the conversation evolve; some of the most useful insights come from unexpected places.
Rely on Skilled, Neutral Interviewers. An experienced, objective interviewer builds trust and invites honest feedback. Utilizing third parties eliminates bias and ensure confidentiality.
Schedule Thoughtfully and Respect Time. Reach out early and clearly explain the purpose. Set expectations: 15–20 minutes, with anonymity guaranteed. Whether by phone or video, clients are more likely to engage when they feel respected and heard.
Capture Verbatim and Quantitative Data. Document everything. Use tools like Jotform to record themes and metrics like NPS, as well as recurring patterns uncovered in qualitative feedback.
Integrate Into Business Reviews. Don’t let results gather dust. Present findings to leadership across the organization. Tie insights directly to improvement actions (e.g., “Revamp onboarding,” “Prioritize Feature Y.”)
Plan for Ongoing Feedback. CQAs should be regular (quarterly or annual) to track progress. You’ll spot patterns, measure improvements, and show clients their voices lead to change.

Turning Insights Into Strategy

CQAs are only valuable if you act on them. The insights should inform your strategy across teams.

For example, if your customers consistently praise your response time, that’s marketing gold. Turn those quotes into testimonials. If multiple clients mention a missing feature, elevate it on your product roadmap.

And don’t forget to close the loop. Let your customers know how their feedback led to change. It builds trust and loyalty.

How AI Elevates Your CQA Program

AI can supercharge your CQA efforts. ML uses Custom AI models trained on CQA transcripts. These AI assistants can instantly answer complex queries, like:

“What themes are trending among our lowest-NPS clients?”

“What are SMB clients saying vs. Fortune 500s?”

Unlike static reports, this AI layer provides live analytics. As interviews roll in, the model updates. If a concern emerges, it is flagged. If clients mention a competitor more frequently, it notes the trend. This makes the feedback loop faster and more responsive.

ML’s Custom AI model even helps with ISO audits by generating summaries that show how client feedback drives improvements. And for marketing, it surfaces standout quotes or testimonials instantly.

This blend of human insight and AI speed means better decisions, made faster.

What is a Custom AI Model

CQAs and Win/Loss Analysis

CQAs and win/loss interviews are both powerful, but serve different goals:

CQAs focus on clients. They track satisfaction, highlight upsell opportunities and build loyalty.

Win/Loss programs analyze sales outcomes. They uncover why you win (or lose) deals, helping refine go-to-market and sales strategy.

Both have value. CQAs support customer experience and retention. Win/Loss programs fuel sales optimization. Ideally, your B2B organization should do both for a complete VoC strategy.

Client Proof Points: CQAs in Action

A cybersecurity leader uses ML’s quarterly CQA process to align internal teams and improve client engagement. After five years of feedback, their VP of Global Engagement noted: “We use CQA feedback to build presentations for internal teams and to fine-tune our market messaging. The depth of insights MarketLauncher provides has made a visible difference.”

The insights this client uncovered through its CQA program have led to valuable action. They implemented improvements and saw a 15% increase in retention and realized a 7-point NPS boost year-over-year.

Another ML client asked for slides from old CQA reports for a board meeting. ML’s analysts created a deck that pulled in up-to-date insights and translated pain points into action plans. That strategy-first approach made a bigger impact than raw data ever could.

One technology client partnered with ML to conduct an in-depth Win/Loss Analysis, completing 42 win interviews (45% conversion) and 27 loss interviews (29% conversion). The findings were clear: features and functionality drove 42% of their wins, with integration (22%) and end-to-end capabilities (17%) also ranking high. Price played only a minor role in winning—just 3% cited it as the deciding factor—while losses were most often tied to functionality gaps (42%) and pricing concerns (25%).

Armed with this insight, the client shifted their demo strategy to focus on showcasing the most valued features early in the sales cycle. This more targeted approach is helping them strengthen their market position, appeal to the 63% of prospects already favorable toward their brand, and convert more opportunities without competing solely on price.

CQAs Drive Better B2B Performance

At their best, CQAs combine human empathy with AI-driven efficiency. Trained interviewers elicit detailed feedback. AI organizes, analyzes, and surfaces trends instantly. Together, they accelerate understanding and improve outcomes.

ML has been perfecting this model for over two decades. We’ve learned that when you listen to your clients and act on what they say, your business grows stronger.

If your B2B company isn’t doing CQAs yet, now’s the time. In today’s competitive landscape, you need every advantage. If ISO compliance is a priority, a CQA program will keep you on track. But whether or not compliance is your goal, CQAs will sharpen your strategy, strengthen your relationships, and set you apart in the market.