What’s the Difference Between Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Buyer?

If you’ve been exploring ways to improve customer experience or win more business, you’ve likely come across two important terms: Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Buyer. While they sound similar, they answer very different questions, and understanding both is key to building a better, more competitive business.

At Viewpoint Analysis, we work directly with both enterprise buyers and technology vendors. That gives us a unique, independent position to help you uncover what your customers really think - and what your buyers expect. In this article, we’ll explain the key differences between these two types of research and help you decide when each is right for you.

What Is Voice of the Customer Research?

When people search for "what is the Voice of the Customer?", they’re often looking for ways to improve service and retention. Voice of the Customer (often shortened to VoC) is all about listening to your current, paying customers. It focuses on gathering feedback about their experience with your product or service.

This might include:

• How happy they are with your support

• Whether they feel they’re getting value

• What they wish you would do better

• Whether they would recommend you

Voice of the Customer research helps businesses understand how well they are performing after the sale. It uncovers satisfaction levels, identifies risk of churn, and highlights areas where improvements could make a real impact. You can find more about this VoC here - Explore our Voice of the Customer services.

What Is Voice of the Buyer Research?

If you’re wondering "what is Voice of the Buyer research," you’re probably thinking about sales growth, brand perception, or sales strategy. Voice of the Buyer (VoB) focuses on potential customers / future customers - people in your target market who haven’t yet bought from you.

This kind of research answers questions like:

• Do these buyers know who you are?

• How do they perceive your brand?

• What matters most to them when choosing a provider?

• Why might they choose a competitor?

• What problems are they facing in their role?

  
  

Where Voice of the Customer looks inward, Voice of the Buyer looks outward. It gives you a view of your market from the perspective of people you want to win over. It’s ideal for refining your messaging, improving your go-to-market strategy, and identifying what prospective buyers truly want. Take a look at our Voice of the Buyer information here - Voice of the Buyer services.

How Are Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Buyer Different?

The biggest difference between Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Buyer comes down to who you’re listening to and what stage they are in your relationship. Voice of the Customer involves speaking to your existing customers. It helps you understand how well you’re serving the people who already pay you. Voice of the Buyer involves speaking to potential customers. It helps you understand how your brand and offer are perceived before a deal is done.

In other words:

• Customer feedback tells you how you’re doing.

• Buyer insight tells you how you’re seen.

Both are valuable, but they give you entirely different perspectives. One is about retaining and delighting. The other is about attracting and winning.

Why Is Voice of the Buyer Often Overlooked?

Many businesses have customer satisfaction surveys or Net Promoter Score (NPS) programs. But far fewer take the time to listen to potential buyers, especially those who didn’t choose them. That’s where Voice of the Buyer makes a difference. It helps you uncover missed opportunities, understand why prospects say no, and find gaps in your market positioning. It gives you the data to adjust your messaging, reshape your pitch, or even refine your product.

Ignoring the Voice of the Buyer means missing out on valuable insight that could be holding you back from winning more deals.

When Should You Use Each Type of Research?

If your goal is to improve your service and reduce churn, then Voice of the Customer is the right tool. It helps you strengthen relationships with existing customers and makes sure they stay with you.

If your goal is to grow your market share, reach new audiences, or improve your sales performance, then Voice of the Buyer is what you need. It helps you see how your offering stacks up in the real world - through the eyes of decision-makers you’re trying to reach.

And if you’re launching something new? You’ll likely benefit from both. Voice of the Customer tells you what existing users value. Voice of the Buyer tells you what new prospects are looking for. Together, they give you a full picture of your market reality.

The two can work together - a great example of both elements working together is the Voice of the Buyer 360 - a service that straddles the border between the two, giving a complete unfiltered viewpoint. It sees us interview recent wins and losses, existing customers, prospective customers, partners, internal employees and lots more.

Why Work With Viewpoint Analysis?

At Viewpoint Analysis, we work with clients to perform both Voice of the Buyer and Voice of the Customer. We work independently to interview both buyers and customers, bringing you unfiltered insight that helps you act with confidence.

What makes us different is our unique position: we sit right in the middle of the buyer-seller relationship. We know what enterprise buyers care about, and how technology vendors need to respond. That means we’re not just researching; we’re translating market feedback into strategic recommendations that help you win and retain more business.