Business is business and the purpose of branding and marketing your business should be clear to everyone involved. But what if you’re more interested in collecting information about potential buyers rather than other businesses who might want to buy from you? In this scenario, we need a different approach that is based solely on our customer’s preferences rather than separating ourselves as competitors. This means shifting our focus away from how we are similar and focusing on only how we are different. We don’t need to rely on techniques that most businesses tend to use when getting their point across to the public in terms of market share; it would be useless! If customer data is dirty then we must clean it up first…okay, just kidding! The reality is, the importance of relevant customer data will decide whether or not your product has any chance at all in today’s marketplace.
To avoid some of them, here are five tips.
1. Have A Framework
If you want to gain a deeper understanding of your customer base and their perceptions of your business and industry, then it’s recommended that you start with defining a framework based on what type of information you’re looking for. Once you’ve established this framework, then go ahead and only collect data that will help strengthen your point of view by asking insightful questions. Also make sure to look at the big picture when conducting research to ensure that it’s meeting your objectives.
It is essential to understand what a framework is and what it isn’t:
It isn’t about trying to prove how you think your customers are.
It is a method of determining how data is collected and understood.
In other words, it is a way of interpreting data.
2. Collect Data with A Purpose
Just because you have some data doesn’t mean its accurate or that it adds up to a higher number without being scrutinized and questioned. Having a method of collecting data is not enough; the data you collect must be analyzed for any flaws, issues, or discrepancies. Just because you see some fluctuation in your sales numbers doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with the business—it could be just as likely that a level plateau represents an emerging delta in need of attention and full investment. Methodical tracking practices are needed when managing projects involving multidisciplinary teams from different companies across countries!
Just to emphasize this one point, it would be that every question should tie to a potential action. If it does not tie to a potential action, it is unlikely to get used. And if you don’t ask the right questions ahead of time, you may end up wasting money and time. It’s usually a series of questions related to a single action and in this case the final report will have more depth as well as a broader perspective than what might otherwise be possible with research that didn’t begin with key questions in mind that lead on to other relevant questions and then to required actions. In short: good research is only as good as the questions people ask before they start doing their research.
3. Make Sure Your Focus Groups Are Focused
This mostly comes down to a recruitment issue. But recruiting the right people is at least half of the battle. One thing that happens too often is that more focus is put on finding the right people rather than making sure they will fit into the group dynamic – for example, if we say a few words about health and wellness, it’s quite likely you pictured someone doing yoga wearing Lululemon pants, a pink shirt and holding a fresh smoothie in their hand. The reality often says otherwise because nearly nobody identifies themselves so easily or fall into such stereotypes but it all boils down to the fact that you always need to remember to find balance between your personal expectations and logical thinking when sending out job requirements which can add up pretty quickly!
Recruitment is the most important issue here. At least half of the battle consists of recruiting the right people.
There have been too many times when a focus group member does not fit what the group is supposed to represent, whether it is a mindset or even some demographic that this group represents. In situations where the outlier is the dominant personality, it becomes even more challenging.
Multiple screenings and clear communication between the recruiting facility and the company are essential.
4. Embrace The Power of One-On-One
The potential for the new field of qualitative research. It might seem obvious. A short chat with your friends is hardly going to tell you much about their character, isn’t it? But this question brought to light a lot of people’s interest in qualitative research, meaning they really wanted to learn more about it, but then they didn’t. It seems even though they wanted to delve further into this interesting concept, no-one followed up on the questions that were raised! Perhaps qualitative research was seen as too troublesome or time-consuming when at first glance, it shouldn’t be because what we often fail to realize is its capacity to tap into our subject’s true thoughts and feelings. So yes, maybe an interview with their three best mates isn’t going to be enough in terms of learning more about a person…but these interviews with a larger number of individuals who each meet our subject just once might do the trick.
Interviewing true brand lovers can bring more insights to the table by efficiently hearing their perspective on how your brand is perceived and whether they believe that consumers associate it with a specific emotional response. Brand lovers are often observant as well as driven to express themselves so you’re likely to hear even more satisfying and interesting perspectives! So don’t be afraid to dig into some of the deepest emotional responses possible.
5. Sell In Ahead of Time
People must buy into research for it to be useful.
Research is often produced by companies that is deemed irrelevant or unimportant by some people within the company.
Make sure you consider which departments your research could potentially affect before you conduct any research. Identify their concerns and take their input into account.
As the results of the research are introduced, getting people to buy into the research and, more importantly, taking action is easier.
In the end, it’s all about having a framework for success. We hope that this blog post has given you some useful tips and insights on how you can go about doing so. If you have any questions, please contact us anytime at www.philomathresearch.com. Thank you for reading, we always appreciate your readership and are happy to be able to share our knowledge with you!
