Get great results from market research

Tips from the top

Jean Sutton is a CIM course director and member

1. Choose an agency suited to the type of research: qualitative or quantitative, consumer or B2B, local or international?

2. If possible, meet to start the project and get to know the team: if you are looking for insight, the agency team need to get close and understand your business.

3. Don’t just place the contract  and then forget it until it’s due for delivery: get involved. Show interest. Ask for regular feedback, and give feedback too.

4. You don’t need to contract out the whole project: choose help where needed: desk research? Interviews? Data analysis? Report writing? Project management?

5. Request recommendations based on the research: You can judge in due course whether to follow them.

6. Be clear on what is expected in the way of deliverables from the research: do you want to attend the focus groups? Is a written report expected in addition to the presentation? Who will write the management summary – you or the agency?

7. Remember: using your own staff to survey client satisfaction, attitudes and perceptions is liable to lead to bias.

8. Don’t have preconceptions about how the research should be done: Make your ideas known, but listen to agency suggestions.

9. Do consider whether the project can be broken into different stages: often the insight gained at stage one can allow the follow‑up to be done more efficiently.