Hiring the best marketing research firms can prove to be one of the most invaluable investments you make as a business owner. You can gain new insights regarding what your target demographic needs or wants from your company and fine-tune your marketing strategy based on your findings. However, if you hire the wrong marketing research firm, you could end up wasting an inordinate amount of time and money. If this is your first time recruiting the services of a marketing research firm, you want to make sure you know what to expect from exceptional market research consultants. In this post, we will introduce you to the top seven qualities that you should expect from the best marketing research firms before hiring them.
The Same Level of Passion, Dedication, And Enthusiasm For Your Marketing Goals
If you were hiring someone to do interior renovations of your kitchen, you would not want a contractor who obviously did not care about the quality of the job or the finished product. If you did hire such a contractor, you could very well end up with a poorly renovated kitchen that did not meet your expectations. The same results could be expected when you hire a less-than-reputable or inexperienced marketing research firm. Before you hire market research consultants, you not only want to first share your vision and goals with them but confirm that they share your enthusiasm and passion for your marketing goals. Additionally, the right marketing research firm should be passionate about the work they do not just for your company, but in every area of operation. Find a marketing research firm that proudly displays their commitment to helping businesses discover new ways to have greater success with their customers.
A Solid Portfolio And an Impeccable Track Record
It is not enough to know that a marketing research firm has a roster of clients; you also want to know what results they have provided for their clients (both past and current) and what their track record has been. Ask the market research consultants how they have helped other clients uncover results and provide solutions to fine-tune their marketing strategies and relationships with customers. A reputable marketing research company will be able to provide you with examples of their previous work and point to clients they have helped in the past or are currently working with. In addition to seeing their work and learning about their clientele, you should make a point of doing your research. Check out reviews of the market research firm on Google, Facebook, and other social media platforms and testimonials on the firm’s official website. It is also a wise idea to ask the marketing research firm for a few references that you can speak to directly to learn more about their experience with the firm.
A Custom Approach to Finding Your Results
Market research is not a one-size-fits-all ordeal. Your business is unlike any other, and therefore your market research should be conducted uniquely and in a customized way that brings you the most accurate results. Make sure the marketing research firm you hire is not presenting you with a generically packaged, cookie cutter method that they have recycled a hundred times on other businesses. Before hiring the firm, ask them what tools, resources, and methods they will use to find the results you need to improve your marketing tactics.
An Expert Team: From the president of the firm to the intern, it is only fair that you should expect a competent team of professionals to be handling your market research. Otherwise, what are you paying for? Most marketing research firms will have an “About Us” page on their website that provides information about the different professionals at the firm and their backgrounds. During the hiring process, do not shy away about asking for more information on the experts handling your marketing research and what their credentials are. The right marketing research firm will be more than happy to share with you everything they can bring to the table.
An Area of Expertise
You want to be wary of the marketing research firm that tells you they specialize in everything and anything. While there are plenty of trustworthy and reputable firms that cover multiple areas of market research, it would be in your best interest to stick to a firm that specializes in your industry. For example, if you are a university or a private school, you want a marketing research firm that has experience conducting market research for other schools and educators. If you are in the healthcare industry, it goes without saying that you want a marketing research firm with a proven track record of interviewing various nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals. As another example, if you need to interview children and teenagers, you want a marketing research firm that has plenty of experience working with adolescence. Teenagers and young children especially need a welcoming atmosphere where they feel comfortable enough to answer questions or not become too bored or fidgety in the environment they in. If part of your market research includes interviewing youngsters, without a doubt you want a firm that knows how to do this efficiently.
A Commitment to Communication
Fewer things are more irritating than a marketing research firm or any business in general that makes it difficult for you to contact them when you need them. Before you hire a marketing research firm, you want first to confirm that they will be accessible during normal business hours. One of the easiest ways to find this out is by contacting the company to get information on their services and prices. If they do not get back to you within a couple of business days, you know to look elsewhere for marketing research services. However, a firm that replies promptly is a good sign. Once you are in contact with the firm and considering them as a candidate, ask them who your contact person is on the project and how you can stay in touch with them. A great firm will also have multiple ways for their clients to communicate with them including telephone and email. Finally, when you are speaking with the firm’s references, you want to remember to ask them how easy it was to stay in communication with the firm.
Utilization of Multiple Research Methods
Do not waste your time on a firm that is stuck in an old-school way of market research or that only uses one or two methods of research. As we touched on earlier in this post, you want a firm that will customize their market research strategy for your business. In addition to a personalized approach, you want to know about the various methods a firm uses when conducting their research. Here at New Perspectives, we employ multiple tactics including mobile research, online surveys, focus groups for professionals, consumers, and B2B participants, market surveys, research games, and ethnography among other things.
Looking for more advice on why New Perspectives is one of the best marketing research firms? Contact marketing research today with any questions or comments you might have.