blogFace it, unless you work for Proctor & Gamble, as a small or medium business marketer you likely lack the resources for proper market research. Operating on a shoestring budget, or with no money means we have to be resourceful in learning all that we can about our customers. Fortunately, you do not need a million dollar bankroll to gather useful qualitative info. I’ll share with you two methods – one conventional, the other unconventional to help you learn about the market(s) your company serves.
The Outside Sales Ride-Along
I bet a few of you are cringing at this one, it certainly takes a couple of us outside our habitual comfort zones. Unless you started as a salesman in the industry, a ride-along is an eye opening experience. Its the provides a unique chance to engage one-on-one with your customer. Having done this myself, I will caution that not everyone will be forthcoming in answering your questions, this seemed especially true on my first venture. I’ll chalk this up to my being a relatively new face – these people are plumbers & HVAC techs who had been working with the same outside salesman for over 10 years. However, if you ask the right open-ended questions you will likely get a wealth of information.
Online Forums
The web is huge, and there is an online forum for every occupation. You don’t believe me? Have you ever heard of arborists – professional tree trimmers? They have a forum. What is great about this approach is that your customers are talking to their peers, meaning the discussions tend to be more open. A forum I often frequent is Contractor Talk. Reading the threads has allowed me to learn about the important issues facing plumbing contractors, such as should they charge for Time & Material or Flat Rate work? Should they give free estimates or require a charge? These are the kind of issues I will address and use for content in the company newsletter. HINT: browse your industry’s forums before going on a ride-along to find ideas for questions you might ask.
These are two inexpensive ways to gather useful qualitative data. Now that you have read this post go grab your tape recorder, notebook and do some market research.
Tags: research
