Step Away from the Survey!
Sometimes my job as your insights partner is to talk you out of doing research - or at least, not right away.
Often, the answers you’re looking for already exist in the data you have. What’s needed first is connection and interpretation, not another survey. Here are a few moments when pressing pause on new research can actually lead to stronger insights.
Explore all readily available customer data before commissioning new research
Most organizations already sit on a wealth of customer data - from transactions and website behaviour to search queries and reviews - all showing what customers are doing. Understanding the what is a powerful starting point before exploring the why through primary research.Never build a narrative on a single data source
Storytelling becomes far more compelling when it triangulates multiple sources of truth - sales data, research findings, NPS/CX metrics, and even anecdotes from customer-facing teams or friends of the brand. A story built this way is not only more complete but also more credible and engaging to people across the organization who rely on different KPIs.Questions don’t have to be asked to be answered
When people feel strongly about something, they share opinions unprompted - in reviews, on Reddit, or in comment sections. Treat these naturally occurring digital conversations as part of your research toolbox.
Art by Marlen Stahlhuth for Unsplash