Prospective clients who have never worked with a marketing research consultant frequently ask questions like this one: “Why wouldn’t I just talk to customers myself? I know my customers very well.” We don’t certainly don’t discourage anyone from engaging in a dialogue with their buyers. But there are limits to the do-it-yourself approach. Recently we’ve engaged a personal trainer to help us work toward our fitness goals. She’s been an incredible help, in several ways, and it occurs to us, that these are some of the same ways we help our clients to get a richer result from their customer conversations:
- She helps us stretch ourselves when we set goals.
- She asks us to be candid about weak spots and difficulties, and specifically shows us how to make improvements.
- She challenges us to take on more that we think we can achieve on our own, and supports us while we do that.
- She keeps an eye on our form, and gently counsels us on best practices that will keep us from injurious behaviours or missteps.
- She contributes her expertise by teaching us new options become stronger and more flexible.
Perhaps the next time you engage your customers, having a facilitator or a market research partner would help you build a stronger, more flexible approach for your brand.
Building on your strengths,
Megann and Steve
The View From Here 