This IS Rocket Science: Top 10 Reasons Companies Need Outside Research

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Nov 16, 2017, 06:00 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- No matter how you ask, there are some things your best friends, best employees, and best customers will never say. If your company is at a strategic crossroads, DIY research is not your friend.

Here are compelling reasons companies hire outside research counsel:

They face a strategic decision (i.e. new product, new markets, new line of business, etc.)
Failure of such threatens the company, market share, or reputation
They don't know what they don't know
Competitors are beating them and they don't know why
They've tried several approaches to a problem; none are working well
They're about to spend a lot of money
They need more certainty for a decision

10 top reasons to use outside research:

Self-assessment is unavoidably flavored by internal politics, blind spots, beliefs or flawed assumptions.
An "inside-out" perspective is less objective and accurate than one that is "outside-in."
Internal politics impacts accuracy and candor—employees want to 'smile up' and won't be as candid with someone inside the company.
Customers are less likely to be forthcoming when questioned by their vendor or supplier (you) because they don't want to harm a relationship or desire better prices.
An objective third party gets beyond "It's fine" or the dreaded '3' on a scale of 1 to 5. A researcher has skills to uncover specific perceptions, needs and expectations among customers.
Internal efforts cannot get to the real 'gold' - information about lost customers and competitors - a third party is needed to gain access.
Internal teams have a "day job." Research is generally not within the work scope or skill of internal teams and won't receive the attention it should.
A professional research firm, armed methods and the proper research tools (software, etc.) will produce insights significantly more accurate and meaningful than data obtained by using a DIY approach.
A research professional puts 'put the pieces together' and can combine information from various sources into a cohesive set of recommendations and strategies.
A third party is unencumbered by history, allowing exploration of new ideas and perspectives, or reconsideration of ideas that may be been rejected in the past for flawed reasons.

For a free, 30 minute discussion of your needs for market insight, contact Voccii [email protected]

SOURCE Voccii