FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What types of techniques do you use for your research?

We use a wide variety of tested, legitimate techniques to get the information you need. Our standard approaches include web research, telephone and face-to-face interviews, and online surveys. Years of experience have schooled us on an array of research methods and given us a solid understanding of which information sources are most valuable. When needed, we use data extracted from files and databases, build sophisticated statistical models to analyze numeric results and use various content management tools to collaborate with distributed teams.

How do you present the results of your research?

With strong writing and presentation skills, we can deliver research results in whatever format best supports your needs. We are very comfortable presenting to senior executives and boards of directors and have delivered research results in person and through webcasts at conferences, employee kickoffs and internal meetings as well as in the form of written reports and models.

Do you work with other organizations when doing research?

Much of our research is performed standalone, but we have a network of resources (experts and practitioners) to assist as needed on larger engagements. We also work collaboratively with our clients, working jointly to define and refine research requirements and devise the best approach for data collection. We usually are responsible for the final analysis and results presentation.

How do companies use research results for marketing purposes?

Research provides some of the most compelling content available for white papers, articles and discussions with analysts and sales prospects. Performing your own research enables your company to offer knowledge and insights that are fresh, unique and not available from other sources. Statistics are especially powerful and are easily adopted and quoted by analysts and the trade press. Experimental research, such as measuring the difference in productivity between using your product, those of competitors and manual methods, provides valuable data to fuel ROI calculations and create objective differentiation in ad campaigns and sales materials.

How much does a research project cost?

While a common and important question, research costs are too variable to easily quote without knowing the scope of the project and the types of research techniques required. Depending on your needs and the type of the project, we work on a fixed price, time and materials (T&M) or retainer basis. In situations where the level of effort to get the desired information is unknown, T&M is the best option. To control costs, we provide research results at frequent milestones, enabling our clients to ratchet efforts up or down as progress dictates. Where project scope can be clearly defined (ex: customer survey), we can fix price our services to protect your budget from overruns and other unexpected costs. Retainers are appropriate for ongoing executive support and market/competitive monitoring projects. Contact us with the details of your project and we will be pleased to discuss research options and provide a cost estimate.