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Insights Industry News
July 27, 2011
Here it is, black and white, as simply as I can explain it for the vendors out there still scratching their heads about what clients want.
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Editor’s Note: Continuing our tradition of featuring leaders on both the client and supplier side of the industry here on GreenBook Blog, I’m thrilled to welcome Michelle Lemire of Mary Kay Inc. as a new author! Michelle is a down-to-earth research professional with a refreshing frankness on the daily challenges faced by researchers on both sides of the table. I think you’ll enjoy her candor, humor, and insight into the business of market research very much.
By Michelle Lemire
It’s surprising how often I encounter market research vendors asking about the selection process for research partners. It’s like a mystery to them that’s yet to be cracked – what do clients want? It’s a bit surprising, considering we (clients and vendors) really all look for the same things in those we partner with – credibility, reliability, thinkability…
So here it is, black and white, as simply as I can explain it for the vendors out there still scratching their heads about what clients want.
I’ve been burned. Not by you at <INSERT COMPANY NAME>, but by more than one of your competitors along the way. At some point, I was overloaded and had some budget to spare, so I sought help. I was looking for an experienced research company who would be more than a supplier – I wanted, and needed, a partner. So I engaged in the courtships and was eventually wooed with promises of thought leadership, creativity, innovation, out-of-the-box thinking, bleeding edge methodologies… you get the picture. And in the end, it just… simply… didn’t… And now the courting process has assumed this whole new level of risk aversion for me. And I’d like to share with you some of the key things I look for in a market research partner.
Did I answer your question? I want what you want. I want to spend as little time and money as I can and maximize the results I get from each day’s work. Plain and simple.
On a side note, I would absolutely LOVE to hear about your <INSERT OFFER OR SERVICE>. I don’t have budget, but I do have a strong desire to learn and staying relevant is really my only job as a market researcher. I’m always looking to “round out” my market research toolkit and I would be remiss to dismiss your <INSERT OFFER OR SERVICE>. And, it’s a small world, after all. I may find myself in a totally different place, either physically or fiscally, in the next 6, 12, 24 months and in need of a <INSERT OFFER OR SERVICE> just like yours! So educate me. What do you have to lose?
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The views, opinions, data, and methodologies expressed above are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official policies, positions, or beliefs of Greenbook.
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