Conducting buyer insights research can be overwhelming. From planning to the actual studies, there are a lot of responsibilities and hurdles to manage. Here are a few of the most common market research challenges that companies face, as well as some of the simplest solutions to get everyone up and running.
Few initiatives will provide your company with as many in-depth insights into your customers as effective buyer insights research. By asking your customers and prospective buyers the right questions you’ll further your understanding of:
The distinct buying roles that exist in your buyer’s organization
The different stages in the customer buying process
The features that matter most to buyers’ business goals
How your buyer views your product and your competitors’
While it provides a wealth of information, market research also comes with its share of challenges: generating support from stakeholders, difficulty contacting prospects, and unforgiving time constraints. Before you give up, we’d like to stress that the benefits of buyer insights certainly outweigh the challenges. Here are five of the most common market research challenges and the simply solutions to each.
The 5 Market Research Challenges (And Their Solutions)
The Challenge
The Solution
Difficulty Getting Buy-In or Commitment from Stakeholders
Use your project owner’s leverage to help drive buy-in across your organization.
Present the project in terms of output: What concrete deliverables will you give them, and how will they be helpful?
Consider cutting them out of the project entirely. If they don’t see value in your project or don’t have time for it, they likely won’t use the results anyway.
The Challenge
The Solution
Too Many Hypotheses to Test Given Budget and Time Constraints
Force stakeholders to prioritize their ideas.
Merge similar ideas that can be tested as one.
The Challenge
The Solution
Inability to Find Email Addresses for Prospect Targets
Look for common connections who can introduce you.
Consider purchasing a list, if it’s within your budget.
Reach out via social media (LinkedIn or Twitter), instead.
When all else fails, cold call.
The Challenge
The Solution
Low Response Rate from Early Rounds of Interview Requests
Continue reaching out after an appropriate amount of time — often it takes three or more emails to get a response.
Alter your request e-mail or your phone pitch.
Consider increasing the compensation you are offering.
Find more contacts.
Switch to a more scalable platform (e.g., survey) and reach out to a larger list.
The Challenge
The Solution
Difficulty Reaching a Certain Persona or Segment
Reach out to your previous interviews for references.
Try to learn persona details during your conversations with other roles.
Rethink the importance of the role or segment; is it less common than you previously thought?
Tien Anh joined UserTesting in 2015 after extensive financial and strategic experiences at OpenView, where he was an investor and advisor to a global portfolio of fast-growing enterprise SaaS companies. Until 2021, he led the Finance, IT, and Business Intelligence team as CFO of UserTesting. He currently leads initiatives for long term growth investments as Chief Business Officer at UserTesting.
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