How do you keep your clients and stakeholders happy?

1 Know your audience

Before you start any market research project, you need to understand who your clients and stakeholders are, what they want, and how they prefer to work. This means doing some research on their background, industry, challenges, objectives, and preferences. You can use various sources, such as their website, social media, annual reports, previous research, or interviews. The more you know about your audience, the more you can tailor your approach, methods, and deliverables to suit them.

2 Define the scope and objectives

One of the common causes of dissatisfaction among clients and stakeholders is a mismatch between what they expect and what you deliver. To avoid this, you need to define the scope and objectives of your project clearly and explicitly. This means setting the boundaries, timelines, budget, roles, and responsibilities of your project, as well as the key questions, hypotheses, and outcomes you aim to address. You should document these in a written proposal or agreement, and get approval from your clients and stakeholders before you start.

3 Communicate regularly and transparently

Communication is the key to maintaining a good relationship with your clients and stakeholders. You should communicate regularly and transparently throughout your project, updating them on your progress, challenges, findings, and recommendations. You should also seek feedback and input from them, and address any questions or concerns they may have. You should use the communication channels and formats that they prefer, such as email, phone, video call, or report. You should also avoid jargon and technical terms, and use simple and clear language.

4 Deliver quality and value

The ultimate way to keep your clients and stakeholders happy is to deliver quality and value in your market research project. This means providing insights that are relevant, reliable, actionable, and impactful for their business. You should also present your insights in a way that is engaging, concise, and persuasive, using visuals, stories, and examples. You should also highlight the benefits and implications of your insights, and provide recommendations and next steps for your clients and stakeholders to implement.

5 Follow up and follow through

The last tip to keep your clients and stakeholders happy is to follow up and follow through after you complete your project. You should thank them for their collaboration and trust, and ask for their feedback and satisfaction. You should also offer your support and guidance for any questions or issues they may have after implementing your insights. You should also keep in touch with them, and look for opportunities to work with them again or refer them to other potential clients.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?