You want to improve your marketing research skills. What’s the best way to get started?

Coursera and Udemy are great places to search for free courses and start learning fundamentals and build up marketing research knowledge.

1?? One has to put self in consumer’s shoes to understand problems and design the hypothesis for research. 2?? Being curious about the things happening around is a fundamental quality around which marketing research is built. 3?? Be honest so that you do not tend to manipulate data for your hypothesis. 4?? Having the ability to pay close attention to details is an essential skill for analysing data, identifying patterns, and drawing conclusions based on evidence. 5?? Last, but most important skill is to tell the story of what you learned from data as actionable.

Avoid learning things in isolation from the business question, as you are likely to retain only about 30% of what you read, discuss. Instead, focus on finding smart solutions for actual business questions. If you don't have a project of your own, you can still contribute by reaching out to your colleagues and offer your assistance. They might have questions they haven't had time to address, and you can volunteer to help. Alternatively, you can engage with your business partners and discuss the key challenges they are facing or their annual plans. You will likely discover many business questions -Pick one and start collaborating with potential research partners. Through discussions about the specific project,you will gain valuable knowledge.

To my mind, there are 4 qualifications required to excel in market research. 1) Are you curious about things around you? Do you wonder why somebody loves a brand while somebody else hates the same brand? Do you wonder how long somebody spends at a shop and what do they do there? Very good. You have the basic qualification to be a market researcher. 2) Are you detail-oriented? Can you cross the ts and dot the is? can you look at a set of things and notice their similarities and differences? 3) Can you also look at the forest, having examined a tree in detail? And, take a holistic look? 4) And, now, can you stand up and tell the story of what you learned from your examination of the individual trees as well as the massive forest?

In my experience, getting into the market research field was accidental. I remember watching a live beauty pageant on TV and the judges were being unfair in their adjudication, and the audience were grumbling. I also saw the imbalance and felt the audience should be the ones making the judgement call. That was when the idea of conducting research to solve issues came to my mind. So, my take: 1) Have a hunger for research 2) Chase it vigorously 3) Study about research methods and how to deliver result-oriented solutions 4) Sign up with professional associations and be active 5) Get a mentor or work in a research firm where you can grow your expertise 6) Get more knowledge and expand your scope. The field is constantly widening!

Mentoring is very powerful. To make mentorship successful I suggest to follow several principles - align on the schedule to meet and check the progress (monthly meeting can be a good option) - align on the objectives of mentorship (what you want to achieved and what type of support you are seeking) - be prepared for each session (spend time before mentorship session to work on the inputs you collected on the previous session) Success is in your hands, mentor is only the person who might assure an easier access to the valuable insights be being nearby, emotional supporting you and answering questions.

Having a mentor and even being a mentor help in discussing marketing research at length and gaining more ideas, insights and knowledge about the industry. I personally found LinkedIn to be a great tool to connect with potential mentors and mentees in this field. It’s a win-win, because by guiding others you learn more, and you learn by being given guidance as well. You can understand the scope of your field from senior mentors and what all you could pursue, because they have more exposure than you do. You are not compelled to take their guidance - you only do that if it’s in your interests. Plus, mentors often become great friends and supporters and referral sources.

Start by identifying professionals with expertise in marketing research that you want to improve. Attend industry events, join online forums, or use LinkedIn to connect with potential mentors. Approach them respectfully, expressing your interest in learning from their experience. Seek guidance on specific areas of marketing research, ask insightful questions, and actively implement the feedback you receive. Establish a consistent communication schedule to receive ongoing mentorship and stay updated on industry trends. A mentor can provide valuable insights, share real-world experiences, and help accelerate your growth in marketing research.

Shadow someone interviewing customers to get an idea of how to conduct the conversations. You'll want to record the convo and have it transcribed so you're not trying to take notes and talk with them at the same time. Keep the conversation flowing.

Finding a mentor in marketing research provides personalized guidance, helping you navigate complex methodologies and industry nuances. A mentor offers real-world insights, shares practical experiences, and accelerates your learning curve. Through their expertise, you gain a deeper understanding of effective research strategies and develop a valuable network within the marketing research field. In essence, a mentor becomes a catalyst for honing your skills and achieving professional excellence.

There are many new platforms that allow to run pilot tests to understand better the field of the outputs they provide. Take a shot! Try it out yourself. Only by doing, you can learn pros and cons of each method and be a person who can guide the decision making process at the later phase when you have a real project to act on.

Para n?o enviesar as respostas da sua pesquisa e ter resultados com qualidade, preste aten??o nestes 3Cs! COA??O: quando o entrevistado capta a resposta que você quer ouvir, ele se sente coagido a responde-la. O mesmo vale se você induzir a resposta. CONSTRANGIMENTO: existem perguntas que as pessoas podem n?o responder com sinceridade por sentirem vergonha. Ex: você faz doa??o para a caridade? CONFLITO DE INTERESSES: quando a resposta indica uma a??o que prejudica o próprio respondente, como por exemplo, avaliar um produto como "mais caro".

In my experience, keen consumer behaviour observations and curiosity makes for a great researcher. You should definitely try to pose a problem statement in mind and draft a questionnaire of how you would approach it. Even if you float it around in your circle and get 50 responses, the exercise and the analysis thereafter would give a huge boost to your research acumen

Nothing will be more helpful to you than conducting research on your own customers. This gives you your own unique data to pull from and you're not having to rely on blog posts written by some software company that has nothing to do with your business.

Engaging in self-conducted research enhances marketing skills by providing hands-on experience in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. It cultivates a deeper understanding of industry trends, consumer behavior, and competitor landscapes. Taking charge of your research empowers you to tailor inquiries to specific business needs, fostering a proactive and insightful approach to marketing strategy. Ultimately, hands-on research hones critical thinking and problem-solving skills crucial for effective decision-making in the dynamic field of marketing.

To stay informed about the latest developments in the research market, it is beneficial to actively participate in conferences, webinars, and keep up with relevant articles and case studies. By attending these events and engaging with industry experts, you can gain valuable insights and stay up to date with the latest trends and advancements in the field of research. You can start small - subscribe to the most reputable organizations that are proactively sharing information such as greenbook, esomar, Merlien, Quirks or others

Market research has moved from being confined to a select few to now being used by many... Thanks to online surveys. There are various tools that help you in various stages - scripting tools, analysis tools, reporting tools, etc. Keep abreast with new tools and offerings by subscribing to market research websites, attending seminars, doing your online research, etc.

Para encontrar suas próprias tendências, busque entender quais s?o os problemas de hoje que precisam ser resolvidos ou quais impactos causaram as solu??es que acabaram de chegar ao mercado.

Staying updated with trends in the ever-evolving digital landscape is crucial for anyone involved in marketing or technology-driven roles. Here's how you can stay on top of trends: -Regularly read industry-specific publications, blogs, and news websites to stay informed about the latest developments and trends. - Follow reputable marketing blogs, such as HubSpot, Moz, and Neil Patel's blog, for insights and analyses - Follow industry leaders, influencers, and companies on social media platforms - Attend industry conferences, workshops,to gain firsthand knowledge from experts and thought leaders -Subscribe to podcasts these often feature interviews with industry experts and discussions on emerging strategies. Keep always your eyes open!

- You can encourage customers to share creative ideas through fun surveys or games, and use new technologies like AR (Augmented Reality) or VR (Virtual Reality) to make providing feedback easy and enjoyable. This simple approach can spark innovation in consumer feedback.

Seeking feedback plays a crucial role in enhancing marketing research skills. Feedback provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your research methods, the quality of your analysis, and the relevance of your findings. By actively seeking feedback from peers, mentors, or those familiar with the subject matters.

- One thing can be found useful for consumer acceptance of our new product is to, consider discreetly offering free samples to close acquaintances without prior notification. Encourage them to share their honest views and personal experiences, fostering a candid and unbiased perspective.

If I want to segment marketing plan, marketing research is a first step of marketing plan. In my opinion, the most important thing we should consider is to learn and study about the market you work in it. Every successful target in marketing plan comes from the amount of our knowledge and skills on field. Beside, we need to get help from mentor, peer, expertise and so on. Every marketing pals takes atleast one year to be completed. In conclusion, nothing beats hands-on experience when it comes to learning marketing research.

Key thing I realized being Quant is understanding the delta, the change in variables you are considering. Most of the growth insights are unlocked when a researcher compares differences and rates of change.

Be curious, keep learning, ask for opportunities where you can learn and develop new skills. Throughout my career this is basically the way I have learnt new skills: always asking for a new experience without being an expert on it, having a curiosity mindset and look for space to learn all around. Dont be afraid to go to unknown places, if you keep going, what’s unknown now will be familiar in the near future.