What market research skills do you need to stay ahead?

It's not just the analytical skills, although important. It's being able to connect the findings to the larger context of the business. Put yourself in your client's position and think through questions they'll have and make sure you have answers. Envision the information they need to make a decision and make sure the analysis covers it. Understand the weaknesses in the analysis or in the underlying data and be prepared to address concerns.

The biggest skill one needs in Market Research is empathy. It is why I favor Ethnography when it comes to finding deep consumer insights on which your brand can be based. And now, with everyone pouring their hearts out on social media, Nethnography gives you access to your target consumer's heart without even needing to ask them questions. Observe with empathy. Key 'obvious emotional truths' follow just by connecting the dots. You don't need to over-analyze data. Curiosity, common sense, and empathy will suffice. And of course, that's true. Common sense is not very common.

The basis of all analysis should be "to help make a decision". There is difference between results and insights. Don't just serve the data/findings...tell your clients 'how it matters/can help their business goals'. They are interested in 'actionable' insights i.e. anything that can help them make a business decision. Try to triangulate your insight from multiple data and specify any assumptions. If the recommendation fails, everyone will first cross-check the analysis and data. So, be through and precise in each step of the collection, analysis, and insights phase.

Firstly, try understanding the Business requirement and what problem needs to be solved. Understanding the issue at hand requires good conversation skills. The next step comes as plan the methodology. Draft Questionnaire or discussion guide. Analyze the data. Make decisions.

In my opinion, critical thinking can be an essential skill in every research.Critical thinking and creativity can involve analyzing the information and create arguments. Be mindful and analyze thoughtfully. It is also important for a person to understand how to use available online resources which can help him/her to understand better. There is no shortcut to learning new things. Even if you fail to get the desired results, accept it and understand the reason to improve your work

I agree that strong communication relies on our ability to tailor the message according to the intended audience (i.e., executives, cross-functional teams, stakeholders, clients, etc.). Creating compelling, easy-to-interpret charts, graphics & dashboards to accompany the often complex, aggregated data is crucial when developing a successful research narrative or "storyline." It's also important for the researcher to possess a larger, and in-depth understanding of the broader business, and leveraging these expertise to accompany key details & insights— summing up the "story" with actionable intel to promote data-driven decision making & prioritize initiatives while outlining how it can be applied strategically to drive positive outcomes.

A key skill to finetune is storytelling – The ability to convey the message/research outcome through engaging narrative. While fact filled talk and data tables/charts have their place, nothing is as powerful as a presentation which advances a story line that has implications for strategy. An enabler of good storytelling is proper understanding of business. So that, one can harness available data and convey what does data tell about a particular business challenge through a meaningful narrative.

Research is all about delving deeper into any area in order to understand the nuances of the same. In market research, I believe, for an effective and in-depth analysis one should first understand the purpose or goal of the study and basis that different skills can be applied. Let’s say if a research study is related to any emerging technology in the market I think technical skills along with other skills can help to get the outcome needed. One skill, I guess can work in tandem with other skills. Also any analyst is a creator because in the end he/she is coming with ideas or outcomes that can best suit any business.

In my experience- this is challenge for the best of us. Knowing what clicks for some or resonates for others is a communication choice that can lead to extra amazing amplification of a critical fact or trend. Being concise with the data collected with a specific CTA in mind is the best approach.

I think one of the important skills would be to communicate across the aisle. With people becoming so specialized in their work, there is an automatic trend to group within similar people. However, for a business to be successful, cross communication becomes critical than ever, or else a business is doomed to focus on local goal compared to the true business goals.

I started my career 30+ years ago as a qualitative and quantitative researcher. Which meant interviewing people and asking them questions. Voice of consumer data was considered the only valid source of data for consumer insight. Today, I study consumer surround, text reading based on semiotics. I don't talk to consumers at all. Critical thinking skills are the absolute foundation for semiotic decoding of texts. Done well, it can be as insightful if not more insightful than voice of consumer, even in predicting what will appeal and what will not. Today market research can be done in many different ways, using data from many different sources. Asking questions from consumers is just one way.

Don't fall in the trap of compliments. Especially as an entrepreneur where you are heavily invested in your idea it is important to keep reflective when conducting your market research. Most people try not to hurt your feelings, so they lie. It is super important that you choose your questions carefully, because you can easily ask in a way so you fool yourself. Put very simple: don't ask if somebody like your product or services, but ask what challenges/problems they are trying to solve. When people are buying/willing to buy then you know your product meets a need. Everything up until that point is fluff. Stay self-critical and do not settle with compliments

I think critical thinking or CT is most important for business development and economic growth. Different skills of market research provide different views from their own analytical perspectives. In case of CT, this is the bird's eye view or review of each & every aspects for business success.

The ability to formulate the right questions that count in order to understand which variables must be analized . It's a philosopher's task

Having an Eagle's eye is a must for a marketer. Being a keen observant will help you to connect the dots and help you in making informed decisions. Doubt brings us closer to reality. Unless you question and counter the data you cannot ensure the feasibility of the survey.

Creativity in research is about going beneath the skin and understanding what really motivates people - then applying that to solve the business problem.

Creativity is literally the cornerstone of a market researcher. What else would motivate me to construct surveys, learn new programming skills and be literally the source of continuous learning if not my creativity and desire to deliver the best for my clients?

If market research would tell you something you already know, you did not need to conduct it. That is why we need creativity in this field. We really need the creative skills to understand the real need that is deeply buried in customer's mind. It can be the question we ask to provoke the correct response, the discussion that is managed with high level of purpose ahead, or the analytical technique that will uncover the truth (or the nearest point to it)

Throughout my diverse experiences, I've come to appreciate the profound role of creativity in market research ??. It's not just about brainstorming; it's about seeing solutions where others might see obstacles. In the ever-changing landscape of startups, embracing uncertainty and ambiguity has become my playground for creative problem-solving. Constantly working under the cloud of uncertainty has honed my improvisation skills, and I've learned to always have multiple paths to solve the complex challenges startups face. I've come to understand that in the world of startups, letting creativity fuel your journey is the key to innovative and sustainable success. ???? #CreativeProblemSolving #Innovation #StartupJourney

Two powerful opportunities: 1. How to get the information needed to drive action in a reliable yet agile way. Can you use existing data differently, can you rely on a fan community, can you mine receipt data instead of doing a follow up? 2. How to share newly acquired information in a way that is intuitive and easy to understand. Data visualization is the obvious one, but even when it comes to more traditional attitudes/usage surveys. For example: Instead of an hour long, one way presentation with 75 slides on how gen z views food, perhaps create a gen Z persona and have it send bite sized content on how it views food every day for the week. People are more likely to remember and retain it.

As everyone is saying today - AI will not replace you, people who use AI will - it is a wide recommendation for everyone to scan the available AI platforms in their fields and see how they can use them to improve themselves. Give one hour a week to improve yourself and learn new skills - it will be worth it in the long term - and does not need to be that expensive. I sometime share some of these tools on my posts, but others do so as well - talk to opinion leaders and experts in these platforms, do not stay behind, it will take you exponential effort to make it up later on!

Market researchers can benefit from AI by having repetitive work automated. AI can be used, for example, to create chatbots that gather data and automated reporting.

When it comes to consumer insights based market research, it is essential to get familiar with the basic usage of technical tools such as SPSS and Qualtrics along with some analytical skills such as intermediate level statistical methodologies/concepts. Irrespective of whichever softwares' your employer has license to, knowing the above technical and analytical skills will set you up for success; in order to be able to work effectively and efficiently with the available tools in your organization. These can be learnt on LinkedIn Learning (for SPSS and beginner-intermediate Statistics) and Qualtrics platform itself (for Qualtrics)

AI has emerged as a powerful tool in market research. AI algorithms can process vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, enabling researchers to uncover hidden patterns and trends. By automating repetitive tasks such as data cleaning and analysis, AI frees up researchers’ time, allowing them to focus on higher-level tasks that require human analytical thinking. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can also enhance customer engagement by providing personalized recommendations and support.

One of the most important skills is the knowledge of psychology models, especially if its Consumer behaviour research. The knowledge of different models and the ability to set the entire research on the basis of the model is critical. Some of the top research agencies have their own proprietary models like TNS has Needscope, Nielsen has Delta Qual.

One of my biggest clients once told me, "Bish, business is 80% relationships as long as you have technical & analytical credibility" , it made me think and when assessing my business relationships, it was no surprise to see the positive correlation between strong relationships & biz numbers. Interpersonal skills help you elevate relationships, appreciate the person's needs & requirements & tackle their business questions from their perspective, making you a partner instead of an "agency". Strong relationships help open more channels of communication on feedback, needs, budgets to make the work equally fruitful for all parties.

As resources are continually reduced, budgets are cut and margins are squeezed, you need interpersonal skills to get work done in spite of the restrictions. Relationships are the key to getting initiatives completed and inspiring teams, especially in challenging times, when all you have are people that you work with (not for) and ideas. By treating people with respect, listening intently and receiving and actioning feedback, you build trust - and with trust you can move mountains and no task is "impossible."

Emotional intelligence: Throughout my long career as a market researcher, which has involved thousands of interviews for both qualitative and quantitative projects across many countries and the writing of hundreds of reports, I have recognised the importance of Emotional Intelligence. Modern AI technologies can process enormous amounts of data and make correlation or multivariate analysis much faster than people, but they are unable to detect the subtle undercurrents of our human emotions, the unsaid thoughts hidden behind a stare or a gesture. As I've combed through quantitative data, it has frequently been human interactions, my genuine conversations, and actual observations that have given those statistics life and substance.

Once you’ve established yourself as a creative and thoughtful researcher, you need to build your relationships. I’ve always found that it’s easier to bring people to me by constantly presenting thought leadership, adding value to my client relationships, bringing new thoughts to the forefront. Add to your relationships by bringing fresh ideas, new ways to solve research puzzles and ways to promote your valued clients through speaking engagements or webinars.

As a client-side marketer, strong interpersonal skills are essential in order to effectively select, brief and manage market research agencies and suppliers. A poor brief will lead to poor output. This is especially important in smaller organisations where there may not be dedicated market research subject matter experts in-house but rather all-round marketing generalists.

The most important skill is the ability for researchers to roll up their sleeves in any situation, regardless of their experience. I have seen many researchers who moved up the corporate ladder, and decided that they don't want to be involved in execution anymore (e.g. they may not want to be involved in tasks like cleaning the data). Perhaps, their role might have evolved to management or client servicing and menial tasks might be passed on to junior researchers. I think it's really important to still know the on-the-ground work, and lead from the front even though you might be a director and beyond.

In addition to all that has been presented, to be good at marketing research you should also be able to take a macro view of the problem and not get bogged down with the details. I don't know what to call this skill, and for the want of a better term let me call this 'Macro Perspective Skill'. By developing this skill you will be able to address the underlying problem and not apply marketing research like a quick-fix solution.

The ability to strike real conversation with customers and non customers without any bias. Basic knowledge of statistics ... Knowing sample size of 30 usually is not enough to draw conclusions. Understanding the difference between quant and qual - analyze the quant data diligently however always asking why and look for close-the-loop evidence from qualitative approach.

Difficulty of any area is the separation of real life experiences from analysis that relies on just data and figures. All research had to be context specific , for market research in any area having a real life knowledge of the market and customers is critical. Having worked across FMCG and consultancy and then being in education , building my knowledge first hand of my customers has been critical for success in my research. Just my thoughts …

Researcher’s BIAS: It occurs when a researcher's personal beliefs, values, expectations, or preconceived notions about a subject or hypothesis unintentionally affect the research process, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of results. 1. Confirmation Bias: Confirms their existing beliefs or hypotheses while ignoring or information that contradicts 2. Selection Bias: Select participants or sources that are more likely to support their hypotheses or beliefs --> biased sample. Tactics to mitigate: 1. Acknowledgement of its existence being the first one. 2. Triangulation: Methodological, data, Theoretical & Researcher’s triangulation