Growth hints and hacks for Research & Insight

And so we are off again! Just a week or so after the Grand National here in the UK, and the new financial year is accelerating away. I'm not a betting person - I prefer plans, processes and a modicum of certainty - but there is always that frisson of excitement as you pass the starting line - are you going to keep in the pack, make an early break or fall at the first?

As we adjust to Quarter One (or Two or maybe even Three or Four!) and start benchmarking commercial wins and achievements, now is a good time to have a think about what's really working in your Market Research and Insight agency. Are there things you're doing really well and what are there things you could be doing better (and there is always something!)?

Here are my latest thoughts and musings about how to make sure that in just under twelve months time, you and your research agency is in the final straight, and may be even in a with a chance to be first past the post! Enjoy as you sip a coffee or collect your thoughts!

3 tips for engaging B2B buyers

The market research and insight agencies that I see doing well, in terms of revenue and growth, all do one thing really effectively. They influence the buying processes of Heads of Insight and their teams, way before the point that they even know there is a brief or an opportunity. How do they do this? They generate brand salience for their agencies using smart marketing and brand-building techniques. As a result, when a client or prospect does have brief, their agency is in the mix and consideration set.

These three tips give you some very straightforward ways in which you, as a leader in a research and insight agency, can help build that approach and create more growth momentum in your business. Why wouldn't you? Read More

How productive are you?

How can we improve productivity and create the route to growth for our market research and insight agencies? One story I like to tell, that aligns with this article's position that we do too much performative work, is from when I set up my business eleven years ago.

I found that I was much quicker in delivering work to client, once I was out of businesses where lots of low-value but presentational effort was required. When I work with agencies or end-clients to look at how they can improve their growth trajectories, we look at how you can manage colleagues, the overall culture of your business, and its structure. Get these three pillars right, add in some consistent and effective brand-building and sales activation and you can materially improve your agency's growth. How much time are you distracted yourself, or are you distracting your teams completing performative work.

Sales & marketing alignment

I am continuing with my campaign to get market research and insight agencies behaving in a more savvy way when it comes to sales and marketing processes and approaches - and your Go to Market (GTM) is a key part of that...

This article has some great tips and tricks for how you can help your teams be better at marketing and selling to existing or new clients. Even acknowledging the challenges that most agencies have with the "seller-doer" approach to client engagement, there is stuff here that will help your teams. For example - actually have data (maybe via a simple CRM) that says what client engagement and communication there has been in a given period and having a regular meeting with the account team to review what can be done next...If you have any questions or want to talk about how you can do this, as a leader in your market research and insight agencies, get in touch... Read Now

What's your story?

When was the last time you read a bedtime story? My lads are now way too old (they tell me that they'll be more likely to be reading to me, due to my great age!). Storytelling is what sets us apart - never underestimate the power of a great story!

I'm not suggesting you pick up your old copy of the "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" but storytelling capability is going to be key to the evolution of your research and insight agency as we differentiate ourselves and overcome (and live alongside) the arrival of AI.

In this insightful article, the CEO of LinkedIn, Ryan Roslansky says 'Jobs are changing on you even if you're not changing jobs' and so finding a way to share your story as a business and embrace what makes you unique is the way to keep moving forward. How do you tell your agency's story - and how to do you use storytelling to add value to your clients??Read More

Get in touch with Paul

Mobile:?07711344074

Email:?[email protected]

Website:?www.clientadvocates.co.uk