I hear it all the time: we've got no money to pay for good data! This is the response to the questions about the basis for designing and offering (service or product) in addition to the pricing, distribution and communications strategies. Yes, it does appear that folks would rather go with their instincts than make fully informed decisions and strategies.
Necessary? I don't believe so. While I love doing market research to fully understand the needs, wants, interests and characteristics of a prospective customer (aka client or beneficiary) and even more love learning about that prospects alternatives to the offering you would like to provide, there are some softer-cost approaches that can compliment the cost of a fancy consultant like myself.
Here's two. First, if you have email addresses or can get them, develop a Survey Monkey survey -- reasonably simple to construct, little or no cost for compilation -- you just do the analysis. Next, there are a whole lot of undergrad and grad students taking survey and interview and data collection courses. You can be one of their projects. Yes, you have to be very specific about what you want to know and very time aware and maybe even adding more hands-on management. But in the end, you might be surprised by what you can learn and maybe even build some new constituents for your organization.
Don't make market decisions without understanding your market. Data is way cheaper than the alternative of developing an offering and having no one show up.
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