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Lisa Shepherd

on some industries and markets, and next to none on
others—particularly at the level of depth you’ll need in order
to get a solid understanding of customers.

Because of this, I usually start the customer assessment
process by searching online to see what’s available—published
reports can be useful as a starting point for areas you’re not
familiar with (e.g. a new geography or sector)—but be prepared
to also do research on your own.

Also consider using your networks on social media such as
Twitter, LinkedIn Groups, Google+, or Facebook to identify
secondary data and reports that can be useful to you.

Sources to consider for secondary research: industry
associations, local boards of trade, chambers of commerce,
government bodies, and the general media (newspaper/
magazine articles, etc).

Tip: If you’re considering buying a report, ask for a sample
in advance. Reports can sound great in the title/abstract but
can let you down in the content—seeing four or five pages
will give you a better sense of what you’re buying.

Primary Research

Primary research is at the heart of successful marketing
strategy. It provides the necessary depth of insight. There are
five steps to getting valuable customer insight.

Step One—What do you need to know?

Identify what information you want. Put a guideline together to
structure your discussions with customers, prospects, and others.
It will ensure you collect and capture all the great information
you’re about to hear. Here are the basic areas to investigate:

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© 2012 Lisa Shepherd