15 keys to a successful relationship with your qualitative researcher

How to be a better client

Editor’s note: Diane M. Harris is president of D.M. Harris Associates, a Butler, Pa., research firm.

Have you ever thought about how you would rate if your suppliers graded you as a client? Ever speculate on what your suppliers are saying about your skill at managing projects and supplier relations? If you are a supplier, have you ever wanted to tell your client how they could improve as a client? More importantly, how do the answers to these questions impact your ability to maximize the value of your research projects?

An interesting phenomenon is taking place in the world of market research: A knowledge shift is occurring. I come to this realization as I finish a four-year term on the board of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), including a year as president of the QRCA. This experience has given me a much broader view of the industry, as has my attendance at conferences this year with five different market research associations.

Some industry trends that I learned about at these conferences got me thinking about client-supplier relations. Now more then ever before, many research suppliers have greater experience and knowledge about research and the research process than do many clients. This is a product of corporate downsizing that has seen the elimination of many experienced, senior research manager positions. This has spawned an environment where research suppliers are often in a situation where the buyer is less knowledgeable about research methodologies than the supplier.

If you buy or contract for research, especially qualitative research, please read on. This is for you, the research buyer or end user of the research. (If you are a supplier, I invite you to share this article with your clients.) As a client, you are continually making decisions about what supplier to use, whether they are meeting your needs and are a good fit for your organization, etc. Many articles have been written about what to look for in a qualitative research supplier. However, I have seen none written about how to improve the client-supplier relationship by being an even better client.

Why is it important to be the best client you can be? Simply because the better the business relationship between client and qualitative researcher (QR), the easier it will be to work together over time, as QRs will be better able to anticipate client needs and desires and maximize the value they can add to the client’s enterprise. In addition, building a long-term, trusting relationship will provide more efficiency for the client, in terms of both time and money.

A client’s actions or inactions can have a big impact on both the quality of the research product and client/QR relations. Making sure that a QR has everything they need from you as a client will optimize both the effectiveness of the research and the QR’s ability to add maximum value to your project.

Be a good client

With those thoughts in mind, I have asked some of my most experienced and respected colleagues, both within and outside of the QRCA, for their thoughts on what makes an ideal client. Through the compilation of their input as well as my own personal thoughts, the following are 15 tips on how to be a great client:

1. In the field of qualitative research there are consultants and there are moderators. It is important for you to know which you need and how your QRs view themselves. Consultants prefer to be involved in all stages of the project from design to presenting findings with actionable recommendations. They truly want to team up and consult with you to strengthen your research outcomes. Moderators are more interested in simply doing the interviewing and maybe writing a report of the findings. You will be more effective if you first decide which you need to hire. Ask potential QRs which category they fall under and, if they are capable of doing both, whether they prefer to act as a consultant for an entire project or only moderate.

2. Be clear about your research objectives and intended use of the findings and present them in writing when the RFP is given to the QR. It is extremely helpful to know ahead of time who is going to use this information, when and for what purpose. Do not be afraid to ask your end user (brand manager, product developer, etc.) how they intend to use the findings as this will help you identify and design the best research methodology. A great client will take the time to clarify and share with the QR the stated project objectives as well as the hidden or sidebar agendas which most projects always have, e.g., “While we’re doing these groups on strategic positioning, the ad agency wants to show this new idea.” This helps with time management during the interview to know in advance what the issues are that the client is paying to discover, versus the information someone in the company or team wants “for free.”

3. Once you have established the objectives and use of the research with your internal team then you are prepared to call QRs. If you are unsure of what or how to achieve your goal, consider calling one trusted qualitative research consultant to help you think through the following questions. Ask yourself and your end user these questions and put the answers in writing in your research request:

• Which type of research is most appropriate for the project: qualitative, quantitative or both?
• Who will be the respondents and in what incidence do they occur in the geographic area where the interviewing will take place?
• Where and how will the research be conducted?
• How many interviews will be minimally needed?
• What is the budget?
• When is the data needed? In most cases, the more time to plan, the better the results.
• What stimulus or background material will be needed? Provide the stimulus material well ahead of time. Providing the QR relevant background documents helps place the project in a broader context and allows them to play the more important role of consultant rather than moderator. Too many projects have had to be postponed because the creative, prototypes or concepts were not done on time.

4. Allow enough time to do a project right. We all know many projects happen on the spur of the moment. Even so, allowing enough time to plan, recruit and execute will save money and time in the long run. There will be fewer mistakes that need to be corrected and you’ll be much less likely to lose important information. My years of experience in the research industry have shown me that haste can truly create waste.

5. Permit the QR access to the end user of the research. A skilled qualitative researcher will deliver more insights if they are able to first interview the end user and ascertain all the nuances of a project prior to writing the discussion guide. This minimizes the risk of information not being uncovered and the risk of the QR saying later “If I had known________ahead of time we would have done things differently.”

6. Respect that the QR may have more qualitative research knowledge and experience than you do. Take advantage of their knowledge and experience to benefit your project. This is especially true if they are a member of QRCA and have attended the annual QRCA conferences as they have sought out the latest thinking in the field of qualitative research which they will be able to bring to your business. Similarly, let the QR make suggestions about methodology prior to fielding the research.

7. Treat your QRs as business partners. Even though they don’t have an office in the cubicle down the hall, most qualitative research consultants want to establish a working relationship that is built on trust and respect. The ideal client works with the QR on the project schedule, respects their opinion, and is honest with a QR about shortcomings or why they might have lost a given project. The respected client will coach QRs on the company’s culture, helping them to look good to others in the company just as the QR is working to make the client look good by delivering excellent research.

8. Be flexible. If you’ve spent any time in market research you know things change in a minute. A researcher has to live life on their toes and be able to change in a moment’s notice. Expect it of yourself and your QRs.

9. Be honest. It will benefit you and the research if you tell QRs what you know and don’t know, and leave your ego behind. Remember qualitative researchers are skilled at reading people and can tell when you’re faking it, so come clean if you feel overwhelmed. A professional consultant will respect and appreciate that honesty and help you even more. For example, if management wants you to do something you’ve never done before, having that information will help the QR know at what level to start their work for you.

10. Be reasonable and fair. Not every project goes smoothly and when you least expect it, things will go wrong. They are often out of anyone’s individual control, e.g., respondents lying about their usage habits just to get in the group. Great clients work with the situation and reveal their true character in disaster management. They recognize the pitfalls of the industry and strive for perfection, but at the same time are realists. Rather than trashing a QR, work through problems so your relationship and understanding of how each other works will deepen, thus building a reliable team for your business.

11. Give feedback voluntarily. Give it constructively and have the motivation to help the QR grow as an individual. It probably is part of your job to have dependable research QRs at your fingertips, so why not spend time developing those with whom you feel a measure of comfort? Most clients get formal performance evaluations from their superiors on an annual basis so they know where they stand and can set goals for their future growth. Most qualitative researchers work alone or in a small group. There are few opportunities to formally obtain feedback. Recognize the need for these independent QRs to know where they stand with you, to hear constructively whether or not there are opportunities for them with your business in the future, and what they need to do to win your business.

12. Keep the passion for excellence on the front burner. Weave this passion through everything you do and do not settle for “good enough.” At the same time, recognize we’re all human, so expect growth, not perfection. The research will be better, and you and your QR relationship will grow because of it.

13. Pay out-of-pocket costs up front. This is an increasingly difficult problem for QRs as incentives, especially for projects with professionals like physicians and executives, have gotten very expensive. It is important to recognize that most qualitative researchers are small, independent business owners with limited cash flow for up-front project costs, i.e., incentives, travel, facility rental and recruiting. Most, if not all, of these costs are required to be paid before the interviews actually take place. Some excellent qualitative research consultants have had to take out second mortgages to establish a line of credit to front these costs during very busy times amid exceptionally slow payment by clients. Therefore, a responsible company will recognize it is their responsibility, not the QR’s, to advance payments for these costs. Please be an advocate within your company for the small suppliers.

14. Pay on time. If you’re a large company, your accounts payable department may not know the qualitative research supplier is a very small business and needs special consideration when being paid. Holding payment 31 days or longer is unacceptable and in the long run the client will incur more costs because QRs may build in carrying charges.

15. Last, but definitely not least, keep your sense of humor. The business of market research can be unpredictable and having a sense of humor may be your strongest asset.

Strengthen relationships

So what’s your grade as a client? I hope you’ve found this perspective useful and that it will help you to strengthen your business relationship(s) with your qualitative research supplier(s). The bottom line is that the results of your research projects will be better for it. I would like to thank you on behalf of all independent qualitative researchers (at least 3,000 strong) for the opportunity to help you maximize the value of your research resources by helping supplier relations be the best they can be.