When it is developed, planned, administered and analyzed properly, a market research interview process is an incredibly valuable source of customer intelligence. Market research interviews are still widely used to capture insights today because they produce relevant results for improving decision making in several common business situations. Areas such as product development, marketing campaigns, sales training, customer service, and the list goes on.
Naturally, finding a suitable target audience is a key piece of the puzzle. But before looking at potential participant sources, it is worthwhile identifying where not to look. By eliminating bad sources of respondent sourcing, you can save time and money while focusing your efforts on the right target audience.
First, do not ask family members or friends. Yes, some of them may be willing to help, but the chances that your family and friends represent the target audience your market research is going after is slim. Even if they are correct for your research goals, this pool of candidates is simply too small and not representative of your whole audience.
Second, tapping suppliers, vendors, or existing customers is not the most relevant audience for many business situations. They might feel obligated to “sugar coat” their answers; not necessarily because they want to be deceptive, but because they already have a relationship with you so it will alter their point of view compared to others.
So, now that you know that it is unwise to ask friends, family members, or other people who have an obvious and unavoidable bias towards you, where can you turn for market research interview samples? The best way is to partner with an experienced and reputable marketing research firm that can source high quality respondents by:
- Leveraging industry partner relationships
- Telephone sampling
- Online sampling
- Sourcing lists internally
- A mix of multiple sources
A marketing research agency can take your research questions and determine the right population to source from. Then they can use their expertise and connections to find the best sourcing methods based on your data gathering needs, timeframe, budget, etc.
Learn More
To learn more about the elements and strategies that go into an effective and ultimately profitable marketing research interview process, contact the Communications For Research team today. We have in-depth experience in this area, and know what works – and just as importantly, what does not work – when it comes to finding the right samples. Our experience is your advantage:
