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Customer Research
– talking to your customers (and prospects) is the starting point for any business. The information you gain is gold dust. One of the benefits of using a 3rd party to conduct customer research is that all too often your customers will tell you what you want to hear which leads to inaccurate results and lack of action. We have found that talking to an external agency, such as Darver, will give you much more accurate feedback, and we don’t just accept “Yes” or “No” answers. Knowing why your customers bought from you in the first place, why they continue to do so and what they like or dislike about your products / service are some of the key areas we cover during any customer research. You should also consider contacting “past” customers to find out why they left you – this information is really powerful!
There is also one further very important benefit that we guarantee you will get feedback on - your existing customers (and even some past customers) will acknowledge and compliment you on taking the trouble to find out how you can improve the service/product that you offer for their benefit. It happens every time we carry out customer research for our clients and creates a positive talking point!
"We found the research from Darver invaluable, the results of which we continue to use today in our business strategy. The intelligence gained from the competitor research gave a very useful insight into our own strengths that we need to exploit - reinforcing what we suspected but didn't know for sure. The client research helped to emphasise where we need to focus our marketing efforts to increase awareness of our areas of expertise, the range of services we offer and to build our brand in the market. An unexpected benefit of the research was the positive feedback we received from clients who appreciated that we were making the effort to find out how we can improve our services for their benefit.
A neutrals view of our business environment resulted in unbiased and objective feedback which is essential. Highly recommended." Brian Hughes, Brady Hughes Consulting, Drogheda
Competitor Research
– you probably know who your competition is. But when was the last time you analysed them fully to see how their “package” compares to yours? When was the last time you put yourself in the shoes of your customers / prospects to see why they may choose business A instead of your business? We have developed what we consider to be the most practical analysis of your business and your competitors businesses as seen through the eyes of your target market(s). Using a simple scoring mechanism we will identify which businesses, from a marketing success perspective, are most likely to attract the greatest amount of business. You will receive our Competitor Analysis Report detailing where your business ranks compared to your competitors and learn what key marketing “assets” your competitors deploy.
When was the last time you compared your competitors prices? When was the last time you visited your competitors to see what they are saying, how their business is fairing, what their level of service is, how do they treat their customers? This type of information is invaluable – you need to ensure that your business is at least doing as much as your competitors and ideally a whole lot more.
“The research conducted by Darver provided us with focused, practical and achievable actions needed over the short and medium term to ensure the practice continued on it’s growth path. It’s easy to become complacent and any business that doesn’t listen to it’s customers and employees as well as taking a detailed look at their competitors is a business going backwards.
Understanding the need of your customers and how successful you are at meeting their needs is key to both customer retention and attracting new business. The research feedback provided lots of positives as well as some obvious areas of opportunity" Gerry Heaney, Claremount Accountants, Derry
Staff / Employee Research
– why do you need to conduct staff / employee research? This is a question that is not that uncommon. Here’s why it’s important…..even the very best businesses will attract criticism from customers, no matter how petty it might seem. The reality is that petty as it might be, if you don’t take action then you risk losing customers. What we can virtually guarantee is that whatever frustrations your customers experience, they will nearly always be as a result of a “fault” within your business which your staff will also experience as a frustration in their jobs. It may be as simple as “always late with the delivery”, but you can be certain that this causes a frustration for your customers and that your staff also experience the frustration of listening to the complaints from the customer. Therefore, now that the problem is highlighted, fix it and you get several benefits – firstly your customers are happy, they stay longer, they tell others about your new improved service, your staff are happy, less staff turnover, less time wasted resolving late deliveries and you almost certainly have reduced your costs through inefficient practices.
The final point about staff / employee research is that if there is a problem that needs to be fixed, it’s the staff who usually have the best solution. They are also the best people to implement the solution, so their involvement in the research process is essential.
The Marketing Audit
– the purpose of the Audit is to take a detailed look at where the business is today, how it got there, what your aspirations are for the business, what are the current marketing strategies in place to help you meet those aspirations and what are the current challenges facing the business. Armed with this information we can:
- Analyse your existing marketing strategies
- Recommend improvements to existing marketing strategies
- Identify additional marketing strategies that can and should be implemented, and why
Industry Research
– depending on the type of industries you work in there may be a need to acquire a greater understanding of trends, size, dynamics, distribution channels, niche areas, key players, export opportunities (click here for further information on our Export services), regional variances, price, product/service characteristics and much more. All these issues are covered during our initial consultation to establish any requirements that may exist to further support the specific customer, competitor and staff / employee research.
Research Results Report
At the end of the research, we will make a presentation to you highlighting the key areas – strengths to be exploited, weaknesses to be addressed, opportunities that exist and threats that you should be aware of. In addition to the presentation you will also receive a comprehensive but structured and actionable Research Results Report containing all the details of the research, references, conclusions and actionable recommendations. In other words, all the information needed to aid future business planning, strategic direction and any immediate priorities.
What type of business would benefit from this service?
We have completed this service for businesses of all sizes, from start-up small business, 5+ employees, 50+ employees up to Multi National businesses in all sectors through manufacturing, professional services, retail, IT, food and more. While some businesses require the full research others require just one aspect such as competitor research or a combination of two or more research areas. The service is completely flexible to meet your needs – custom market research you might call it - the key is to identify what your main issues/challenges currently are and then determine which research will provide you with the information needed to ensure your business takes the correct decisions.
The Next Step...
If you would like further information on any of the above service, or are ready to take the first step towards gaining competitive advantage, then please click here, leave your details and we will contact you, or alternatively call today on 042 9382354 and we will answer any questions you have and explain the service in more detail.
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