One of our favorite tools is to track what pages our clients skip to when reading one of our reports, and without a doubt, the most popular pages are the unredacted, open-end text and videos from actual prospects and clients. While this type of insight provides great story-board material and emotional responses, it can miss the mark if it doesn’t result in action. As market researchers, decision insights analysts, and data translators know all too well, insights are only fruitful if they result in actual change. What are some things the very best insights professionals do? We listed 4 of them here:
- Foster engagement from data across the organization
This one is first for a reason; it is challenging to rally ENGAGEMENT based on data. B-to-B Insights professionals must pull data from multiple sources throughout an organization. In many organizations this includes Google analytics, marketing platforms, IoT sensor data, and market research. The data sources likely lie in various departments throughout the organization but require a single, cohesive strategy to combine them, translate, and turn them into progress.
- Drive decisions from insights
Professional data and insights experts understand that decisions must have support from data. Too often, “gut feeling” senior executives take over decision making with little or no data to back up their findings. Building support to focus on data, not personalities, can ensure decisions come from sound insights and not egos.
- Push for change
The reality is, people often don’t want to change, and don’t want to listen to the data. They will go to great lengths to explain it away. They will criticize the tool, the analysis, and ultimately the messenger him/herself before changing. Successful insights professionals creatively share data in more engaging ways allowing decision makers to clearly understand the information and the potential impact future decision making.
- Focus on growth
Insights need to focus on growth or loss aversion, and if they are not providing tangible results, examine the methodologies. B-to-B Insights professionals need a laser-like focus on growth for the company, providing insights that can help increase brand awareness and the success of new product launches – it is the only elixir that can fight off the cost-cutters when looking at what to reduce and eliminate.
Often times end clients come to us with “a need for research” but without clear direction as to the decisions that will be made from the research. In many instances the information believed necessary is already being captured via another source. Insights professionals need to thoughtfully and confidently review all information currently available, carefully navigate their organizations to understand the information required for decision making, gather new relevant information, and synthesize all insights into a meaningful report that will make or save their organization money. True insights professionals understand their role is far more complex than simply understanding how to use survey software or conduct a Google search and embrace the daily challenges with enthusiasm and optimism for the future.