Market research clashes with sales anecdotes. How will you navigate this conflicting data?

Las anécdotas de ventas contribuyen a la información que recopila la investigación de mercado, y deben ser consideradas como información de contexto. Es fundamental entender por qué podemos tener datos contradictorios, y utilizar dicha información en la formulación de investigaciones futuras, los datos tanto cuantitativos como cualitativos agregan valor y deben ser considerados, incluso cuando se ven contrarios, nos permitirán plantear las hipótesis adecuadas, para poder tener una mejor comprensión del problema que se está investigando.

First, let's simplify the question by taking a scenario. Market Research suggests that Customers prefer Product A, but your sales team says Product B is selling like hotcakes. So what's the catch and how do you decide which product to focus on? This could happen for a few reasons: - Research Missed a Key segment: Your market research may have focused on general consumer preferences - Sales techniques: Your sales team might be particularly skilled at promoting customers' decisions at the point of purchase. - External factors: Trends & momentary factors. The best way to go about this is incorporate what's working and boost your revenue in the meantime. Inflow of money never harmed any business :)

Marketing analytics achieves optimal results when it combines quantitative data, qualitative analysis, and intuition. Quantitative data provides measurable insights and trends, while qualitative analysis adds depth and context to these numbers. Intuition, rooted in experience and a deeper understanding of nuances, further enhances decision-making. However, each pillar has limitations and balancing these elements is key to an effective marketing analytics strategy.

Navigate conflicting data by analyzing patterns, validating anecdotes with data, and seeking consensus through collaborative discussions between the research and sales teams.

Navigating Conflicting Data: Key Steps 1. Understand Data Sources • Market Research: Broad data collection. • Sales Anecdotes: Specific, real-world stories. 2. Identify Patterns • Look for common themes between the two data sets. 3. Evaluate Context • Assess relevance and representativeness. 4. Quantify Impact • Check if anecdotes align with sales data. 5. Integrate Data • Combine qualitative anecdotes with quantitative research. 6. Test Hypotheses • Validate claims through A/B testing or pilot studies. 7. Prioritize Customer Feedback • Focus on direct customer insights. 8. Collaborate and Communicate • Involve cross-functional teams and share findings transparently.

Analyze the sales anecdotes critically. Determine the context in which these anecdotes were collected, including the time frame, the specific customer interactions, and the salesperson’s perspective. Assess whether these anecdotes represent isolated cases or if they highlight emerging trends that market research may not yet capture.

Los descubrimientos hechos de una estrategía de ventas funcional, deben llevarse a consideración, debído que pueden brindar el conector faltante entre una estrategía funcional y una que esta en papel. En un panorama donde las ventas online están incrementando, hallar el punto de confianza que ha generado la venta a través del asesor, es nesaria transformarla para que la compra virtual sea desencadenando esa misma confianza, emoción y llamado a la acción, de esta manera nuestra efectividad aumenta exponencialmente.

Context Consideration in Analyzing Sales Anecdotes Understanding the context behind sales anecdotes is crucial for meaningful insights. Here's a concise strategy: 1. Deep Exploration: Focus on specific details and the customer's perspective. 2. Situational Factors: Consider timing, location, and external influences on customer behavior. 3. Comparative Analysis: Align anecdotal insights with quantitative data to identify patterns and nuances. 4. Holistic View: Integrate context with other data sources for well-rounded insights and informed decision-making. Considering context ensures accurate, relevant, and actionable anecdotal analysis.

Sempre falo que "a verdade está lá fora" [como na série de ficção científica Arquivo X] Por isso a escuta ativa e atenta de todo o time de linha de frente, seja de vendas ou de atendimento, sempre gera insights riquíssimos, que podem ser novas hipóteses a serem confirmadas em pesquisa. Esses insumos podem sugerir a necessidade de: > adequar métodos de pesquisas > aprimorar os desenhos de projetos de pesquisa > envolver sempre um time multidisciplinar, com várias perspectivas acerca do fenômeno, problema ou oportunidade que se quer investigar.

Usually, I compare these anecdotes with existing data, seeking patterns or trends that align with the stories. This balanced approach ensures both qualitative and quantitative insights are considered, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the market.

Al existir un choque sólo comprendo que se debe adaptar parte de la investigación al análisis de datos, partiendo siempre desde el punto medio que los datos dictan, pero las anecdotas venden, no se puede tener una perspectiva sesgada, simplemente costaria a la efectividad de la estrategía y mal uso de los recursos. El rigor de la investigación se debe dar desde la recolección de datos cuantitativa y cualitativa, ambas co-existen.

When you're doing market research, watch out for these three common biases. Social desirability bias happens when people give answers they think are more acceptable, not what they really think. Using anonymous surveys and careful question wording can help with this. Then there's confirmation bias, where you only see what you expect and ignore the rest. Make sure to challenge your own assumptions and look for unsupported claims. Finally, habituation bias occurs when respondents get bored and give the same answers. Keep surveys short and mix up the questions to keep it interesting.

Market research is dependent on the research process and how rigorously the research parameters have been applied. The reasons for disparity could be because of faulty process, biases of researcher, insufficient sample size or wrong sampling technique. It is important to take sales anecdotes into account before relying solely on market research data.

💯 The proof is in the pudding… I’ll be the judge of that! To research means to me, to seek and find the answers. Explore ALL methods of research. All research (good/bad/indifferent) is knowledge.

It can be very hard to detect and correct biases in market research since some biases are very subtle or entrenched in the design of the research. Integrating qualitative sales anecdotes with quantitative market research data may also be tricky as, in many instances, they give quite different insights. Finally, comprehensive and unbiased market research requires a huge amount of time, effort, and resources, which are not always available.

A good marketing analyst must know how to blend the art of storytelling with the science of data analysis. I often advise junior analysts to stay profoundly curious about the business realities behind the data. For example, they should ask experienced partners about their gut feelings, listen carefully, and understand the connections between data and intuition. Then, they should share early insights humbly with business experts and be open to iteration. This enriches data with real-world context, leading to more effective business recommendations. Marketing analytics is indeed a mix of art and science!

Para aumentar la probabilidad de estrategias exitosas en marketing, es una correcta conexión de los datos, prefiero partir desde los datos cualitativos para desarrollar la estrategia de nuevas ventas a futuro, ya que existe un método comprobado, sin embargo, el mercado cambia y es cuando lo cualitativo brinda el nuevo rumbo hacía el cual se dirige. Se debe tener la capacidad de analizar y visión de ver como los datos antiguos y nuevos, brindan el nuevo camino.

I use advanced analytics tools to merge and analyze both data sets, identifying correlations and trends. This comprehensive view helps create marketing strategies that are both data-driven and contextually rich.

Qualitative insights will need to be integrated with quantitative data, which calls for a sophisticated analytical approach—one that is many times rather hard to do well. Unless there is careful consideration and robust methodology, then there is a likelihood of painting a biased or incomplete picture that could lead to misguided marketing strategies.

In the world of marketing analytics, a fascinating clash often occurs between the data-driven insights of market research and the experience-based anecdotes of sales teams. Market Research: This provides a broad, quantitative picture of the market. Surveys, focus groups, and website analytics offer insights into customer demographics, preferences, and behavior. These findings can be invaluable for understanding the overall market landscape and making strategic decisions. Sales Anecdotes: These are qualitative insights gleaned from the daily interactions of salespeople with customers.

To better handle conflicting data, I suggest establishing a regular review process where market research and sales anecdotes are analyzed together, under the umbrella of current external circumstances. The composition of the cross-functional team could include elements from both sales and research organizations so that a view can be balanced in both directions. Use data visualization tools to underline patterns and trends so that it becomes easier to spot the influence of an external factor. Keeping a constant lookout for new information and reacting accordingly will foster a much better grasp of your market.

Con un recurso mayor en datos, la toma de decisión disminuye el riesgo, pero al tener una complejidad mayor, la estrategia debe resultar en ser fácil y aplicable, siendo el modo en que se logre triunfar, por qué la complejidad sólo debería traducirse en una estrategia más simplificada. Sin embargo, al final deben disminuirse las variables y enfocarse en las principalmente importantes del cliente para el diseño de la estrategia, muchas variables pueden generar estrategias muy sesgadas que pueden dejar por fuera el entendimiento de unas pocas.

In a previous project, market research indicated strong urban interest for a product launch, but sales anecdotes revealed unexpected suburban demand. To resolve this, I analyzed local economic conditions, competitive landscapes, and consumer preferences. Integrating these insights, I adjusted our marketing strategies to leverage suburban opportunities while still targeting urban markets. This approach ensured our tactics aligned with both data-driven insights and real-world market dynamics, maximizing campaign effectiveness.

O contexto sempre importa! Por isso um bom briefing, considerando dados internos e controláveis pela empresa, quanto dados externos e incontroláveis, é parte essencial de um desenho de pesquisa efetivo e eficaz. Assim, a escuta da perspectiva dos times de linha de frente, seja de vendas, atendimento, suporte ou operações, torna-se essencial. Seja como método/etapa do projeto de pesquisa, ou ao menos como enriquecimento do contexto durante a elaboração do briefing.

In my experience, when these two approaches conflict, I find the most effective strategy is to triangulate the data. Imagine market research suggests customers prioritize affordability, while sales reps consistently hear requests for feature-rich products. This could indicate a segment of the market who value features over price, which sales reps are encountering more frequently. By analyzing the customer demographics of each data set, we can determine if there's a specific customer group driving the sales anecdotes. This triangulation helps us understand the 'why' behind the data and tailor our approach accordingly.

Depending on the size of company, a task force with key players from each department should be formed to help make balanced decisions. However, we know that this isn't always possible. There are a few best practices that companies can shoot for: 1. Know what your overall goals are. Your decisions should always be weighed against these first. 2. In general - market research is probably better for long term decisions and sales anecdotes for more immediate tactics. Hopefully ending in a combination of the two. 3. I am a huge believer in a customer-centric focus. With my clients, we use feedback loops as often as possible to get the feedback - but size of response is important. In the end, be focused and flexible.

This is a relevant question - relevant as differing viewpoints can result in emotionally charged exchanges that are crucial to manage effectively. This implies that leadership, clear communication, a readiness to inform, and listening skills are the most relevant strategies to effectively navigate this situation. Outside of the leadership strategy, past successes in the insight strategy involved 1) adopting an AB approach, 2) leveraging counterfactual and causal reasoning, and 3) crafting a preliminary model of customer behavior to help all stakeholders ‘see’ how the customer story is modeled. All said, an overarching analytic framework can enable stakeholders to more quickly uncover why inconsistencies emerge.

The tension between market research and sales anecdotes is a longstanding challenge in the business world. The lager the organisation the more important it is to hone in on the data that truly drives decision-making. If the focused is kept tight around the needs of a well defined ICP, the anecdotal evidence from the field sales team can be effectively triangulated or validated against the trends identified through structured research.

Be relevant, find a way to sell people what they really need and don’t know yet, it’s just as simple as finding a solution for the problem they’re facing. Keep it simple, relatable, and people will feel connected with your brand, product or service. That’s how we make our business from scratch to a whole new level of marketing success. Keep track of all your data, check the analytics of the platforms, how to perform better, keep making organic marketing, even some paid advertising but ONLY if you really know how to create viral organic content, otherwise it won’t be helpful at all. Good Luck :)