Curiosity Consulting LLC

What's in a name? As it turns out, an amazing amount of expectations. Think about how you market yourself or your business. What expectations does the name of your business (or the product or service you offer) establish in the minds of potential customers? Communication not only matters - it also sets expectations. Make sure you are planting the seeds that will bring about your desired result. Logic may drive many purchases, but emotion builds relationships - and repeat business. #marketing #branding #curiosityworks 

The best leaders embrace these 3 words: I don’t know. These words lead to continued learning and improvement. "I don’t know” isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning. The savviest leaders aren’t content with giving up and leaving things unknown. Instead, they combine curiosity with action for true power and wisdom. They’re willing to take the initiative to investigate and find the answer by combining “I don’t know” with 3 more words: “I’ll find out.” What can you find out today that will help you better serve your customers and your employees? #marketresearch #continuouslearning #curiosityworks

Listen intently when your customers are communicating with you. This is particularly important when they are frustrated. Customer service calls can provide key insight into how your product or service needs to improve. If you treat customer service like a problem, it is likely that neither your customer nor your business will benefit. What opportunities can you find from your listening to your customers' frustrations? How can you serve them better? All contact with customers provides your business with data. How you choose to perceive customer feedback - and how you actually use it - will determine your success. #consumerffeedback #marketresearch #curiosityworks

Successful people tend to be the most curious. Curiosity leads them to ask a lot of questions. Research helps them to answer those questions and build their knowledge base. We’ve all hear the phrase “Time is money”. Well, asking the wrong questions not only wastes time but it can also lead you in the wrong direction. Knowing when to ask for help is also a hallmark of successful people. Don't be afraid to call a research professional to help guide you down the path of asking the most relevant questions!" #consumerinsights #curiosityworks #askwhyrelentlessly

Peter Drucker (1909-2005) was one of the most widely known and influential thinkers on management. He is still quoted often and his work continues to be used by managers worldwide. Just because you make it, does not mean consumers will appear. The first step is to understand WHY consumers need it. #consumerinsights #targeting #curiosityworks

As the summer travel season comes to an end and kids are going back to school, it’s a good time to look at how your core customers’ behaviors and needs may be shifting. --> Do your customers now have more time to shop for your products or services, or less? -->Is this the time of year that your customers are spending more money or less? -->Are families with school age kids a big part of your target? If so, what needs will they have now that they haven’t had for the last few months? -->If businesses are your target, how well do you understand their customers? Will the needs and shopping patterns of your customers’ target customers change over the next few months? Time of year can have a big influence on behavior and shopping patterns. It’s always a good idea to step back and evaluate what is happening with your customers and how you can best serve their changing needs. Never stop asking questions. A business that continuously learns is one that will be far ahead of the competition. Better information = better decisions = better results. #consumerbehavior #marketresearch #curiosityworks

Business anxiety is caused by various forms of uncertainty. Economic challenges (interest rates, inflation, volatile markets), political uncertainty, employment dynamics, and unsettling world events have all contributed to an uncertain environment this year. When businesses are uncertain, the most common reaction is to find ways to conserve money.  The first area that usually takes a hit is Marketing. Marketing is a long-term investment so when times are tough, businesses tend to focus on short-term wins. Inevitably, the money that may be saved in the short term actually ends up costing more in the long-term. The attached article from Forbes is from last year but the content is still quite relevant. It’s a good reminder that investing in marketing should be continuous – especially when times are challenging, and your competitors are cutting their budgets. https://lnkd.in/gg9xUdBb #marketing #business #decisionmaking #curiosityworks

A well-defined marketing strategy is necessary for any business to successfully reach their intended audience. The key pieces of the strategy are: 1) Identifying your target market, 2) Understanding the target’s needs and shopping behaviors, and 3) Developing effective marketing tactics to reach and engage those customers. The strategy needs to be well-informed. Doing proper research is an investment in your strategy. Spend time gathering the most relevant information and then apply your learnings to your strategic thinking. Remember, you are not your target audience. You need to fully understand your target customer to effectively reach them. If you create a strategy without any research, you may be talking to yourself. #marketingstrategy #targetcustomer #marketresearch #curiosityworks

If you need to make an important decision, solve a problem, or simply want to expand your knowledge, invest some time in research. To get the most benefit from research, start by clearly defining your objective and identifying the key areas you need to explore. If you have the time, start with some secondary research. Explore reputable sources such as trade journals, government data, and credible websites. Critically analyze the data and information you gather and make sure it applies to your specific learning objectives. As a business owner, your time is valuable. Spending hours doing this kind of work yourself will likely cost you more money than investing in a conversation with a research professional like me - someone who knows how and where to find the data and can explain why it matters to your business. Remember: better information = better decisions = better results. #marketresearch #curiosityworks #askwhyrelentlessly

Focus groups are one of many methods for gathering consumer or employee feedback. They can be quite useful, but they are not the best research method for many of the questions that business owners want to answer. When should you invest in focus groups or some other form of qualitative feedback? Here's a few of the most relevant uses: 1) Generating new ideas. 2) Exploring people's ideas, needs, motivations, and feelings about a product or service. 3) Uncovering the "why?" behind the data from surveys or other quantitative data. 4) Developing hypotheses when none exist. It’s important to clearly define your objectives before investing in any type of research. Having clearly defined objectives will guide you to the most appropriate methodology for gathering the information you need. If you call a market research company for help and they don’t ask a lot of questions or challenge your assumptions, beware. #marketresearch #focusgroups #curiosityworks