Selecting a Professional Firm or Consultant

If you do decide to seek out the service of a professional marketing
research firm or consultant, the following steps will save you both time
and money:

     Think and rethink the question or problem to be solved. In many
instances, clarification of the problem will solve the problem itself.
Write down on paper the general purpose of the research and the specific
objectives you wish to accomplish. Indicate the target market and describe
it as completely as possible. Make a list of the questions you need
answered. The research study should be absolutely clear in your mind before
you share it with a marketing researcher.

     Prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP outlines all aspects of
the research and asks a research company to respond with a proposal and
bid. It should include all background information on the problem and
proposed project, the purpose and objectives, and what you hope to do with
the results. If you have budgetary limitations, spell them out. 

     Talk to several research companies or consultants. As with any other
type of professional, marketing researchers vary according to size, price,
areas of expertise and even personalities. Contact several companies, using
the Yellow Pages or through your local chapter of the American Marketing
Association (AMA) or the American Association of Public Opinion Research
(AAPOR). Talk to enough firms until you find several with which you are
comfortable. Don't hesitate to ask for background materials, references or
examples of past work.

     Send RFPs to three firms. While it might be appealing to send RFPs to
a dozen or more firms with the hope of getting back an excellent proposal
at a very low price, remember, you have to review and evaluate all of them.
Three should give you a perspective on the range of prices and ideas. Ask
to have a written proposal returned to you on a set date, including a bid
and work schedule. 

     Evaluate every aspect of all the research proposals. When you first
look at the proposals, you may be inclined to select a company based solely
on price. This may be a big mistake, and you will learn first-hand that
"you get what you pay for." Evaluate the approach each firm has suggested,
determine how well the problem is understood, and see if the price makes
sense. If one of the three firms claims it could conduct 150 personal
interviews for you at $125 each, while the other two suggest telephone
interviews at $25 each, you might want to call the first research firm and
verify the project was fully understood.

     Select a research firm and notify. Once you have made your decision,
respond in writing to the firm and set a time to meet and further discuss
the project. Make sure you stay involved throughout the project, and that
communication channels are open between the researcher and yourself. There
is nothing worse to have a major "surprise" at the end of the study, such
as cost over-runs or incomplete or incorrect data. 
As with any business tool, the more you understand the proper application
of marketing research, the more valuable it becomes to you and your
company.