When considering commissioning a research project, it’s important to take into account how to maximize the effectiveness of the research and the potential for return on investment. A large part of this relates to the extent to which the research is embraced within the organization and ultimately how it is embedded in strategic planning.
At B2B International, we recognize the importance of collaborating and co-creating with stakeholders throughout the research journey to build internal engagement. In our experience, the following approaches support this:
Early involvement of key stakeholders
Build engagement by ensuring internal stakeholders are involved and contributing to the development of the research right from the beginning (or even before, if they can be involved in developing the research brief).
Begin by engaging key stakeholders from relevant departments, such as marketing, sales, and product development. This provides the opportunity for their input to shape the research objectives and methods, making the project more relevant and likely to address specific organizational needs.
A recent example of our approach for a large customer experience study was to facilitate client orientation workshops at the outset of the project, which provided the opportunity to share internal knowledge and build a shared understanding of the research aims and purpose.
Other initiatives we use include involving stakeholders in primary research collection i.e. by conducting in-depth interviews with key stakeholders across the organization, to aggregate existing knowledge, provide a baseline for the research findings to build on, and ensure key stakeholders are engaged and contributing to the research.
Align on objectives
A shared vision on the research objectives is crucial for the success of a research project – welcome and facilitate internal input in the development and co-creation of research objectives and clearly communicate the purpose and goals of the research project across the organization. Aligning on a shared vision for the project’s outcomes will help stakeholders see its value, which will enhance their commitment and engagement.
Regular updates and transparency
This approach is important in developing the working relationship between the client and the research provider. Maintain open communication throughout the project lifecycle, such as weekly sessions between key stakeholders and the research team, to provide updates and discuss the project’s progress and key milestones.
This also provides the opportunity to share interim results or preliminary insights as they become available. By demonstrating the project’s relevance with quick wins or actionable insights, stakeholders could start incorporating learnings even before the project concludes.
Provide ongoing opportunities for interaction and participation
Create opportunities for stakeholders to engage directly with the project, such as attending briefing sessions, participating in interviews, or reviewing initial findings. Having the opportunity to be involved at various stages increases ownership among stakeholders and promotes a sense of collaboration.
During a recent customer experience project, to keep internal stakeholders engaged and informed on the program, we conducted webinars, presentations at internal conferences and held on-going discussions with different teams to understand their expectations from the research.
Plan for implementation
Develop a clear strategy for applying the research findings internally – this includes identifying key team members who can champion the results, as well as delivering insight-sharing sessions to ensure departments know how to leverage the insights effectively.
During a recent qualitative segmentation and persona development project delivered by B2B International, we carried out several sessions to introduce the personas to internal stakeholders and teams. These sessions involved large scale presentations, which were followed by a series of workshops with smaller groups to discuss the personas and action-plan how this deep knowledge of the target audience/customer groups could be embedded within the organization to build customer-centricity.
To summarize, fostering a culture of collaboration and transparency, by using the approaches outlined above, will help organizations drive engagement and ensure the research yields lasting impact.
To discuss how our tailored insights programs can help solve your specific business challenges, get in touch and one of the team will be happy to help.