Know-How Exchange : Strategy

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Interesting concept. You start after the research is completed and the data are amassed, and you stop before the real insights are identified. I don't know if anyone has ever taken that slice before.

One problem I see is that the various steps are usually tightly integrated, and I would be concerned that something will be lost when they are severed this way.

For example, very often the questionnaire is designed to facilitate analysis, and the whole thing is designed to answer a specific question or give a directed insight into whatever is being researched. If you're not there from the outset, and you're not there when the ultimate decision-maker is digesting the findings and conclusions, there could well be some lost information in the "cracks."

My suggestion: Before you make any cold calls, interview half a dozen people in your target audience just to get some information about how they would receive your proposed service. Develop a semi-structured questionnaire with a few high-gain questions, ask them, listen carefully to the answers, take detailed notes, and thank the respondents. Don't try to sell them on using your services. You don't want them to skew their responses to accommodate your feelings.

After you have at least six great interviews, step back and review your notes. You'll be amazed at how much they'll reveal about how (and whether) to market your services.

Be sure to let us know how it goes!