Your sales team is conducting qualitative research all the time. Talking to them is perhaps the lowest cost qualitative research project you could possibly do. It’s also your best chance to achieve a strong sales strategy in sync with the goals of your organization.

Unfortunately, many companies undervalue their sales professionals. This results in scores of missed opportunities and the alienation of the sales team.

The two mistakes companies often make in this regard are:

1. Companies’ market research teams typically don't have a great perception of their own sales team.
2. Sales teams aren’t often invited to participate as major stakeholders in market research studies.

Having worked with many Fortune 1000 clients, I’ve seen this happen a lot. I know who companies’ market research leaders invite to the table. Usually representatives from marketing and product development are invited right away. If the project is important enough, a vice president or C-level executive gets an invite too. Sales Leadership is skipped over far too often. That is a huge mistake.

Listen to this episode to understand exactly how you can take your findings decks and readouts to the next level.

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Will smartphones transform qualitative research methodology?

Get an inside view from an expert who knows qual via smartphone inside and out.

In this episode of the B2B Market Research Podcast, Cascade Insights CEO Sean Campbell interviews Over The Shoulder Co-Founder and President Ross McLean.

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Reflection is at the heart of success. You need to know what was working in the first place to be able to keep building on your achievements.

With that in mind, we decided to look back at our top content of the year.

We used a combination of podcast plays, article page views, and social shares to determine our top 10 posts.

I’ll give a quick summary of each topic and then consider why it resonated with our B2B + tech audience. I'll also highlight a few unique resources that we've shared in 2016.  Including our list of 101 Market Research Questions you need to ask and our ongoing list of B2B Book Reviews.

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There is no excuse for a dry market research readout.

Documentary filmmaking can teach qualitative researchers about the art of crafting a great story, leveraging in-depth interviews for all they’re worth, and building findings that make clients act.

Of course, not every documentary is great. For every Ken Burns there are literally hundreds of one-star documentaries on Amazon. Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to take tips from duds.

We’re going more for the edge-of-your-seat, riveting variety like Man On Wire, Harlan County, Audrie & Daisy, Hoop Dreams, The War Room, etc.

We want to emulate the type of documentary that keeps you fascinated until the very end, leaves you re-evaluating your view of the world, and inspires actions to make it better. Wouldn’t it be great if your business stakeholders had that reaction to your research?

Documentaries and qualitative research have more in common than you may think. Great documentary films are typically based on scores of interviews, just like a good qualitative research study. With B2B, in-depth interviews are often the most effective means of gathering worthwhile research data.

Documentary filmmakers basically have the same goals as qualitative researchers:

• To report on what they see and observe. 
• Inspire actions based on those observations.

There is a lot we can learn from great documentary filmmakers about creating a compelling narrative.

Listen to this episode to understand exactly how you can take your findings decks and readouts to the next level.

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Learn the warning signs and how to avoid a stall from Derek van Bever, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Forum for Growth and Innovation at Harvard Business School.

Cascade Insights CEO Sean Campbell interviewed Derek about his book Stall Points for this episode of the B2B Market Research Podcast.

During the interview Derek and Sean cover:

• Growth and Decline in the Fortune 100
• How and Why companies hit a Stall Point
• How effective leadership impacts a Stall Point
• How companies best avoid Stall Points.

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The world is covered in the carcasses of failed market research firms. What led to this sea of whitewashed bones? Indecisiveness.

Tough choices are needed, particularly on these six issues.

• Do you specialize in clients or method?
• What are the right tools to invest in?
• How much should you charge per study?
• What will you do for marketing and how will you measure its success?
• Contract IT, SaaS, or DIY?
• How are you going to make the tough calls?

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You can’t be unbiased when comparing your company’s offering to your rivals’. We get it, you’re proud of the work you do and the innovations of your team. Of course, your offering is No. 1 in your eyes.

But… you do have to know where you rank. Building effective strategy depends on it. It’s just too important a matter to leave up to wishful thinking.

Luckily, B2B usability testing can give you an objective view of your pain points and competitiveness.

However, designing B2B usability studies requires finesse. You have to have the proper technology, access and, importantly, knowledgeable research participants.  In this episode of the B2B Market Research Podcast, we brought in MeasuringU Principal Jeff Sauro to explain how usability testing differs in a B2B context.

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In this episode of the B2B Market Research Podcast, Cascade Insights CEO Sean Campbell reviews the book, "The Future of the Professions: How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts."

In this review he covers:

• How new technology such as Artificial Intelligence, Bots, and Automation is set to change the professions.
• How the activities of professionals naturally migrate from craft, to standardization, to systemization, to externalization.
• How to know when you're "craft" is about to be commoditized.

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In this episode of the B2B Market Research Podcast, Cascade Insights CEO Sean Campbell explains why Key Buying Criteria get you to "Yes" in B2B.

Here are a few of the nuggets Sean covers:

• Why a focus on Key Buying Criteria can uncover a treasure trove of information.
• 9 key questions you need to ask competitor customers and current customers.

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On iTunes, search for the B2B Market Research podcast, click Ratings & Reviews, and then click "Write a Review."

In this episode of the B2B Market Research Podcast, Cascade Insights CEO Sean Campbell explains why the in-Depth Interview (IDI) is essentially the Leatherman of B2B Market Research.

Here are a few of the nuggets Sean covers:

• How you can use IDI's to analyze upstart competitors.
• How you can identify customer's Key Buying Criteria via IDI's
• How you can meet stakeholder needs via the use of IDI's.
• 5 ways to make your IDI's better.

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On iTunes, search for the B2B Market Research podcast, click Ratings & Reviews, and then click "Write a Review."