Karen Picard

Research is power.

Karen Picard · April 26, 2022 ·

If you have solid research, you can do anything and everything.

You can start a business, solve any problem, find a cure. It all starts with a question: What do we want to know? Imagine you already have a report in your hand– maybe it shows you who your customers are, where they are, what their buying habits are and their likelihood to buy whatever it is you are selling.

Competitive intelligence.

Karen Picard · April 25, 2022 ·

You need to know what your biggest competitors are up to– to keep and grow your piece of the pie.

Knowing all about your competition is not just “nice to know,” it is “need to know.” Your customers are out there and even if your relationship is solid, there are competitors courting them for their business. What do your competitors have that you don’t have? Are you the best in the business? Do your customers know that you are?

Your employees are your customers, too.

Karen Picard · April 25, 2022 ·

Everyone talks about the benefits of having an engaged workforce, attracting the best talent and employee retention, but few do the work to keep the relationships solid.

Some employers felt blind-sided by the “great resignation” or “great re-shuffling” or finding out after the fact that the workforce wanted flexibility in their work-life. When you have the research and the pulse on your workforce and the marketplace, there is no “blind side.” You see clearly and can adjust your strategy so that talent and knowledge doesn’t go out the door, only to give that knowledge to your competition.

We know stuff.

Karen Picard · April 22, 2022 ·

So many of us have been working for many, many years. We know people, we have seen a lot and may have seen it all.

With market research, you do see the forest and all of the trees as well. Even trees that are hidden behind other trees and everything else in the forest. Maybe you have a question that you want the opinions of a few niche people to answer. You want to talk to people who know stuff. We can find them and have those discussions.