As the #1 human qualitative research firm in the world, we are passionate about helping companies capture insights that drive ideas and business growth. Of course, we are equally passionate about improving how it gets done, to deliver better answers more efficiently without compromising quality: for instance, see our most recent post on the best platforms to get the most out of virtual qualitative research (see here).
Last week we attended the 2021 QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association) conference. If you are not familiar with them, they are a worldwide collaborative community that provides qualitative research professionals with unparalleled leading-edge education and thought leadership. Their mission going on almost 40 years has been to “advance the impact of qualitative research and all who practice it.”
We have been active members and attendees for many years. Not surprising, QRCA went virtual for the first time ever. While the mode of administration may have changed, the quality of inspiration stayed true.
Over four days we picked up a lot of great ideas. Some reinforced our approach and innovation focus. Others spurred us to revisit or add capabilities to our stable. Beyond just how to maximize the value of qualitative, there were ideas that offered an opportunity to do something just as important…to help teams work towards more effective solutions with improved efficiency.
To that point, we wanted to share some highlights from the conference for you to consider in relation to your current approaches and processes. The following are three areas that we hope inspire a conversation or even some trial runs with your respective teams to see what works better for you today and tomorrow. To sum them up…
How to get the most out of your teammates by playing into their unique strengths and sensibilities
How to better engage your customers by building in more delights that stick
How to get more out of unstructured data by systematically collecting and analyzing it
UNDERSTAND CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING STYLES TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR STAKEHOLDERS
It stands to reason that different people approach creative problem solving in different ways. Whether it’s marketing, sales or medical affairs, every team member will look at the same idea through a unique lens. They will have distinct demands and modes of feeding back. It’s this type of human truth that led us to create our S+R PROsician* algorithm, a way to identify HCPs based on their approach to innovations so that we could better structure conversations about ideas and put their reactions into context (for more about that, click here).
Work teams are no different. People will respond to the same thing in different ways. Some will look at the big picture while others tend to the smallest details. Whether its stakeholders or customers, there are simply “different strokes for different folks.” But who are these different types? And if I knew, what would I do about it?
In a great talk by Missy Carvin, we were introduced to four personas that exist within just about every organization: Clarifiers, Ideators, Implementers and Developers. Each has a unique perspective and talent when it comes to solving problems. Each typology’s unique contribution ideally leads to a collectively better outcome.
For example, imagine you are looking for discussion guide approval. A Clarifier will ask a lot of questions but you need to make sure they do not bog down the process. On the flipside, an Ideator may scan for the big picture, which means you need to point out any specific details for which you need their input.
Managing teams is always tricky business but knowing the sensibilities of your stakeholders ups the odds of you getting better input. We do it with consumers every day, so why not try it with the people you work with every day.
DON’T JUST THINK FRICTION-FREE BUT ALSO DELIGHT-FULL WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
One of the hottest topics in marketing, particularly in pharma is Customer Experience (CX). In an era where drugs are fighting for distinction, developing a better experience can be a tiebreaker between clinically similar agents.
There is no question that any experience worth doing over and again is one that offers maximum value with minimal friction. One of the most often used phrases in this arena is “friction free.” Removing burdens or toil is key to a great CX. But that alone is not enough.
It was a great reminder from David Evans, PhD., the leader of Microsoft’s Customer and Market Research, who offered a fascinating take on how every interaction between brand and customer is an opportunity to create a new memory. It’s a perspective that builds off of Daniel Kahneman’s POV on the difference between the “experiencing self” and “remembering self.”
In case you’re not familiar with Kahneman’s work on the subject, the “experiencing self” is the fast, intuitive, unconscious mode of thinking that operates in the present moment which has a span of as little as three seconds. By contrast, the “remembering self” is slower and more deliberate, a more rational and thoughtful recollection of the story of the experience. It’s the “remembering self” that decides whether an experience is worth repeating.
To illustrate, imagine you had a great dinner out with friends, a time that was brilliant in every respect. However, at the end the valet takes forever to retrieve your car. One may think that ruined the experience, which of course it didn’t. What it diminished was the memory of the experience, which can make one question whether they would make the same choice in restaurants in the future.
In his talk, Dr Evans made clear that as people we don’t average out each point of a “process,” but actually recall those peak moments where a real connection and sense of satisfaction was realized. His perspective helps us recognize that frictionless can also be forgettable if we aren’t mindful that we need to add peak pleasure into the mix. After all, just the absence of negatives will not necessarily inspire loyalty or advocacy.
It leads one to look at things like Customer Journeys in a new and deeper light. We need to do more to capture the setting, mood and mindset. To bring out the emotional highs and lows, and the impact they have on the overall experience. Doing so can help you select and optimize the delighters that amplify the value of the frictionless moments.
BE MORE SYSTEMATIC WITH QUALITATIVE DATA TO EXTRACT THE GREATEST VALUE FROM IT
Despite organized discussion guides and quality note taking, qualitative conversations are still quite messy. The value of these engagements is that we can start in one place but pivot based on the insights and angles that emerge. In other words, not every conversation is (nor should it be) exactly the same. In fact, it’s one of the reasons we created S+R AQuA™, our proprietary analytical tool that organizes and catalogues transcripts into searchable databases that reveal patterns in unstructured data.
A validating moment from QRCA was a presentation by Rachel Carmen Ceasar, PhD, a public health researcher from USC who experienced the same challenge. Her solution was to employ something she called “Grounded Theory,” a systematic method of collecting and analyzing data to develop potential statements that allows for comparison, iteration and interactivity.
Unlike S+R AQuA™, Rachel’s solution is more DIY in that she develops codebooks to catalogue and find patterns across respondents. Creating a standard guide to capture common ideas helps to breed confidence that what one is reporting has a center of gravity rather than one-off comments or a “last thing I heard” dynamic. In effect, it adds a layer of analytical objectivity that mitigates the bias or inaccurate memories our brains might inject into the process.
This speaks to the need for qualitative to catch up to quantitative in terms of analytical speed and rigor. Our solution is to leverage technology to squeeze out every ounce of insight. We welcome any and all ideas that deliver quality and agility to contribute to smart, timely decision making.
LET’S CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION…
These were just a few of many inspiring notions coming out of the 2021 QRCA conference. Over the course of the next several weeks we will share our perspective on other important ideas that caught our attention.
In the meantime, if you’d like to discuss these or any other perspectives you have regarding the most effective ways to conduct better, more impactful and more agile qualitative please reach out and we’ll schedule a time to collaborate.
Shapiro+Raj
S+R is a research and strategy firm that uses social and behavioral sciences to solve the toughest business and marketing challenges. Our next-gen methods dig deep to unlock market-ready insights. Then our brand planners turn these into strategic marketplace actions that create brand evolution and innovation; customer experiences and loyalty; and new platforms for growth.
