Go with your gut. It’s fair advice, and when you’re good at something, your intuition can take you far.
But it’s possible to get overconfident about what you think you know. And the world of market research leaves little room for error. While your intuition could lead you to rare and relevant data, you could just as easily tumble down an analytical rabbit hole.
Or you can leverage both strategies. Follow your intuition, but back yourself up (and be open to learning something new!)
Don’t Make Assumptions Without Analyses!
Relying solely on intuition can be a risky strategy. Here’s why you need to test your intuition about your target market against professional analyses.
- Intuition can be biased. Our intuition comes from within, meaning our values, beliefs, and experiences at least somewhat influence it. This can result in possible blind spots and predispositions that make it difficult to see the complete picture.
- Professional market research and analyses based on hard data provide accurate information. Not only does this lead to more reliable decisions on your part, but it’s also much easier to back up your decisions to other people.
- Professional analyses can help you forge new ground. If you take the time to test your intuition against professional analyses, you’ll likely end up with new insights and opportunities (in addition to where your intuition was taking you).
- Testing your intuition can help you avoid expensive missteps. If you move forward with an untested assumption, you may end up with frustrating, costly mistakes (e.g., campaigns that don’t resonate or products that don’t meet audience needs).
It’s worth taking at least a little time to test your intuition before proceeding. But how can you make that happen?
Want Help Testing Your Intuition? We Can Help
The thing is, it can be difficult to conduct your own intuition-testing analyses. (Your bias, however unconscious, may still be able to influence the results.)
That’s when you call in a professional marketing research and management consulting firm. Ebony Marketing Systems conducts marketing research studies designed to reach broad population segments. Whether you’re looking for quantitative or qualitative research services, give us a call at (718) 742-0006, or send us a message anytime.
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