7 ways your client-side insight department can become more strategic
Many client-side insight functions complain that they aren’t able to be ‘strategic’ enough. They feel they are distracted by too many tactical requests and are not at the table inputting to key decisions at the moment they are discussed. The problem is often not down to a lack of desire or ability within the insight function – but it may be a question of focus – and of the courage to set your sights higher than the implicit expectations management have of you.
Don’t succomb to the curse of low expectations. Whatever position your customer insight team has within your business, it can have more impact. And if your team happens to be small, there are many things you can do to punch above your weight.
1. Put a value on everything you do
Identify the business initiatives with the most money attached and where insight has potential to materially impact results. If you can do this, prioritisation becomes easy and transparent and you will naturally gravitate towards strategic issues. Be prepared to discuss the size of business opportunity and also to quantify your insight recommendations in financial terms.
2. Become ‘change managers’
Customer insight teams need to see themselves as insight activists and quite often as change managers. It’s better to spend time working with an internal team to interpret and action research findings than risk their inertia while you move on to the next project.
3. Make foundational information accessible
Avoid spending too much time on tactical requests by creating a self-serve knowledge portal and publishing white papers every year or quarter containing foundational market and customer information.
4. Blow your own trumpet
Create stories of revenues linked to insight revelations you’ve generated and recount them often, especially in personal appraisals or when asking for investment in your area. To gather these stories you must follow up with your internal stakeholders, either formally or informally, to find out how they have used your work to make decisions.
5. Create branded outputs and take them outside of the board room
The powerpoint report still has its place, but to stand out from the sea of internal comunications and increase the longevity of your impact, you must find new ways to cut through. Voxpops on a loop in the elevator, customer wall murals, physical postcards from real customers – are just 3 of the myriad of creative options on offer. Ensure all outputs are branded with your team/department logo.
6. Forge internal alliances
The teams you form alliances with will depend on your organisation and your team’s objectives. But generally speaking, we’ve seen great things come out of alliances with:
- Human Resources – to build customer insight into employee induction and recognition programmes
- Internal Communications – to incorporate insight into company communications campaigns
- Finance – to ensure you work on topics of most value to the business, and place a prize on your recommendations
7. Enter external awards
There are all sorts of reasons to do this - industry recognition really counts. Not only is it a sweet story to tell your boss, but it’s a great motivator to keep your skills fresh and pull the team together towards a common goal.