In case you’re wondering here is Merrill’s actual quote:

“The Internet is definitely here to stay but I think a new technology will emerge, something like the handheld BlackBerry devices that have Internet access. This will result in many more mixed-methodology studies (mall, phone and web)” - Merrill Dubrow, vice president, client development, Harris Interactive

Three years later, I’d have to say Merrill’s forecast was “spot on”.

And I will close with a quote I also heard in a conference. I think it was attributed as an American Indian proverb. “You can’t leap a chasm in two bounds.” I keep that in mind when I’m sitting on a fence too long.

“If you don’t like change, you are going to like irrelevance even less.”
- General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
-Wayne Gretzky

“All things being equal, people will do business with a friend; all things being unequal, people will still do business with a friend.”
- Mark McCormack - founder of IMG

“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”
- Naguib Mahfouz

When asked how one becomes a millionaire, Virgin’s Richard Branson repiled “Start off as a billionaire and then buy an airline”

If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito. -Anita Roddick

You can see a lot by just looking. - Yogi Berra

My all time fav:
If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. - Katharine Hepburn

“Life’s like a boom-a-rang.
The more good you throw out, the more you receive in return.” By Josh Hinds.

The Power of Perspective
“A positive perspective removes the rust from our minds and helps us see beyond the box we’ve built for ourselves. Large obstacles seem smaller, long distances can be made shorter, and the unknown becomes familiar. Pausing to take a different view and appreciating everything more fully helps us understand where we are going.”

“When you look outside yourself and concentrate on helping other people, you discover a satisfaction you never imagined possible!”

“Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment.” by Stephen Covey

“Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” by Harvey Mackay

Anyway, I believe the research industry is heavily undervalued and one reason is that we focus presentations on findings and not on persuading clients through passion and emotion. So, a couple of current favourites include:

“Logic makes people think, emotion makes them act.”
(which I attribute to podcast entrepreneur John Furrier)

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but
people will never forget how you made them feel” by Maya Angelou.