I hope you enjoy getting to know these three authors.

What was your motivation for writing a book?

Sherri Thomas (Author of Career Smart — 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand.)

I’ve had an exciting and enriching career and learned how to successfully transition into the radio, TV, professional sports, finance, and high tech industries, as well as advance up the corporate ladder. But I’ve also had some bumps and bruises along the way. One of the mistakes I made was putting my career in the hands of a manager or a company, and that’s a career killer! I’ve learned some key career success strategies, which have also been very helpful to my clients in achieving their goals. I wrote the book because I wanted to teach other professionals about the importance of personal branding.

(To see all of Sherri Thomas’ responses, click here)

Sybil F. Stershic (Author of Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most: A Guide to Employee-Customer Care)

To share my passion for internal marketing as a way to create a better workplace committed to both employee and customer satisfaction.

Here’s the back story to my book. Early in my career in services marketing, I became aware that the employees’ impact on customers (positive and negative) was an outcome of how employees themselves were treated. To ensure this impact was positive, I used marketing internally as a way to focus attention on employees — based on the premise that to effectively take care of customers, you had to first take care of employees.

Although the workplace has changed significantly since I began working more than 30 years ago, the need for internal marketing still exists. I continue to meet managers who are hungry for guidance on how to better engage employees. In addition, too many companies still give "lip service" to employees as their most valuable asset.

(To see all of Sybil Stershic’s responses, click here)

Katya Andresen (Author of Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes)

I wrote the book because I had something to say, and I felt passionately about it. I think that’s important, because most writers (at least me) don’t get a lot of external motivation — we aren’t going to make a fortune or appear on Oprah. So you need a lot of internal fire to fuel your project. I felt strongly that I wanted to help people with a cause to promote their issue far more effectively. Corporations shouldn’t be the only ones who are savvy about winning people’s hearts and minds. Charities should too. But we’re not always good at it. In the nonprofit sector, we think that because our cause is worthy, people will support us. We equate a mission statement to marketing. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. We have to do less preaching and more promoting if we want people to support us.

(To see all of Katya Andresen’s responses, click here)

What was the hardest part about the experience?

Sherri Thomas

I was blessed to be in a position where I could take 8 weeks off to simply focus on writing the book. So I rented a corporate apartment in Dublin, Ireland and was able to spend each day writing. Since my main priority was writing the book, I had to be extremely disciplined and not go sight seeing or enjoy the pubs as much as I would have liked. 

Sybil F. Stershic

Dealing with fear and time pressures. I’m one of those writers who is intimidated by the blank page, but am OK once I get started. As for time, I had to balance my client workload with taking the time to work on my book. It was a good news/bad news scenario — if business was up, I didn’t have time to focus on my book. If business was slow, I could work on my book, but I also had to make time available to fill the business development pipeline.

Katya Andresen

The hardest part, quite honestly, was getting up at 5am before work every day and facing down a blank computer screen. There were mornings I started rearranging my sock drawer — literally — when I was stuck. Fortunately, that task turned into one of my favorite chapters when I realized that Gold Toe socks provided a wonderful marketing analogy for my fourth chapter! When you’re writing, everything in your life becomes material for your work. The next hardest part was realizing that halfway through the manuscript, I’d finally found my voice. I threw out the entire first half of the book, and I wrote it again in the right voice, with the right tone, content and structure. That was painful but correct.

How did you get a publisher?

Sherri Thomas

I talked to a couple of publishers and found out that it takes 1-2 years to get a book published, which was a much longer than what I wanted. I also realized that the royalties were quite low, and some of the publishers required that I sign a waiver handing over all of my rights to my content. I quickly determined that I did not want to go through a traditional book publisher. I remembered reading an article in the Oprah magazine about a writer who had a good experience with self publishing. So I checked out Oprah’s website and found 5 self publishing authors that Oprah’s team recommended. I researched each of them and determined that one met all of my criteria which were: low cost, high royalties, experience in publishing my book’s genre, and design services. It was a really great experience and I highly recommend it! 

My publisher was Booklocker.com. Angela Hoy and her team of book cover artists and publishing experts were fantastic!!

Sybil F. Stershic

Interestingly, I was fortunate to get a book contract offer on my first book proposal; although it didn’t pan out as we couldn’t agree on the book’s size. Not wanting to contribute to information overload, my goal was to write a compact, easily read book (around 150 pages), but the publisher was looking for a book twice that size.

So I started over with other publishers and received several rejections. I considered self-publishing, but didn’t like the available online options — the books didn’t look professional to me. I was motivated to get back in the game by a friend who self-published a high quality book. She found a graphic artist to design the cover and page layout, registered for the book’s copyright and ISBN number, worked with a printer on production, and handled her own distribution & fulfillment. The process was way too overwhelming for me.

Then I found the perfect solution: WME Books (www.wmebooks.com) — a new type of POD (print-on-demand) publisher who offered author support services (editing, layout, copyright permission, etc.) along with marketing support and fulfillment. WME Books offered me more control than a traditional publisher and, by using print-on-demand, I’m not sitting on any unused inventory. Yvonne DiVita, WME Books founder, is a well-known blogger and very knowledgeable about online marketing, where most business books are sold these days. It’s been a wonderful partnership with Yvonne and her team.

Katya Andresen

I got an agent first, then a publisher. I got the agent by getting a personal introduction from another writer and presenting the agent with a strong book proposal that sold the concept.

What are the takeaways that you hope people get from reading your book?

Sherri Thomas

Those professionals who know how to showcase their strengths, talents, and accomplishments are the ones getting the bigger promotions, better clients, and higher salaries. By incorporating the 5 critical steps to attaining a strong personal brand you will stand above your competition, put yourself in high demand with clients, managers, and potential employers, and have a more gratifying and enriching career.

Sybil F. Stershic

1. The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel … and if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers!
    
2. You don’t have to be a marketer to use internal marketing. It’s a blend of marketing, human resources, and management that includes any effort that recognizes the importance of customers AND the employees who serve them.
    
3. If you are not in a position to apply internal marketing throughout your organization, you can still have an impact on a smaller level such as a department, division or business unit.

Katya Andresen

I think I’d be happy if people remembered just one thing: to succeed in marketing a cause, you have to stop trying to get people to value your work and start showing how your work relates to their existing values. It’s about connecting to the perspective of audience. It’s so powerful to listen to another person and then relate to their world view. We forget to do that so often in our work and in our relationships.

What advice would you give a reader who was thinking about writing a book?

Sherri Thomas

Just do it! It’s been such an awesome experience. The process helped me crystallize several concepts and strategies, which helped me strengthen my writing skills and be more effective in my presentations, and even sessions with my clients.

Sybil F. Stershic

Regarding the book’s content, the subject has to be one you’re passionate about that is also of interest to others. As for getting your book published, I encourage you to consider print-on-demand publishing as an alternative to traditional publishing. Regardless of whether you decide to self-publish or work with a publisher, it’s important to understand that you need to spend as much time marketing the book as you do writing it. Once your book is in print, your work isn’t over … but the result is so rewarding!

Katya Andresen

For nonfiction, do the book proposal first — it will help ensure you have a book that the market needs, that has a keen focus, and that has a chance of seeing the light of day! A good proposal includes a pitch letter, a synopsis, an author platform showing why the writer is uniquely qualified to write and promote the book, a competitive analysis showing why this book stands apart, a table of contents, and a sample chapter. This exercise is very clarifying and gives you direction as you embark on the long, messy process of producing the final product.

Sherri Thomas is President of Career Coaching 360, an international speaker on personal branding and career advancement strategies, and author of, Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand.

###

Sybil F. Stershic is a marketing & organizational advisor with more than 30 years of experience helping service providers strengthen relationships with customers and employees. She is the author of the recently released book on internal marketing, Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most: A Guide to Employee-Customer Care, published by WME books.

A graduate of Lehigh University, Sybil began her career in bank marketing. (The banks she worked for were merged into oblivion.) She launched her own business, Quality Service Marketing, in 1988 specializing in internal marketing and marketing/strategic planning facilitation. Sybil also conducts marketing workshops nationwide for business and nonprofit professionals and is a frequent speaker at national conferences.

Active in leadership and professional development, Sybil is a former Chairman of the American Marketing Association. She is also a member of BoardSource and the International Association of Facilitators.

###

Katya Andresen develops and executes Network for Good’s marketing strategy, including consumer outreach, media relations and corporate partnerships. Before joining Network for Good, she was Senior Vice President of Sutton Group, a marketing and communications firm supporting non-profits, government agencies, and foundations working for the social good. As a marketing consultant overseas, Katya promoted causes ranging from civil society in Ukraine to ecotourism in Madagascar. She has trained dozens of causes in effective marketing and media relations, and her marketing materials for non-profits have won national and international awards. She is the author of the book, Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes.

Katya traces her passion for good causes to the enormous social need she witnessed as a journalist prior to her work in the non-profit sector. She was a foreign correspondent for Reuters News and Television in Asia and for Associated Press, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Dallas Morning News in Africa. She has a bachelor’s degree in history from Haverford College.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Bob a little bit.

MD
What advice would you give entry level market researchers?

BL
They should tap into as many individuals and reliable sources (sorry to be self-serving, but like our newsletters) as possible. Every time I speak with a recent graduate, I hear validation that their perceptions of the industry while they were in school were so far from the reality they face on the job. Alumni from two of the MR grad school programs have purchased our newsletters for the program to help the students get better in touch with the facts.

It also appears undeniable that even if you want to work on the client-side that starting your career on the vendor/agency side is preferable for the pure learning experiences they offer.

I’d also strongly encourage them to think big. I think the MR industry is one of the most fascinating businesses to be in, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked in several. The business world is brimming with new opportunities, but you have to discover one or more that resonate with you, and then set on the long and challenging journey to live your dream and reach your goal.

MD
You are very involved in respondent cooperation. Why is this so important and what do you hope to accomplish?

BL
We believe respondent cooperation continues to be a crushing industry problem. That’s why we developed and set up the "Industry Summit to Improve Respondent Cooperation" last year. It will take years for any significant change in respondent attitudes to been seen, so we will see how CMOR’s efforts this year take effect.

That being said, we have moved on to the far larger concern of data quality. There are few vendors or clients who don’t recognize the many questionable things going on in data collection that are leading to data quality issues. A significant part of it is simple quality control, and then there are the industry’s relatively new technologies and methodologies that have not worked the kinks out yet. Many vendors are understandably reluctant to discuss these problems with clients, and to be fair, there are a huge preponderance of clients who don’t give the time to their vendors to discuss these things.

That’s the reason we just staged our "Client Summit on Research Data Quality" in Chicago last month, which the 60 participating clients from 45 different corporations seemed to strongly feel was a major success. They learned from their peers about some of the less-than-obvious issues that every client is facing in its data. The vendor/agency community will be hearing from these clients–a consensus of first steps that should be taken to start the process of improving data quality. And we’re hoping to build on that client base, both to raise the understanding of clients across the country and their support/involvement in rectifying the difficulties and enhancing the research they use to reach conclusions and make recommendations.

MD
Are you on track to accomplish your goals?

BL
We’ll let you know by the end of this year whether the clients have come to terms with what they have to change, whether the vendors make adjustments based on clients’ suggested guidelines. We need both for there to be progress.

And our company goals are changing as we evolve into something more than just a publisher for the MR industry.

MD
You go to a lot of conferences and see many presentations. Who do you get most excited about and why?

BL
I find it increasingly difficult to sit through a presentation because I hear so many of them at so many venues. You have to get my attention in the first five minutes, or I’m on to something else. I like a speaker who "is out there." Someone who wants to present in a creative way. Then there are those who, knowingly or unknowingly, make a point of not repeating what others have said before. There are industry leaders who are always doing something new and different, and who reinvent themselves or the ways they go about their jobs .We don’t see it that often, but when we do it’s energizing. If I find 2-3 presentations at a conference that I can review in our newsletters, that’s par for the course.

MD
What changes would you like the market research industry to make over the next 3 years?

BL
I would like to see more cooperation and cohesion between the research associations. It is odd that the associations in Canada, Brazil, Mexico and the UK have found ways to get beyond their differences and coalesced the constituencies into one national association. Can it happen here? Come to think of it, maybe we are on the right track and the U.S. should wait to see how things work out in those other countries. Still, there should be much better cooperation between ARF, CASRO, MRA, etc., and I don’t like what I see vis-a-vis ARF and ESOMAR.

MD
What exciting things are on the horizon for RFL Communications?

BL
We revised our business model this year after recognizing in 2006 that our business had evolved way beyond a publisher of market research newsletters. We were being asked for advice, counsel; we are being invited more and more to speak. We’re staging research conferences that could elevate the industry, like "The Client Summit." We want to help lead this industry and feel fortunate to be in position to make some things happen that associations can’t or won’t get involved with. We’re looking to innovate here and even in the types of presentations we make (i.e., "live interviews" at conferences).

MD
What would people be surprised to know about you?

BL
Uh oh! I’m a major New York Mets fan, and I’ve also been fascinated by Al Jolson since I saw "The Jolson Story" when was 10 years old. I visited his gravesite in Los Angeles during my attendance at "The Market Research Event." He was an unbelievable egomaniac, but at the same time an unbelievable entertainer.

###

About Bob Lederer:

Bob Lederer is President and Founder of RFL Communications, Inc. (Skokie, IL), a multi-faceted specialist firm dedicated to providing the market intelligence/media research/consumer insights community with knowledge, insight, advocacy and consultation.

Lederer is best known as Editor & Publisher of the company’s four acclaimed MR industry newsletters focused on business-oriented MR industry news and transferable information to help research agencies and research clients improve their performance. They offer a unique mix of revolutionary client-side research strategies and technology-rocking supplier-side thinking and capabilities.

Lederer joined Keller Publishing in 1974, becoming Editor & Associate Publisher of Beverage World Magazine by 1979. In 1983, in an unparalleled career transition, he moved to Royal Crown Cola Co., serving as Assistant to the President and later Brand Manager and National Accounts Manager.

From mid 1985 through 1986, Lederer was a National Accounts Manager for The NutraSweet Co. At Actmedia, from 1987-1992, he established and eclipsed sales records within the business’ promotion products area. In 1993, Lederer started his own in-store couponing and sampling company, Marketplace Solutions, which was sold to Sunflower Co. in 1994.

RFL Communications debuted Research Business Report in January 1995. Research Conference Report rolled out in May of 1997. In 1998, Research Department Report was introduced. In 2004, Pharma Market Research Report became the world’s only publication devoted exclusively to MR interests and challenges within the pharma, healthcare, life sciences and medical device fields.

For more than a decade, Lederer has been a respected industry personality and sought-after speaker. Regularly addressing association and private events, one of his signature presentations is a “live” interview.

Most recently, Lederer has been credited with helping the industry take a fresh look at a long-standing industry problem. In 2006, he conceived and spearheaded “The Research Industry Summit: Improving Respondent Cooperation,” which became the foundation for renewed industry respondent cooperation efforts and inspired a broad, emerging interest in data quality.

Lederer is a 1974 graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook (BA-Political Science).

Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting some very talented people. Some of which I have served on national boards with and have seen first hand how intelligent, creative and how successful these people are.

Today’s blog is the first of a two-part series that will introduce you to seven market research presidents and will explore their habits, practices and leadership style.

I hope you enjoy getting to know seven presidents and finding out a little bit of what they do and how they do it.

As President of your organization what does an average day look like?

Carl Iseman is President of Assistance in Marketing, Inc
(To see all of Carl Iseman’s responses, click here)

An average day: I start every day with 1 hour of exercise since I truly believe that a healthy body generates a healthy mind. Once getting to the office, I first check on all of my projects in the field and then recruiting productivity of each of my facilities. Next review current receivables and payables…the morning is spent with the numbers. Afternoons are spent working on new revenue generating ideas, business improvements, checking on the competition and following up with those I need to respond to…..a lot of this follow up to insure that we met and hopefully exceeded our clients expectations…many calls to moderators and other clients. In the evening I check on projects in the field just to make sure my clients are getting the service they expect, wherever they are.
 

Ken Roberts is President of Cooper Roberts
(To see all of Ken Roberts’ responses, click here)Morning: checking mail, voice mail, phone calls, study status, sales activity. Mid-day: client calls, proposal writing, project advise, time at the gym, quick lunch at my desk. Afternoon: mostly client contact, proposals/pricing, any company financials/operations issues, prepping for the next day, out the door around 6:30 or 7:00. Evenings: Check calendar/email, light correspondence right before going to bed.
 

Morning: checking mail, voice mail, phone calls, study status, sales activity. Mid-day: client calls, proposal writing, project advise, time at the gym, quick lunch at my desk. Afternoon: mostly client contact, proposals/pricing, any company financials/operations issues, prepping for the next day, out the door around 6:30 or 7:00. Evenings: Check calendar/email, light correspondence right before going to bed. Michael Halberstam is President of ISA America
(To see all of Michael Halberstam’s responses, click here)

My average day begins by logging on to the office from home at around 6:15 AM. I respond to clients, work on bids, set up meetings for the day and look at reports. I also check on the sports stories and box score for the previous day.

While I have items on my calendar for each day there are issues that are business related, such as financial, strategic, industry and legal issues, to deal with. Typically, I will meet with our COO daily and touch based 2-3 times a week with our HR director. I also get reports from, and communicate regularly with, each of our office locations around the world.
 

Peggy O’Connor President of On-Line Communication
(To see all of Peggy O’Connor’s responses, click here)

An average day is like lying on a beautiful tropical beach with barb wire and a hand grenade.
 

John Heakin is President North American Insights
(To see all of John Heakin’s responses, click here)

I wake at 5:30, make some coffee, look at the paper, check some headlines on CNN, CNBC, and The Weather Channel. At 7:00, I log on and look at email that came in overnight. By 7:15, I know where we stand on every job in every city and start sending remarks to my managers. I get to work at 9, reply to customers and vendors, and phone mailers. Depending on the day of the week, week of the month, and our payroll and mall rental payment cycles, I’m checking our cash flow. Everyday, there are adjustments to be made in billing and clients who are late paying. I approve vendor invoices. Throughout the day I sneak a peak at our job log to see who has been added, how many cities, and the size of the project. I have to remind managers to get invoices in. I am constantly on the lookout for new customers, and more and better employees. At times, I am involved in charitable activities, MRA committees, and Southern Illinois University alumni activities. Since I work most Saturdays, and check into our progress online on Sundays, I have no problem doing outside things in the office. When I get home between 6-7 pm, I check my email first thing, and then again at 10 as I get ready to turn in for the night.
 

Merrill Shugoll is President of Shugoll Research
(To see all of Merrill Shugoll’s responses, click here)

• Meeting with appropriate staff regarding one or more of the following: 
  • Business strategy
  • Quality practices
  • Facility improvements
  • Business development
  • Staff Development
  • Technology
  • Finance
  • Client feedback
  • Employee feedback
     
• In person meetings or conference calls with one or more outside advisors, research partners or job candidates – Accountant 
  • Corporate or HR attorney
  • Banker
  • Insurance broker
  • Architect/Interior Designer/Real Estate Agent
  • Travel consultant
  • Research partner
  • Job candidate
     
• Lunch and/or meeting with a client, a prospect or other colleague
   
• Meeting with Senior Vice President of Field Operations
   
• Review of or consult on key deliverables for highly valued clients (e.g., proposals, final reports, etc.)
   
• Review of or consult on key documents or contracts from clients and research partners
   
• Preparation of study materials on projects I’m directing for highly valued clients
   
• Conference calls and completion of tasks related to my professional and community involvement activities (e.g., Board of MRA, Committee involvement for QRCA, Board involvement for Signature Theatre, speaking engagements)

Ann Tancredi-Brown is President of Gazelle Global
(To see all of Ann Tancredi-Brown’s responses, click here)

I leave the house at 7:30; return at 7:30PM. In between I take B to school/ and or pick her up 2-3 times a week. I glance at my email on the train. Once in the office, I read my email including RFP’s. I attend scheduling/status meetings at 11:45. I attend job related meetings/conference calls and business planning meetings, work with our bookkeeper on accounting related issues, sign checks, wire transfer documents, review invoices and billing.

What was the best business decision you ever made?

Carl Iseman

The best business decision I ever made was to purchase my second focus group facility, AIM Columbus. This second facility created much synergy and gave me much more flexibility to insure I always have the capacity to support my clients.
 

Michael Halberstam

This is tough to answer. I think there were three decisions that have helped ISA grow. First, around 1984, that I was only going to hire and work with individuals whose orientation to quality and work ethic mirrored my own. This has resulted in over 20 people who have been with ISA over 15 years. They have been outstanding to work with and ensure our leadership position in the data collection industry.

Second, was a decision I made in 1983 to do bilingual, multicultural data collection. In the intervening years we have conducted projects in 67 languages. It has been a fantastic learning experience. I have been introduced to many interesting cultures through the years and met some incredibly dedicated and fascinating people. As of today over 25% of our work is done in languages other than English crossing all modes of data collection.

Third, was our decision to invest in diversifying beyond just CATI data collection. In 1990 we added tabulation and coding. In 1995 we added IVR. In 1997 we purchased the assets of a qualitative company today known as Qualitative Insights. We did our first Web based survey in 1999. In 2005 we purchased the assets of Call-Us Info in Canada and the Opinion One software suite. Earlier this year we signed an agreement with Telemundo to manage their new focus group and interviewing facility at Universal City Walk in Hollywood, CA. Our current mix of work is 57% CATI with the rest a combination of IVR, Web, focus groups, in-person and tabulation/coding. We are always talking to other companies about different opportunities.

Peggy O’Connor

My best decision was to keep up with the technological changes in our industry and expand into new related areas of business

John Heakin

I know this is really trite and soapy, but marrying my wife was really one of the best things in my career. Maureen was an End User client of mine back in 1977 when we began dating. She was a young Field Director who was trying to learn the ropes. So I would work with her and I’m sure she benefited from that in many ways. On the other hand, she was great in explaining the whys and wherefores of the client side, so I was well served by that. Socially, it was enormous. Frankly, a lot of Research Suppliers treat field service people rudely, although I have to say that the Presidents of those companies were generally very congenial and complimentary to me throughout my career. After I married an End User, that all changed. Standing beside Maureen guaranteed polite and respectful treatment, and invitations to many events I would not have been invited to otherwise. So people who would not have bothered, got to know me, and that helped the Heakin family as it was an advantage our competitors did not enjoy.

Ken Roberts

To start this business in partnership with Sandy Cooper.

Merrill Shugoll The best decision I ever made was going into my family business to diversify its services. I like being an entrepreneur. It’s challenging and fun. The highs are definitely higher and the lows are definitely lower.

Ann Tancredi-Brown

 The best decision I have ever made was to agree to become a partner in Gazelle.

As a business leader how do you measure success?

Carl Iseman

I measure success both qualitatively and quantitatively. Increasing sales, improving bottom lines and increased productivity are good, but only short term measures. Our reputation with clients and in the profession, the level of satisfaction amongst my employees and clients are much more important in the long term. High ratings from our clients, both on the Impulse survey and in our internal customer satisfaction programs are really what define success for me. Happy and productive employees who grow with our business and increasing numbers of clients who refer new clients to me are what we strive for….the bottom line is a direct result.
 

Michael Halberstam

We measure success against our strategic and financial goals for the year as well as a set of internal performance metrics. These are somewhat fluid. We also continually look at how our clients and competitors are doing. Finally, we have a customer satisfaction survey that goes out via the Web, after each project. Each month we look at these scores, analyze the results and respond/act accordingly.

Ken Roberts The growth of my people, the growth of our business, and respect among our peers.
 

John Heakin

Satisfaction in a job well done. But the national recognition we have received for a lifetime of dedication to excellence through MRA committee work (now 35 years) and financial rewards have been more than I ever imagined.
 

Merrill Shugoll

1. We are successful if we have been able to maintain high levels of client satisfaction over time, while remaining profitable. I evaluate this through client satisfaction studies, weekly analysis of cash flow reports and monthly analysis of our financial statements.
    
2. We are successful if we have been able to create a work environment that staff find intellectually challenging and personally and professionally rewarding. I measure this by obtaining feedback from employees and by measuring our turnover rate and the longevity of our staff.
    
3. We are successful if our company is able to sustain its targeted contribution goals both in trade and tangible dollars to the performing and visual arts community across the country.
    

Peggy O’Connor

The obvious one is monetarily but of equal weight is the development and retention of your key employees.

Ann Tancredi-Brown I measure success by the trust our clients place in us and by our long term client relationships which have enabled us to grow and change, hopefully in step with the industry. I also measure success by having the clients and resources to employ a hard working and motivated team.

Are there certain qualities that you look for in people you are hiring?

Carl Iseman

I always strive to employ people who have a dedication to learn and improve while doing all they can to be a team player who subscribes to our basic objective that they’ll do whatever it takes to insure that our clients are enthusiastically satisfied. We look for people who have established track records while also looking for those that appear to have the desire to excel and the potential.
 

Michael Halberstam

I normally look for several things. What experiences do they have? Are they friendly? Is this someone is want to interact with on a regular basis? Is this someone who can learn how we do things? Are they committed to high quality? I will typically talk and meet with a senior level candidate four times, under different circumstances (Lunch, in the office, dinner over the phone) before making a decision. Senior level candidates will also be required to meet with our COO and perhaps another partner.
 

John Heakin

Enthusiasm. Professionalism. Integrity. Experience. Commitment. Loyalty. I want people with a sense of style so that all my stakeholders will see we are a professional organization. We have very high standards for maintenance of our facilities, dress codes and employee behavior, to communicate that belief.
 

Merrill Shugoll

1. A candidate’s human values (e.g., honesty, work ethic, commitment to their job and to their colleagues, willingness to accept responsibility, willingness to collaborate and share knowledge, etc.)
    
2. A candidate’s current and future career aspirations
    
3. A candidate’s academic background and work experience
    
4. Willingness to travel, if needed
    
5. A candidate’s technology skills
    
6. A candidate’s current level of knowledge and skills to determine competency for the open position
    
7. A candidate’s client service skills, willingness and ability to nurture existing client relationships
    
8. A candidate’s ability to respond intelligently to a series of scenarios they might encounter on the job
    
9. A candidate’s willingness and past experience with mining new business
    
10. Reasons for wanting to leave their current position and what they like best and least about their current position
     
11. A candidate’s creativity, talent and past success in developing new services/products to increase company revenues
     

Ken Roberts

We try to find the folks where research is in their blood – where it is a passion and not just a job.
 

Peggy O’Connor

The qualities I look for when I hire are fairly straight forward. Work ethic, excellent diction, minimal accent, enthusiastic manner, honesty, reliability and the able to speak their mind regardless of the circumstances.
 

Ann Tancredi-Brown

I look for people who have high quality standards and work ethic, usually at a very senior skill level. I try to determine whether or not they will be a good team player.

Stay tuned for part two of A Presidential Point of View

Steve Sherrill and Michael Mitrano are specialists in this area. They help executives and companies guide their way through mergers and acquisitions. Both of them have a great thought process and are able to easily explain and simplify complicated issues.

MD
Not all acquisitions are perfect fits – based on your experience when does it really work out?

SS/MM
We believe the key to victory is when there is solid chemistry between the people who will be working together. This would include “research” chemistry (mutual understanding and respect about what research talent each side brings to the table) as well as “personal” chemistry.

MD
In your opinion how long does it usually take to integrate an acquired company?

SS/MM
We think it usually takes two years for a smooth and complete integration.

MD
How long does it take for a company to be sold?

SS/MM
The entire process from inception to closing often takes about a year.

MD
Are most companies able to keep key staff after a company is acquired?

SS/MM
In our experience, one of the key drivers behind acquisition is to get a new cache of talented researchers. Quality staff is very short in this industry, and in most cases all or nearly all of the key people stay on. If buyers don’t think the people are going to stay, they generally won’t buy.

MD
What advice would you give owners of companies who are thinking about selling their companies?

SS/MM
Begin planning for the process 4-5 years from when you think you would like to be out of the business, since there are often employment requirements for 2-3 years following a sale. When the time comes, get professional support from advisors with transactional experience. They can help you navigate the process and obtain the most leverage in a sale.

MD
What is the current trend with mergers and acquisitions?

SS/MM
We see an increase in the types of interested buyers recently. The research industry has been attractive to various investors including private equity firms and newly formed public companies. In addition, other types of public companies have recently acquired marketing research companies. (For example, McGraw Hill purchased J.D. Power and infoUSA purchased both ORC/MACRO and Guideline).

MD
Other than calling Transition Strategies are there any books or websites that you feel that would be good resources for executives wanting to learn a little bit more about mergers and acquisitions?

SS/MM
We had one client who liked Robert Bergeth’s “12 Secrets to Cashing Out.” It takes a DYI approach and does not focus on the special needs of professional services firms, but it’s a good read.

###

About my guests:

Steve Sherrill founded Transition Strategies Corporation in 1993. Since its inception, Transition Strategies has represented more than 50 companies. Mr. Sherrill has worked with over 300 research companies. Before forming his own firm, Mr. Sherrill spent 10 years as Chief Financial Officer of Market Measures, a full-service healthcare research firm in Livingston, NJ. In that capacity, Mr. Sherrill engineered the sale of two Market Measures subsidiaries, as well as the sale and IPO of Market Measures itself to the U.K.-based MIL Research Group. In his subsequent role of M&A specialist for MIL Research, he managed the acquisition of Goldring Research and the merger of RH Bruskin Research with Goldring. Mr. Sherrill served for two years on the Financial and Compensation Committee of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO), the trade association of the U.S. full-service survey research industry. He has been an Adjunct Accounting Department Faculty member at William Patterson College, served on several tax committees of the NJ Society of CPAs, and served on the board of the NJ Chapter of Accountants for the Public Interest. Mr. Sherrill is a CPA licensed in New Jersey and a member of the AICPA. He holds an MS in Taxation from Pace University and a BS in Accounting from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Mitrano joined Transition Strategies in 1999. He has served as an M&A advisor or management consultant to over thirty research companies. Before joining Transition Strategies, Mr. Mitrano was Executive Vice President and a principal at Response Analysis Corporation in Princeton, NJ, where he worked for 14 years. He directed finance, operations, technology, and human resources at the company, which is now part of GfK. He also handled two of the company’s largest accounts. In 1988, he was part of the leadership group that negotiated an ESOP-based leveraged buyout of Response Analysis from its founders. He obtained financing and oversaw legal work for the transaction. After leaving Response Analysis and before joining Transition Strategies, Mr. Mitrano served as CFO for The Chauncey Group International, Ltd. He restructured the corporation’s debt, established subsidiaries in the Netherlands and France, and acquired a French business. Mr. Mitrano has been Treasurer and served on the Board of Directors of CASRO. He has spoken at CASRO, MRA, MRIA, and ESOMAR events. Mr. Mitrano holds an MBA from New York University, and a BA cum laude and with General Honors from the University of Pennsylvania.

I look forward to your comments.

MD
What advice would you give entry level market researchers? 

RL
Get a good range of training. Don’t stick with one skill set. Learn from the perspective of a respondent who participates in market research all the way to the client who uses the data.

MD
What changes would you like the market research industry to make over the next 3 years?

RL
I would like to see the mid-level market research companies be more adept at adding value and information. The information offered by sites like Yahoo and Google will make them more of an information company which will erode or displace the information from the market research industry. Also, more mid-size companies need to be gathering and using data from various sources like the very large companies who are overlapping and merging data sources within their own companies.

MD
Who are some of the people you look up to in the market research community?

RL
Those who made a difference and were not afraid to undertake new paths. People like Gordon Black who spearheaded interviewing using the web as a methodology. Currently, I see some academics who are working along side market research companies to provide models for the innovations. People like Peter Fader from Wharton who love to share their perspective.

MD
When you are hiring research professionals, what are some of the things you look for in potential candidates?

RL
We look to see if they are smart and knowledgeable about how to get things done. Then, we look for willingness to learn, a “roll-up-your-sleeves” attitude, a personality and culture that fits with Luth’s. I look for energy and kindness and teamwork. There are many things that contribute to the whole, but most of these give us an indication if someone can EXECUTE. That is the key; if they can execute. Also, we have a formal interviewing and scoring procedure we use and it requires a minimum of 3 people involved in the interviewing process.

MD
You have been a leader in so many organizations over the years.  Why is this so important to you?

RL
Not only to give back but to be an integral part of the industry.

MD
What changes would you like to see in online research?

RL
2 things:

• Quality. Some sort of validation of respondents to insure that the research is valid, representative and worthy of what our industry stands for. Right now, I feel like it is the “wild wild west” where there is no standard or controls in place. It is up to us as companies to be self-policing what we are doing right now on the Internet.
   
• Innovation. Take advantage of the shifts in how people are using the Internet.

MD
What exciting things are on the horizon for Luth Research?

RL
The opportunity is with the panel, surveysavvy.com. Engaging our panel members through web 2.0 technologies will drive participation and differentiate us from other survey companies. We are living at a time when people develop and maintain their identity and their way of being through multi-faceted media usage – blogging, tagging, widgeting, iPoding, MP4ing, YouTubing and so on. Capturing respondents’ feedback across these inter-connected touch points will be the next level of market research, which centers around understanding changes in a single respondent’s life on a longitudinal basis.

This interaction will lead to a deeper knowledge of our panelists which I believe will tie in with what clients are seeking. We have a suite of products that provide richer information called KnowledgeLNX. Already we do profiling of respondents (PortraitCNX)) that tie to surveys and we have a syndicated study (IndicatorEDG) which we do quarterly.

MD
What would people be surprised to know about you?

RL
I’m pretty transparent. I don’t think I could surprise anyone. Most might be surprised I have the Wii game.

###

About Roseanne Luth – President and C.E.O., Luth Research:

With passion and vigor, Roseanne leads the now 30-year-old market research firm Luth Research that she founded in 1977. Her creativity and innovation have been vital to her company’s success, which includes an impressive 20% annual growth rate, as well as recognition by the San Diego Book of Lists as one of the top 25 Women-Owned Businesses in San Diego. Roseanne understood the power of the Internet as a market research tool and, in 1999, created SurveySavvy™, Luth Research’s online panel of respondents. The online community is backed by a patented viral sign-up system and is one of the most scientifically valid data collection panel services on the Web with more than three million members worldwide.  

It is with great pleasure and an honor that today’s interview is with Bill Neal.

MD
You have been in the market research industry for about 35 years.  How did you first get started?

BN
That’s really a long story. But here’s the short version. When I graduated from Drexel in 1966, I was planning on a career in the military. After my second combat tour in Vietnam, to my utter surprise, the Army sent me to graduate school at Georgia Tech. The inside joke is that the Army probably felt I wasn’t ducking bullets too well, so maybe they could educate me. After two years at Tech, I found out that building statistical models and doing marketing research was a lot more fun then getting shot at. So another grad student and I started SDR. A year or so later, a third grad student, Dave Feldman, joined us, and Dave and I have been at it ever since.

MD
What is the funniest experience you have ever had as a researcher?

BN
Well there’s been a bunch – too many to mention, and I won’t reveal the names of the guilty. When I first started the Advanced Research Techniques Forum, we picked isolated venues in order to optimize discussion times and interaction among the methodologists who attended the conference. For several years, I hosted a late night poker game at the conference. Now, given you have a bunch of research methodologists and statisticians engaged in a poker game (which we called “discussions in advanced weighted probabilities”), one would think you would see some very serious poker being played. Just the opposite. Those poker games would quickly degenerate into the most outlandish and convoluted card games you ever saw – pass the trash, follow the queen, and other ridiculous games that had no resemblance to poker except for the betting. I spent several years trying to figure that one out. My conclusion was that the rather straightforward probabilities of standard poker games bored these folks to death, and their boredom threshold was very low to start with.

MD
What advice would you give market research students that are graduating in May?

BN

1. Learn to think strategically and out of the box. That’s how you deliver true value to your employer.
    
2. Know what’s important to senior marketing managers and what’s not. Address the important things and don’t bother with the rest.
    
3. Learn your statistics! And how to work with the more popular stat packages. Of all the problems I’ve seen in marketing research over the years, clearly the majority have had to do with the misapplication of statistics and statistical tests.

MD
You have been a featured speaker at so many conferences. What are some of your secrets to being a great presenter and communicator?

BN

1. If you’re not passionate about the topic you are speaking on, either don’t do it, or change the subject.
    
2. Take a position, tell it like it is, and don’t mince your words.

MD
If you could change one thing about our industry, what would it be and why?

BN
My two professional passions have been realized – a universal training program in marketing research and voluntary certification. I just wish more researchers would participate in those programs. What’s left? I would like to see the profession and the practice of marketing research get more oriented to prediction, as opposed to description. I think we spend too much time and resources describing the marketplace and not enough on predicting how the marketplace will react to changes, whether they are product changes or environmental changes. Descriptive research is backward looking.

MD
You have been a leader in so many organizations over the years.  Why is this so important to you?

BN
The short answer to that is that I probably never got over being an infantry officer in the Army. But seriously, I think it’s terribly important for people in our profession to be engaged in the profession. By that I mean we, as individuals, need to spend the time and effort to continuously improve both the knowledge base we rely upon and the practice of the art and science of marketing research. The not-for-profit associations representing this industry and profession, like the MRA, are at the forefront of leading the profession to higher levels of knowledge, better professional standards, and higher performance. That’s how you earn professional respect. I always felt it was important to be a part of that process.

MD
You have been given so many awards during your career. Is there one that stands out a little more than the others?

BN
I was overwhelmed to receive the Charles Coolidge Parlin Award for long term contribution in Marketing Research. Other recipients of that award include Peter Drucker, Frank Stanton, George Gallup, Ted Levitt, Bob Ferber, David Ogilvy, August A. Busch III, Paul Green, John Little, Daniel Yankelovich, Phil Kotler, George Day, Fred Webster, Donald Lehmann, Jag Sheth, Frank Bass, Rich Johnson, Gil Churchill, Glen Urban, and Bob Lavidge. That’s some serious company and I am honored to be included on that list.

MD
What would people be surprised to know about you?

BN
I love to grow roses. I wish I had more time to devote to it.

###

About Bill Neal:

William D. Neal is Co-Founder and Co-Owner of SDR Consulting. In his corporate function as Senior Executive Officer, Bill has overall management responsibility for the strategic direction of the firm. As a Senior Consultant and Practice Leader, he is responsible for project management, client relationships, proposal development and research design. Bill leads the legal consulting practice at SDR.

Bill has authored over 40 articles, tutorials, and seminars on marketing research methods and strategy. He is a recognized expert in the fields of market segmentation, product positioning, product optimization, brand value, brand equity, and advanced research methods.

He is on the Editorial Review Boards of Marketing Management and Marketing Research magazines and is an ad hoc reviewer for several other marketing management and marketing research publications.

Currently, Bill serves on the Advisory Board for the Master of Science in Marketing Research degree program at the University of Texas – Arlington and on the External Advisory Board to the Center for Marketing Studies at the University of Georgia, which manages the Master in Marketing Research degree program. He previously served on the inaugural Advisory Board of the A. C. Nielsen School of Marketing Research at the University of Wisconsin and on the Advisory Board to the School of Business at the University of West Florida.

He has been a guest lecturer and speaker at many colleges and universities throughout North America and served for many years in AMA’s national speakers program. Bill has been very active in the American Marketing Association since 1978, serving as President of the Atlanta Chapter, Regional Vice President, and Vice President of the Marketing Research Division. From 1991 through 1995, he served on the Association’s Executive Committee and from 1991 through1993 as the Association’s Chairman-Elect and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Bill started the annual Advanced Research Techniques Forum in 1989, the annual Customer Satisfaction and Quality Measurement Conference in 1990, the annual Behavioral Research Conference in 1990, and the annual Electric Utility Marketing Research Conference in 1995 – all highly successful professional development conferences for marketing researchers.

In addition, he conceptualized and developed MARKETING RESEARCH: A Magazine of Management and Applications and was instrumental in the launch of MARKETING MANAGEMENT – both highly acclaimed publications of the American Marketing Association.

In 1987, Bill initiated AMA’s Marketing Research Tutorial Series now offered at every AMA research conference. He has served as an instructor in that program since its beginning. In 1995 Bill was the fourth person to receive AMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for service to the Profession of Marketing Research.

Recognizing his long term contributions to the profession of marketing research, the Marketing Research Association awarded Bill with an Honorary Lifetime Membership in 1997.

Bill received a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University in 1966 and a Master of Science in Industrial Management with a specialization in Operations Research and Systems Analysis from Georgia Tech in 1973.

A lot has happened since 1992. I have moved around a little bit and ended up in a small town in Texas. As I was getting acclimated I went to a local chapter meeting of the AMA, and lo and behold I am greeted with a big “hello” mixed in with a “ya’ll” and I am surprised to see who else but Jim Dawson, the president-elect of the AMA Dallas Chapter. Although I agreed to help, I was a little smarter this time and won’t be following in his footsteps and becoming President.

This story is just another example of how we live in a small world.

Jim is a professional marketer. He is very client service oriented and is always willing to help out in any way possible.

I hope you enjoy this interview with Jim Dawson.

MD
You have been in the industry for 20+ years.  How did you first get started?

JD
After being a journalism major in college and working at the Boston Globe, I decided the long, irregular hours of the newspaper business were not for me. I accepted an advertising position with Liberty Mutual Insurance where I wrote ad copy, assisted on the TV show, Outdoors with Liberty Mutual, helped plan special events for the company’s top clients and handled public relations for the Liberty Mutual Research Center and their tractor-trailer training school.

MD
What is the funniest experience you have ever had as a marketer?

JD
On a Friday afternoon, having a client, the CEO of a major corporation, ask me in our meeting how he would know when “the moment was right” to engage in a physical relationship with his “lady friend” over the upcoming weekend. Or running a major event for 5000 attendees at a major resort and not realizing there was a second “Jim Dawson” at the property at the same time. He was stunned when fruit baskets, wine and cheese, models calling about what to wear, asking about rehearsal times and more kept calling his room. We eventually met each other purely by accident when we got into the same elevator, at the same time, and the people I was with happened to mention my name.

MD
What advice would you give marketing students that are graduating in May?

JD
Pursue your passion, no matter what it is and regardless of how much money may be in it today. By doing what you love to do, you will always have an advantage over others who may look at what you love as nothing more than a job.

MD
You have probably heard hundreds of industry presentations in the past.  What are the top 5 things that are a must for presenting to a group?

JD

• Know your audience – their needs, frustrations and expectations
   
• Use smart, intelligent visuals to support, not make your presentation
   
• Engage, involve and embrace your audience; don’t deliver a monologue
   
• Tell them what you’re going to tell them, and then tell them again
   
• Be prepared, personalize your message and get the audience out of their comfort zone

MD
You have been a leader in so many organizations over the years.  Why is this so important to you?

JD
The true value from any group or organization comes from the members and being involved at the highest levels, to know what drives the group, to understand the vision of the founders and to realize it is a superb avenue to grow as a professional, as a leader and most importantly, as a person. The learning opportunities inherent in being in a leadership role are second to none and they offer you the chance to make a significant difference that adds real value to the rank and file membership, the organization itself, and establishes a legacy of success to build on.

MD
What does your agency focus on?

JD
First and foremost, the customers of our clients in health care, medical products/services and B2B organizations. We’re about identifying the customers who will buy or use a client’s products or services versus those that would, should or could, but in reality, never do. We’re also about marketing and integrating messages across on- and offline platforms to connect with the best customers of our clients. And lastly, we’re about providing the best thinking possible to enhance the competitive advantage our clients in all situations.

MD
Who would be a perfect client for Dawson Marketing Group?

JD
Our “perfect client” is a firm with clear vision of who they are and where they want to go. What they need is an outside perspective, someone to step back from the “day-to- day” business and identify those areas within the company or organization that are real strengths or competitive advantages, but may for some reason, be underperforming or unrecognized at the present time. This same client realizes the value of connecting 1-to-1 with customers and engaging them in an open and unfettered dialog that is used to drive the inherent strategy, brand message, communications and tactical executions necessary to create advocates of the company, and its offerings.

MD
What would people be surprised to know about you?

JD
For 10 years, I produced “Fantasy Fashions Shows” around the country for major corporations looking for a unique special event to capture the imagination of their clients. I worked with retailers such as Macy’s, Marshall Fields, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Broadway, Tootsie’s and others as well as nationally-renowned modeling agencies, sound and production talent, and even Leon Hall, noted fashion expert from the E Channel’s Fashion Emergency and an associate of Joan Rivers and her Oscar night fashion critique. These special events attracted up to 5000 customers, involved 60+ professional runway models, couture and everyday attire for men and women, and were launched with sound, a spectacular light show, simulcast video, and elaborate staging that rivaled the best of events produced for top designers in New York, Paris or Milan.

###

About Jim Dawson:

After managing the Dawson Marketing Group, a top 25 design firm in Boston (per the Boston Business Journal) for 15 years, Jim relocated to Dallas-Fort Worth and re-opened his agency. An award-winning marketer, he has created programs for General Motors, Anheuser Busch, Verizon, American Express, the World Trade Center Boston, Hyundai, the Harvard Medical School, Carlson Wagonlit Travel and others. Prior to starting his agency, he held marketing roles with Liberty Mutual, DuPont and Kendall, a $1 billion division of Colgate Palmolive.

Organizations including the New England Direct Marketing Association, the Medical Marketing Association, International Association of Business Communicators, and the Health Care Exhibitors Association have recognized programs he developed with various awards. Publications such as Marketing News, Exhibitor Magazine, Sales and Marketing Magazine and Crain’s New York Business Daily have featured articles pertaining to campaigns he created. The Trade Show Exhibitors Association recognized a program he created with the Most Remembered Exhibit of the Year Award, and the Public Relations Society of America and Retail Merchants Association awarded him a Best Promotion of the Year Award.

A journalism graduate of Northeastern University, Jim interned at the Boston Globe for three years. He later earned a Certified Business Communicator (CBC) designation from the Business Marketing Association, a masters-level certification achieved by less than 5% of professionals nationwide.

Jim is President of the American Marketing Association, Dallas-Fort Worth, a member of the Dallas Advertising League and the DFW Interactive Marketing Association. He has been a Marketing & Creative Judge for the Annual Crystal Awards hosted by the Houston AMA Chapter the past three years. He has also been a Promotional Judge for the Sizzle Awards – a national competition for promotion and event marketing hosted by Exhibitor Magazine.

He is past-president of both the American Marketing Association and the Business Marketing Association, Boston, and a past-chairman of the Trade Show Exhibitors Association. He has also been on marketing advisory boards for the Dimock Community Health Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Central Massachusetts Association for Retarded Citizens (CMARC).

When our internal team was discussing the possibility of entering into the blogosphere – it was “red rover, red rover send Toby over!” She did a wonderful presentation to the entire company and gave us invaluable guidance as we embarked on our current journey! She is one of the real experts on blogs, having started her own bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/ years ago.

Toby, thank you for everything you have done for us and for everything you do for the industry.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Toby a little bit – she is one special lady!

MD
You were one of the early pioneers on blogs and have had your own for years. What excites you about blogs?

TB
I launched Diva Marketing (Blog) in the spring of 2004, however, I suppose in ‘blog years’ that does make it one of the pioneering business blogs. What was true three years ago remains so today. In a world that spins too fast for us to often know our nextdoor neighbor, let alone understand the individual needs of a growing and often geographically dispersed customer base, blogs help recreate the old fashioned corner grocery store relationship.

It seems the more high tech infiltrates our lives the more high touch our customers long for in terms of service and attention. Part of what we lost when we became a global economy was the ability to develop personal connections with customers and other stakeholders. The green grocer and baker knew their customers’ preferences and responded to their immediate concerns. Through on-going conversations, blogs provide the opportunity to speak to and with customers in ways that go beyond traditional marketing. For me, blogs, as well as other social media tactics, swing open the door that encourages not only customer loyalty but company loyalty to our customers.

MD
What advice would you give to people who were considering starting a blog?

TB
Social media/blogs are different from any other type of marketing strategy. They are built on a culture. That culture can be supportive but it can also be demanding. It’s rather like playing jazz: you can change the composition, but only after you learn the basics and are ready to create and defend your new tune. Similar to jazz, but within a business communication environment, blogs provide a unique opportunity that allows your personality to come through. That rarely happens with marketing vehicles such as advertising, media releases or  product brochures unless the individual is the CEO.

The first step is to determine if your organization is “blog ready” by asking yourself these two questions: One – Will your organization’s culture support honest and transparent, conversational communication? Two – Will blogs help solve a business issue or support a marketing initiative?

If answers to both are “yes” the next step is to keep top of mind, like any other marketing initiative, a strategy must be developed. Begin with creating a plan which includes defining what “success” means for you. In other words, set goals and objectives. Without a plan a blog is a “me too play toy” which might make for interesting conversation at your next MRA conference but does little to help move your brand forward.

MD
What is on the horizon for the Diva Marketing Blog?

TB
Diva Marketing began life as an experiment to test the waters about this bloggy stuff. What a surprise I was in for when not only did the blog take off (it’s ranked in the 150 Marketing Power Blogs http://www.toddand.com/power150/ ) but my interest in social media, as a credible marketing strategy, turned from a passing interest to a passion.

Diva will continue to include posts that help companies understand how to leverage social media as a marketing tool. There will be more interviews with people who are pushing the envelope in this emerging industry (yes I do believe social media has grown into its own discipline). Since business relationships are more than just “business talk”, Friday Fun posts will focus on the lighter side of life. To celebrate Diva Marketing’s third anniversary, a new venture – Diva Marketing Talks – a blog radio talk show that will launch in May.

MD
What changes do you see in blogs in the next few years?

TB
From a business perspective, blogs will be further integrated into websites. Content from blogs will be included throughout a traditional website to add value to static pages. Look for more “mash-up” communities that offer easy blog platforms that include the ability to add photos, videos and visual connections to other people with similar interests within the community.

Listening to the conversations on blogs, called consumer generated media or content, will play an increasingly important role in first phase research strategies. More companies will use CGM/CGC as early warning signs of service and product concerns as well as to identify brand champions. Based on these findings more traditional research will take place to confirm and extend learnings about our customers.

Search optimization will include blogs as a tactic to lift rankings, and push down negative posts on the search engines. Tapping bloggers to help create and extend online buzz will become more common. The best marketers will understand that bloggers are not journalists and build long-term relationships with influential bloggers and those who are brand champions.

MD
What would people be surprised to know about you?

TB
Let’s see .. in terms of marketing research, I literally grew up in the data collection end of the business working in my family’s field service company – Ellington Surveys. However, my degree is not in business but in theatre arts. Great training for presentations .. so I told my dad!

You and I met when we were presidents of AMA Chapters the same year .. you in were in Boston and I was in Atlanta. Our G Chapter presidents group was amazing, and as this post demonstrates, friendships were made and retained.

MD
What type of company is perfect for Bloomberg Marketing?

TB
Thanks for asking, Merrill. I mentioned that my involvement in blogs and social media has gone from a passing interest to a passion. That passion has changed the direction of my company from a general strategic marketing consultancy to one focused on social media marketing. In other words, I help marketers navigate and leverage new marketing tactics and develop strategies that build closer relationships that support business outcomes.

The perfect client would be an organization that wants to step into (or delve further into) the new world of social marketing. The perfect client would understand that companies no longer control their brand message but through social media can manage those conversations.  The perfect client would want to work with a savvy person (moi) who not only knows and understands the space but participates in it. I’m building relationships with organizations in a wide range of verticals, as well as advertising, PR and search agencies that don’t want to invest resources creating internal expertise but realize that social media marketing can be a powerful adjunct to traditional and internet initiatives.

MD
In the past, you were President of the Atlanta Chapter of AMA. What Associations are you currently involved with?

TB
I’m still active with AMA though not on a Chapter level.  However, I’m looking forward to becoming more involved with AMA/Atlanta next year. On a national basis, I’m the leader of the Internet Marketing SIG, one of AMA’s nine online communities; I’m also part of the Marketing Workshop program and Fall 2007, I’ll be presenting at a new Hot Topic on social media.

In addition, I serve on the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association’s board.

###

About Toby Bloomberg:

Toby Bloomberg, is president of Atlanta-based Bloomberg Marketing, a strategic marketing and social media consultancy. She helps organizations develop social media strategies that support business outcomes.

Toby’s background includes over 15-years working in traditional and new media marketing. She is also an adjunct professor at Emory University. Toby is profiled in the best seller book about how blogs are changing business communications, Naked Conversations, in the chapter “Consultants Who Get It.”

Toby completed undergrad work at Emerson College and has performed post-baccalaureate studies at Emory University. Her blog is www.divamarketingblog.com.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Judy Langer a little bit….

MD
You have been in the industry for 30+ years. How did you first get started?

JL
I always say I decided to go into market research after I was already in it. I majored in political science (“government”) and took undergraduate and graduate courses in public opinion (“voter behavior”) that I found fascinating. It appealed to my desire to understand people more than playing with color wheels in the psych course did. My grad school teacher at Columbia wrote a nice letter for me to public opinion firms so my first jobs were at Harris and then Roper. Naïve person that I was, I finally realized that both firms made their reputations on public opinion research but that their “bread and butter” was doing market research. After some time in quantitative research, where I always felt like a misfit, I bumbled into qualitative research at a now-defunct firm, MPi, headed by Emanuel Demby. Their philosophy was that all researchers should do focus groups and depth interviews and that every large quantitative study should be preceded by qual. It was instant love for me. Wow! This is fun and so interesting! I’ve been doing qual ever since.

MD
What is the funniest experience you have ever had as a moderator?

JL
Well, I’m not sure you’re going to want to print this. It was focus groups I did on a new hemorrhoid remedy – an aerosol spray that people somehow were supposed to spray on the so-called “affected” area, holding the can straight up, not upside down, while avoiding spraying their private parts. The product was given to respondents to try at home prior to the focus groups. When one woman said she had “plasticized my heinie” and a man that he would never have more children (in separate focus groups, of course), I dissolved into giggles. Somehow we managed to get through the groups.

MD
What would you hope readers learn from your book “The Mirrored Window: Focus Groups from a Moderator’s Point of View”.

JL
Several things: Qualitative research truly is an art, not a mechanical process of writing questions and exercises in advance and marching through the topic guide. We’re really investigators trying to understand people’s emotions and behavior. We need to understand what the client’s issues are, keep those in mind at every moment and always be looking for possible solutions. A good qualitative researcher (like a good quantitative one) is a true professional, not someone who just does “a few groups” here and there. The other important message, I think, is that however good we are as researchers, we need to deal with the practical logistics of the process – all the many details to making the research work smoothly and making the end results productive.

MD
What advice would you give people who would like to start out in qualitative research?

JL
Be genuinely interested in understanding people – or, if you aren’t, find another field that fits you better. Get training – go to one of the schools for qualitative research, read and, if you can, observe experienced moderators. Apply the knowledge and skills you have – from whatever your field of study and work previously.

MD
What would people be surprised to know about you?

JL
Beats me. That I love to dance (ballroom) and collect clocks?

MD
What changes do you see in qualitative research in 2010?

JL
Qualitative research keeps evolving and expanding. I expect to see an increase in the types of high tech tools we have for interviewing, observing and analysis. And, at the same time, I expect to see continued use of the basics, face-to-face/person-to-person contact between researchers and participants.

MD
What are the top five things that are a must-have when dealing with a focus group facility?

JL

• Work with the best and don’t (just) price shop. Go back to the facilities you like and trust.
   
• Treat facilities as a true partner – value their feedback, listen to the problems and ask for their constructive suggestions. Understand their job is a very tough one and the good facilities really want your study to go well. Do your best not to throw last-minute difficult-to-do requests at the facility.
   
• Spell out what it is you want: have a good, detailed screener and rescreener; explain your requirements for the room set-up, refreshments, etc.
   
• Be sure you get their current address and realistic travel times during rush and non-rush hours to give the client. (Sounds like a small thing but most of the time this isn’t done.)

MD
Having been a moderator for so long, there must be something about the experience that keeps you motivated…what is that?

JL
It really is fun, even with the headaches. I always feel I’m learning and growing intellectually, and that I’m continuing to hone my skills. I love the interaction with people I interview, with rare exceptions. I like seeing what people outside my “hometown” of Manhattan are like; I love New York too but we can be provincial.

Seeing the way our society has changed over the years is fascinating too. When I started, women’s focus groups were done during the day because only “housewives” were considered important to marketers. Now, of course, there is widespread recognition of women’s roles in so many areas of life.

The way to keep a “job” interesting after years is, I think, to keep pushing yourself by asking what have I learned and how can I impart that to others. In the last few years, too, I’ve gone to more international conferences on qualitative research along with QRCA conferences, learning from and sharing with others. In addition to studying consumer trends, I continue to write and give presentations on trends in our field. This summer I’m going to be conducting a workshop on qualitative research with Pat Sabena in Ukraine. So, life hasn’t gotten boring yet!

###

I hope you enjoyed the interview.  Feel free to post any thoughts or comments about qualitative research or Judy Langer.

About Judy Langer:

Judith Langer is President of Langer Qualitative, LLC. An expert in qualitative research and on lifestyle trends, she previously was Senior Vice President, GfK NOP Qualitative Practice, and headed her firm, Langer Associates. A qualitative researcher for 30+ years, Judy is often published in research publications, including the American Marketing Association’s Marketing News and Quirk’s Marketing Review, and is a speaker at a number of industry conferences, such as AMA, AAPOR, ESOMAR, QRCA and the MRA. At GfK she did the research for and wrote TrendWhys on consumer lifestyle trends for Roper Reports. She is a member of the Market Research Council, a by-invitation organization of industry leaders.

She was a founding member and first president of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association, has served several times on its Board of Directors, and is currently on several of its committees. She has also served on the Board of the American Marketing Association. Her book, The Mirrored Window: Focus Groups from a Moderator’s Point of View, is a practical and opinionated guide to the use of qualitative research. Her BA is from Smith College, MA from Columbia University, both in American government. She has been a guest lecturer at Columbia, Pace and New York Universities on qualitative research.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Jim Rys a little bit.

MD
How did you first get involved in the research industry?

JR
I fell into it. Soon after my return from Vietnam and discharge from the Army, I went job hunting. A recruiter thought my talents and experiences suited me for a career in market research. Within a couple of weeks, I landed a couple of job offers. I took the one from Sears because it seemed most promising. It was in catalog circulation planning and research. I ran with it and never looked back and second guessed my decision.

MD
What do you believe is the number one issue in the research industry today?

JR
I think that it’s finding technically skilled researchers and grooming them to be consultative. Today, market researchers need the technical and consultative skills and business knowledge that will earn them the trust of both the decision-makers and implementers (shakers and movers) within their companies.

MD
What does a successful research project mean to you?

JR
A successful research project is one that produces actions that benefit our business.

MD
How much interaction does your research group have with the C-level at Assurant Health?

JR
We’ve earned a seat at the table by consistently providing high quality research that addresses issues of paramount importance our business. Our clients trust us and the insights they and we derived from our work. They feel that it’s in the best interest of both of us to be collaborative.

MD
What are the most effective ways to communicate with C-level executives?

JR
Communication with C-level executives is most effective when it matches their styles and preferences, is interactive, and suggests and results in decisions that favorably influence the business.

MD
When you are hiring research professionals what are some of the things you look for in potential candidates?

JR
I look first and foremost for professionals who fit culturally. Secondarily, I test their research and consultative skills and their aptitude for learning. Finally, and especially at more senior levels, I want them to have health insurance industry knowledge based on experience.

MD
What advice would you give someone entering the research industry?

JR
Work both sides of the business but be sure that your work on either side includes involvement and face-to-face contact with clients. Avoid situations that don’t improve your skills or knowledge.

MD
What are your thoughts about global outsourcing?

JR
It’s usually beneficial economically, but third parties need to be forced to meet or surpass our performance standards and accept our monitoring and measuring to be certain they do.

MD
What would your friends in the industry be surprised to know about you?

JR
My friends would be surprised to know that I have “neat feet,” literally and figuratively. I know how to dance and have made great use of that talent in my life.

About Jim

Jim Rys is Director, Market Research for Assurant Health.  He started his market research career in February, 1969.  Since that time he has sold and serviced more than 150 market research engagements across many industries including utility, telephone, newspaper, shipping, clothing, toy, and agriculture. 

Jim is involved with the American Marketing Association, the Advertising Research Foundation, the Marketing Science Institute, and the A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jim enjoys golf, tennis, soccer, cycling and skiing; is an outdoor enthusiast; and an avid reader.