"We can't chase every opportunity. We need a way of knowing what is coming out and how to focus our resources. We want to use public information to help ourselves get a competitive edge."

This workshop will teach you how to access the many sources of information available in the market, assess the value of each source, and develop the tools and strategies needed to use this information effectively to find and develop new business. The workshop includes exercises designed to focus attention on several aspects of the market research task. The instructor has extensive experience in conducting and managing market research projects in both the public sector and commercial markets.

Summary:

This one-day session discusses the relationship between data and information then considers a number of information sources available to everyone, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each. It then organizes the market research objectives into three distinct purposes and discusses the purposes of each. You are guided through a set of tools and techniques that make the gathering and use of market information more effective. A discussion of how to make this type of information still more valuable in individual organizations concludes the program.

Objectives:

Workshop attendees will gain an understanding of the information sources available and will know how to enhance the value of this information for their own and their organization's use. As an interactive session, students will benefit from the experience of others in the workshop and should gather tips to make their jobs more effective.

Audience:

People charged with conducting market research for their business development teams and business development people who do not have the resource of a market research person will benefit from this workshop.

Workshop Outline:

• Information Sources

• The Internet: How to Use and Assess What You Find

• Trade Press: Quality, Timeliness, Bias

• Government Sources: Free, But Can Be Old Or Inaccurate

• Commercial Research Firms: Fee-based, Shared Data, Sometimes Very Specialized

• Reasons For Collecting Information

• Competitive Analysis: What Are They Doing, How Will They Read?

• Opportunity Identification: What's Out There You Can Win?

• Market Awareness: "Hot Buttons" And Changes In The Marketplace

• The Researcher's Toolbox

• Questionnaires

• Interviews

• Data Analysis

• Graphics

• Using Collected Information Effectively

• Making it Accessible and Relevant

Check our current training schedule for the next public offering of this workshop.

For further information, contact Sid Jaffe at 703-642-5153.