What we do

Systems Insight’s MARKET ASSESSMENT projects give clients an objective, believable view of target markets and market potential.  No less important, they deliver strong strategic conclusions (e.g. on market drivers, potential barriers, competition and priority markets), as well as pointers towards tangible business opportunities.

Our usual approach to market assessment is based on telephone interviews.  We apply a highly structured approach, assuring objectivity and balance while providing the client with both at-a-glance quantitative results and detailed text responses for depth.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK is an extremely useful tool to provide a company with a profile of how it is viewed by existing and/or potential clients (including “lost bids” and potential business partners).  As well as pointing towards performance strengths and shortfalls (e.g. in customer service or technical capability), customer feedback can be designed to deliver wide-ranging views and suggestions – e.g. on:

• sales and marketing activities;
• competitive strategy;
• new opportunity areas.

As with market assessment, Systems Insight generally adopts an interview-based approach for customer feedback exercises.

Sometimes circumstances or requirements suggest approaches other than interview programmes – such as:

• multiple choice or “tick-box” questionnaires;
• group feedback workshops.

Over 25 years’ market research experience means we can be confident about how best to achieve clients’ objectives cost-effectively, having crafted the best approach for the job.

Facilitating strategy sessions and workshops is central to the marketing consultancy side of what we do.  Using an experienced facilitator can hugely improve the effectiveness and outcomes of the session – especially when brainstorming and debating topics such as:

• new target markets, differentiators, etc;
• defining and prioritising potential new products;
• how to improve sales & marketing (strategy and/or delivery).

No-one would argue that, to be an effective facilitator, a marketing consultant must be knowledgeable in sales & marketing.  Just as important is the ability quickly to get under the skin of the client’s business and technologies.

Through the years, clients have often presented us with challenges such as “Our marketing isn’t working” or “We’re not getting enough sales”.  Our approach to troubleshooting depends very much on the nature of the problem – e.g. promotional campaigns not working, or prospect pipeline needing beefed up – but there is always a way to identify “quick wins” as well as solid longer term actions.

Developing strategic marketing plans and action plans for clients has featured regularly in Systems Insight’s track record.  In the 1990s, the output was often a very long report with the words “Marketing Plan” on the front.  These days things are very different, and we tend instead to work more informally and closely with clients:

• to deliver something practical that can be implemented with ease;
• to ensure that the client company’s people (and not just we, the consultants) own and are committed to the strategy or plan.

Clients periodically ask us to help at the level of assisting individual staff or teams.  The various forms this can take include:

• mentoring clients’ staff through market research and related processes;
• delivering seminar-like presentations on high technology market research;
• handholding staff to review and implement action plans, or to manage key projects such as website development.