Organizations invest a lot of time and money in conducting market research. Objectives are outlined, questionnaires are developed, and data are collected, processed, and analyzed. However, when it comes time to presenting insights, research reports often fall short. Poor reporting can cast doubt on the entire process and diminish executive confidence in the insights gathered. While there is no single “best” way to prepare a report, there are pitfalls to avoid and principles to follow.

Earlier we had made you aware of the pitfalls of “no story“, “information overload“, “not user friendly“, “not visually engaging“, and how you can avoid these mistakes. Presented below is the fifth common mistake researchers make in reporting insights – and how you can avoid it.

Fifth Common Mistake: “Not Spending Enough Time”.

Too many researchers don’t spend enough time preparing their reports. A report shouldn’t be an afterthought – it’s often the only tangible “product” of your efforts, and can have a big influence on the perceived value of those efforts, as well as of your role with your employer.

Solution: Build enough time into your schedule for the preparation of a good report. If prior activities take longer than planned, try to manage your project – and your client – so this window doesn’t get squeezed. Thoroughly checking your text and numbers, while often tedious and time-consuming, is critical (running a spell check isn’t enough, especially with PowerPoint). If you need help, seek assistance from colleagues or consider hiring research specialists who specialize in report development and can serve as an extension of your team during crunch times.

Example: A leading manufacturer of consumer and business products had invested in collecting important data but was suddenly short staffed and unable to devote the required time for analysis. Instead of putting together a half-baked report, this client engaged Gold Research, Inc. for results compilation. This resulted in the client receiving a quality report that presented insights and key findings in a format that could be easily understood and disseminated. An added bonus was that this effort not only saved the client valuable time but also cost 50% less than what the client would have spent doing the work in-house.

Gold Research Inc. has extensive experience in journey mapping, path-to-purchase research, deploying customer intercepts and mobile surveys for concept testing, marketing testing, satisfaction research, shopper insights, and mystery shopping. We can also act as an extension of your research team in helping with data processing, analysis, report development, and survey programming. Contact us at 1-800-549-7170 or send us an email for a free 30-minute consultation on this topic.