With the increasing emphasis on use of performance-based service acquisition (PBSA) in the federal government, are you confident of your current performance?

Customer satisfaction is a key building block for future business, especially in the federal government market.  Contractors are constantly asked to demonstrate their success in providing the government with high quality services.  Do you have the information you need to win future contracts with new and existing customers?

Customer satisfaction research is a great way to provide this information.  You can increase your understanding of how well you are meeting or exceeding customer expectations and be able to identify issues more quickly, which can save key contracts and accounts.

Don’t be blind-sided in the New Year!  Implement a customer satisfaction program today, or reassess what you may already have in place, to ensure that you know what your customers think. Contact us today to find out how we can help you with this process!

What have you done lately to feed the Beast?  It seems a common refrain now in all the focus groups we do. Google (the Beast) is the gateway to content, information, and vendors.  No matter how accessible and easy you make your website, the first thing most buyers do when investigating a solution is “Google” it.  They will then look at the results and take an information gathering session from there.

It’s not just home pages that folks will jump to.  White papers, press releases, and other meatier content within the website is very attractive to those looking specifically for key pieces of information.  They will bypass the home page all together. So the question to you would be, are you “optimized” for search engines?

PR is a good tool to gather hits through search engines.  I noticed that SpeakerBox public relations is hosting a session in the DC area on January 9, 2008 about using PR and other strategies to get more press, and therefore, search engine hits.  Click here for more information.  We’ve worked with a number of companies to leverage surveys of their market into press stories and positions as “thought leaders.” Everyone is always trying to Google the thought leader.

For those of you who were not able to attend last week’s informative web seminar on effectively penetrating the lucrative yet challenging state and local government market, we now have it available for complimentary viewing. 

The webinar features our very own Lisa Dezzutti, President of Market Connections, Inc. and Robert Silverman, CEO of ReachSolutions.  Gain insight from recent research into the needs and buying habits of state and local decision makers, along with an understanding of strategic approaches to building a successful, scalable sales program. 

Learn how your company can leverage this insight into increased revenue, reduced long-term cost of sales and sustainable growth in your S&L business.  Download this complimentary webinar today!

Don’t you hate getting calls from pushy, untrustworthy telemarketers?  If you’re like me, you put your home and cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call List the day you receive them.  In this age of savvy consumers who know how to dodge calls, telemarketers have gotten sneaky and now mask sales calls as surveys.  Beware: these “surveys” are not valid research! 

Just the other day, as I was fixing my dinner, I got one of these calls.  The woman on the line was very friendly, and asked if I had a few minutes to complete a survey.  I was happy to help; as a market research professional, I know how hard it is to get respondents!  After a few questions, however, it became clear that this call wasn’t about gathering information—she was trying to sell me a magazine subscription.  I quickly pointed out that this “survey” was bogus and she disconnected the call.  But the incident had me thinking: If I fall prey to this scam, I bet others do too!

Here are some tips to keep you free from telemarketing survey scams.

1. Be cautious about giving personal information over the phone!

If a caller asks for your name, address, or any personally identifying information, ask for clarification about the use of the data they are gathering.  Most survey studies are blind, and do not need this data.  A real survey will never ask you for your credit card number.

2. You don’t have to put up with leading questions, or questions that make you uncomfortable.

These types of questions are popular in push polls, surveys taken near election time that are designed to spread negative information about a candidate.  Feel free to decline to answer ANY survey question when you feel uncomfortable.  If you think the survey is a sham, ask for information about your caller, and the nature of the survey.  If it is not a valid study, they will likely hang up instead of answering your question.

3. Listen to your gut.

If you feel uncomfortable about the caller, the questions, or anything at all related to the survey, either ask for more information or feel free to decline.  Surveys are completely voluntary—you should never feel pressured into making decisions or giving out information that you don’t wish to share.