The members of our consulting team have extensive experience working with a host of technology providers, including a proven track record of conducting strategic research with both consumer and business-to-business markets in virtually every technology sector. We can help you achieve your research needs in the areas of wireless communications, cellular products and services, long distance and local telephone service, online and Internet-based products and services, and computer software and hardware-related products.
Technology & Telecommunications
A large part of our business is answering critical questions
and providing actionable direction.
Here are some of the questions members of our expert team have answered for technology clients:
Are we meeting the needs and expectations of our current customers?
In a rapidly growing industry where new providers are continually entering the market, it is increasingly important for companies to maintain their current customer base. To help technology clients retain their competitive edge, we implement our Customer Sat Tracker. This enables us to identify areas of strength in services delivered and areas of weakness that need to be improved in order to retain customers. Using regression analysis or gap analysis we measure customer satisfaction in selected areas and the relative importance of each of those areas on customers’ overall satisfaction with the company.
When gap analysis is performed, importance and performance scores are developed and graphed on a quadrant. The location of each attribute or measure in the quadrant indicates the type of action that should be taken by the client. Categories for these quadrants include:
- areas for improvement
- high leverage attributes
- attributes on which no action is required
- areas in which resources need to be repositioned or reallocated
Using these results, members of our team have directed technology companies to a better understanding of their areas of opportunity for better service or product delivery and areas where changes are needed to improve customer service. Research results have also been used to assist clients in monitoring the improvement of customer satisfaction over time and establishing performance measures for setting staff and service department goals and compensation.
How can I determine if my new product concept has a chance at success in the market?
The development and launch of new, cutting-edge products is a very expensive but necessary process for technology companies in an extremely competitive and fast-paced marketplace. Projecting the potential success of new products in the pipeline is a crucial element in product development activities.
In order to assist technology clients make marketing and business-planning projections for new products, we put our proprietary technique, the Product Opportunity Forecaster, to work. Using this technique, we develop a model to project expected market share and revenue streams for new product options. A new product concept is evaluated — first on its own and then relative to competitive offerings — to identify attributes of the new product that are competitive or superior to other products in the market.
Next, the modeling program is used to determine the impact of new product offerings on purchase behavior. Our Product Opportunity Forecaster develops demand estimates of clients’ product concepts under current and likely future competitive scenarios to offer clients a better idea of the potential success of their new products.
How does the sales process need to be adapted to sell data solutions?
With the increasing use of integrated solutions in the technology industry, companies currently face the need to keep their sales forces motivated during the longer sales cycle associated with selling these products and services. This is especially important for sales professionals who are compensated on a heavily commission-based salary. Using our Decision Tree Insights proprietary product, members of our team conduct in-depth interviews with current and prospective customers and sales professionals in order to better understand their purchase decision criteria and the obstacles for sales professionals selling in this environment.
Qualitative research is followed up by survey research with client customers and sales professionals to develop measures of best practices that the sales force can use to more successfully sell integrated solutions. Members of our consulting team have also used research results to help technology clients develop promotions to assist sales professionals in selling integrated solutions and developing a compensation structure more appropriate for the longer sales cycle needed for selling these products.
With many high tech products and services becoming commodities, how can I differentiate our company from competitors?
Given the highly competitive nature of the technology industry, companies are under increasing pressure to ensure that they are appropriately positioned and differentiated in their market, especially when competitors are more likely than not to be marketing commodity products. Limelight by Shugoll uses several sophisticated research and analytical techniques to determine the image and reputation of client products among customers and prospects and identify major strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis competitors through ratings of key image attributes.
Our positioning analysis provides rich insights into how client products and competitive products (including commodities) are viewed relative to each other and in the market as a whole. One outcome of this analysis is to develop positioning maps that plot client products based on their ratings on each attribute relative to all other competitors. Our team has used the results of these positioning studies to help technology clients develop strategies to market and communicate their services effectively against competitors. Limelight by Shugoll also conducts these studies over time for clients to determine the impact of marketing/communications activities on target market awareness of and attitudes toward the company and its products compared with the competition. Studies such as these assist technology companies in continually keeping abreast of how they stack up in a challenging and rapidly changing market.
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We’ve Worked With Some Big Names…
