Marketing

Uncover Client Needs with Qualitative Research

CPA Firm Business Development

 Kurt Steigerwald 

 

In the early 1990s, I served as the Ohio practice marketing director at one of the largest accounting firms in the world. At that time, research involved asking the firm’s librarian to run a D&B list of companies in the market. Reading business publications, gathering word of mouth from partners and compiling insight from various sources created our view of the market. In those days actionable marketing research – where you build an understanding of your customers, their challenges and identify new market opportunities – seemed exclusive to consumer products companies. My how times have changed.

Research 101

My goal is to give you just enough information about marketing research to be dangerous. Marketing research can be broken into two broad categories.

Secondary research involves taking currently available information and compiling it into a comprehensive understanding of what is known about a category. For old timers, think library research, buying industry studies or using compiled lists. Today, much of this work starts and ends with Google searches. Good secondary research can be a powerful way to support decision making, but it doesn’t provide critical insights that come from the voice of the customer.

Primary research is information that is created where only conjecture or theories exist. Primary research relies on direct feedback from an audience and can be broken down into two broad approaches.

 

Members: read more starting on page 5

Non-Members: learn more and subscribe

Posted in

About Kurt Steigerwald


Kurt Steigerwald is a Vice President with MarketVision Research, a large primary research firm with offices throughout the US and in Dubai and London. Kurt designs and executes research projects for a number of accounts ranging in size from large corporations to start-up entities. His broad base of experience includes serving as Managing Director of a mid-sized research organization and Ohio Practice Marketing Director with a multi-national accounting and consulting firm. Kurt has an MBA with a marketing concentration from The Cleveland State University, where he also completed his undergraduate studies.

Welcome to CPA Growth Trends — your source for information, insights, tools and best practices to drive growth within an accounting firm.

Subscribe to our blog

* indicates required

This field is required.


Featured: Season 2 Episode 1

Strategic Planning for the Future, Observations, and Advice

with Dan Hood, Accounting Today

The Intersection of Marketing and HR for Accounting Firms Strategic Planning for the Future, Observations, and Advice -w- Dan Hood, Accounting Today