Many companies are grappling with the restrictions and limitations created by the Covid-19 pandemic. This may have brought the proverbial standstill for the business world, but this is also a great time to be communicating with clients.

Not only to reassure and remind them that the business is still there; also this is a great time to test your product or service satisfaction levels. Not just that; but to really listen to what their needs and preferences are or may be. As you know, clients do outgrow some products and services and it is quintessential for your business to adapt to the change as seamlessly as possible. You would be surprised how much a simple exercise such this can change your positioning as a brand and client’s perception of your offering. 

Companies may even be opting to allocate the research and development budget to something else and encourage R&D to be conducted internally.  Biases do exist and they can influence the study findings and reporting. The worst thing any business can do is to NOT conduct their research objectively. But before we jump into it, allow me to ask you this question: When was the last time you conducted your research objectively? 

Conducting your research objectively automatically means that your investigation and findings will not be influenced by your internal biases. You get to do the magic you do, while we at Vision Africa do what we do best- getting you that much needed intelligence to take your brand, product or service to the next level.  

So what does this mean? 

We help you define the focus of your study. This may come across as an obvious point, but it really is not all that simple. Defining the focus of your study helps you narrow down the investigation to a SMART goal or objective. The Vision Africa folks are really inquisitive, and they help businesses understand what they need to ask in order to gain the necessary insights that will subsequently lead to improving their product and services. It’s one thing to know what is wrong. It is another to correct it.This requires expertise  and that’s really what the Vision Africa team is- a group of helpful research professionals. 

Once the focus of the study is defined,, we identify the measurable variables. What are those? Here you establish what you want to measure, for example, testing what people think about the new shop layout or product branding or new service procedure or testing what people are willing to pay for the delivery as an added service offering. Remember all this needs to be aligned with the SMART goal.  

Next, you determine the various steps to be taken to achieve your SMART goal. This is what we call the research methodology (think of it as the road map before going on a trip). Here we discuss routes, techniques, sample sizes, time frames etc, with the SMART goal in mind. Remember the point of this exercise is to achieve the SMART goal. Once all that is determined and approved, we execute. Vision Africa has teams all over Namibia and the SADC region (outside of South Africa) who are ready to get you the insights you need to scale your business to the next level. 

It is natural to want to be frugal about certain company overheads. Research & Development should not be one of them. 

Let us help you serve and understand your consumer better. 

By Romancia Shoonga