I was asked by LinkedIn to comment on the discussion “You’re facing doubts about market research accuracy. How can you reassure your clients?”
The character limit was (only) 750 characters, so was not able to give all my answers, but fyi, my 739 characters are below:
If you suspect your market research findings may meet client doubts about accuracy (as you should anyway, for any client/prospect), start by asking about their attitudes to market research and its findings.
Then, whether doubtful or accepting, explain the processes you’ll undertake, their reliability, the universe to be researched, its relevance to strengthening client business decisions/business outcomes.
If the client/prospect accepts that, proceed – & keep them informed at every step, so they have opportunities to have emerging concerns addressed and resolved. Show example images of participants (not actual ones) and de-identified comments, so the “real people” behind the findings emerge to show the validity of the findings.