what do people say when you’re not in the room?
Your reputation lives in conversations you never hear. Independent research is how you find out what’s being said, and what to do about it.
Jeff Bezos is credited with saying that your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s a good line. Finding out what they actually say takes a bit of courage.
why you can’t just ask
When you ask people directly, they’re polite. Students, parents, staff and partners will tell you what they think you want to hear. To get honest answers, the conversation needs to be independent and anonymous.
what research uncovers
We’ve run regular customer research for Risk Evolves for years. The interviews are anonymous, and they ask why people chose them, what makes them different, what went well and what didn’t, and whether they’d recommend them. Over time, the research has led to real changes, including a new service suggested by one of the people we interviewed.
For education organisations, the same approach works with students, parents, employers and staff. In one research project for an independent school, the head told us the exercise was a valuable lesson in not assuming you know everything about your own institution.
what to ask
- Why did you choose us?
- What makes us different from the alternatives?
- What did we do well, and what could we do better?
- Would you recommend us, and why?
turn it into action
Research is only worth doing if you act on it. Celebrate the good news and share it. Fix the issues quickly. Then use the words people use about you in your marketing, because they’re far more convincing than anything you’d write yourself.
want to talk it through?
The first conversation is with me, and it costs nothing.