I love baseball! If you know me personally, then you know how much I love baseball, to the extent I still play to this day on competitive baseball teams. 16 years ago, today, Cal Ripken Jr. set the record for most consecutive games played – 2,131. Pretty impressive!! There was a 22-minute standing ovation that voiced the appreciation of the fans in attendance that day – also impressive!
How often are you tempted to “phone it in” or decide to not show up and call in sick? As a researcher, you know how intense our schedules are, how easy it can be to catch a cold from flying on various planes, constantly changing climates, and germ-filled hotels (bedbugs anyone?). I learned from my mentor, Tim Ishii, while playing music professionally in college that you’re only as good as your last gig. Words that stick with me to this day.
How good was your last “gig”? Did you phone it in because the project was “just another day of toilet paper focus groups”, or the 29th IDI out of 30? Or, did you dial it up a notch and see if you could get even more from the research than you thought you could? We spend so much time in the marketing research industry talking about consistency, non-bias, etc., but how consistent do we strive to be personally? I am guilty of geeking out and being addicted to new learning, and I try to not harness it and let it go wild, but I’ll admit there have been times where I have felt like there was no new learning to be found. The funny thing is that it often turns out to be the most interesting interview of all!
Clients appreciate consistency. They like knowing that they can call on you and know exactly what to expect, and that you will give it your all each time, every time. This isn’t rocket science or new thinking, but something we must still constantly keep in mind. By game 2,131 I bet Cal Ripken Jr. had seen just about every single scenario that could possibly happen, but he still showed up. The even more impressive part is that he showed up ready to play and at the top of his game every time he stepped onto the field.
Would your clients give you the equivalent of a 22-minute standing ovation?
Quick video – http://es.pn/q1tQ6Q
Have you visited the Spych Facebook Page ?
You can catch Tim Ishii and his sister, Leslie, as the opening keynote speakers at this year’s ESOMAR Qualitative Summit in Viena!
Spych Market Analytics 