MARKET RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Secondary research
Sales leads: I utilised various data sources to maximise sales resources and communication to target customer. e.g obtaining data of which charities have the most active/young supporters. These charities will be more likely to be looking for active ‘challenge’ methods of fundraising. Using this information to segment the market and create ‘effective’ sales leads.
Primary research
Charitable Sector:
Creation of charity customer questionnaire to monitor the product, understand market perception of TBSC, identify areas under performing and areas performing adequately.
Shipping Industry:
The aims of primary research I have designed and actioned was to obtain business streamlining ideas from the employees. This was fed back to the management who used it to implement change.
Surveys
Questionnaires
Focus Groups
Suggestion boxes
SWOT analysis
Manipulation and tabulation of data in shipping industry
Using many different methods of tabulation I was able to create the data into
A form which I could present to management and use to generate regular reports which were deadlined and adhoc.
I used direct comparison methods to monitor against previous years and competitors performance.
Analysis of operations to advise national sales team in profitable action
Logistics requires complex relationships between full container haulage costs and the cost of transporting the ‘empty’ back to where it is needed. This could be a UK port OR a global depot. By analysing the data we were able to guide the sales team to win business that promoted good transport relationships and loose business that provided poor transport profitability.
Analysing process data to identify problems & maximise sales profitability within the shipping industry
It was decided that we should maximise the efficiency of the staff. Firstly by requesting process mapping from all managers and setting work practices. Secondly I carried out surveys and suggested alterations based on the results in order to make changes. One simple change was to improve the working environment by introducing plants to the office. Another was to get portable air-conditioning for the offices.
Presentation of research findings to management teams in shipping industry
Every month we had a meeting with all the heads of departments where I would present the monthly findings. This required great communication skills as well as skills required to influence middle management to implement required changes.
