Customer Intelligence

Understanding—and Responding to—Customer Needs

GMT provides market research and analysis capabilities that help clients to dramatically increase their level of insight into customer needs—then respond with informed, targeted top-level strategies.

For diverse clients, GMT has provided a greater understanding of their customers' product needs, pricing constraints, distribution channel preferences, and brand perceptions—whether the customer is a consumer shopping in the retail aisle or an industrial purchaser placing a product or system order.

GMT's market insight services allow client businesses to quantify customer behaviors and needs in a highly detailed manner—providing real-world information that results in a fact-based strategic plan.

Fact-Based Answers to Strategic Questions

Customer intelligence provided by GMT has the power to impact every area of the business—from product development plans and supply chain improvements to marketing and communications initiatives.

By selecting and implementing a custom-tailored set of research services for each client, GMT can help to answer such essential questions as:

	Who is actually buying our products?
	What factors influence the purchasing decision?
	What unmet needs do our customers—and the users of our products—have?
	How do customers perceive our brand?
	What price are our customers willing to pay?

Primary Research: Direct Feedback
From the Marketplace

GMT's research experts analyze the client company's current level of customer insight, then design a set of research services that build on and advance this knowledge base. Depending on the client's existing data and strategic goals, specific services can include:

	Customer surveys using a range of methodologies—from traditional telephone studies to computer-assisted interviews
	Focus groups which offer qualitative insight into key customer segments
	One-on-one in-depth interviews focusing on key individuals' needs and opinions
	Consumer panels that help consumer products manufacturers to monitor trends among end users
	Retail aisle research which uses videotape analysis to reveal consumers' actual behavior and perceptions while shopping in the aisle

Secondary Research: High-Level Trends
That Impact Customers

In addition to conducting original research studies, GMT helps its clients to identify and gather information on trends that will impact the marketplace—such as growth among specific demographic segments or geographic regions. These high-level changes can have a dramatic impact on the marketplace for any business, but are often not considered as part of the strategic planning process.

GMT can help to identify and collect the secondary data that reveals those market trends which will affect a company's customers—and end users—over both the short and long terms. When complemented by primary research, this broad information can provide a sound basis for anticipating—and responding to—critical market needs.

Strategic Interpretation and Application:
The GMT Difference

Unlike traditional market research firms, GMT's consulting focus enables its professionals to interpret the collected information and identify the most critical findings—then apply these findings to help clients develop a strategic plan that addresses pressing marketplace challenges.

In response to customer intelligence findings, GMT can help its clients to:

	Develop top-level strategies that target the fastest-growing customer and end-user segments
	Optimize all work processes to focus on meeting the demands of the marketplace
	Align product development efforts with customer values
	Create marketing programs that reach customers more effectively
	Implement channel-specific strategies that address customer preferences
	Investigate new areas for expansion, based on customers' and end users' unmet needs