MarcyPhelps.com

Quick Tips e-book

"There is a simple way to package information that, under the right circumstances, can make it irresistible. All you have to do is find it."

        --Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point

With the explosion of information on the web and the tools for capturing it, there's no shortage of information about our customers, competitors, and the environment in which they operate. In fact, we're drowning in it.

For researchers, it's important that we don't contribute to the deluge, and we must deliver results in a way that ensures they will be read and – more importantly – put to good use. Our goal is to make it easy to navigate, learn from, remember, and use our research and analysis. In short, we need to deliver insights, not just information.

So how do you turn that collection of statistics, news, journal articles, and expert opinion that you've gathered into something more than the proverbial "data dump?" How do you deliver the valued insights your clients need for making decisions and completing projects?

For some ideas that don't require a big budget or steep learning curve, download my new e-book, 15 Quick Tips for Turning Information into Insights. Also check out the other offerings on the new Resources page at PhelpsResearch.com!

Quick Tip #16 - Tell a story with a timeline

One of the simplest tools for turning information into insights is a timeline. It's one of my favorite ways to display and find the meaning in events over time.

For example, when I need to compile an executive profile for a client, rather than sending a [boring] list of career highlights, I put them in a timeline:

 

Two recent events reminded me of why I <heart> timelines:

First, at last month's SLA annual conference I had the opportunity to attend the interactive session, Favorite CI Analytic Tools that Deliver Value. Speakers Fred Wergeles and Michel Bernaiche provided groups with random pieces of information (news articles, company profiles, etc.) about several consumer brands. We were tasked with organizing this information with the help of some analytic tools, and our group did a Timeline Analysis. Once we got the hang of it, patterns, gaps, and trends began to emerge from the randomness, which shed light on company strategy and other competitive insights.

Then, in her keynote address at the August 16th BMA Colorado regional event, Louise Clements, President of MacLaren MRM Toronto, used timelines to track and compare innovation trends in the advertising and IT industries. With this simple device, Ms. Clements told a fascinating story - one with a lot more impact than if she'd used a bulleted list or simply told us, "There's been a lot more innovation in IT than in advertising."

How do you use timelines to convey your message?

Check out more Quick Tips - low-cost options for adding value to the information you deliver.

Connect with Marcy

 

Quick Tip #15 - Offer updates

This is the latest in my series of Quick Tips - low-cost options for adding value to the information you find:

Market research and analysis provide valuable insights that guide strategic and tactical decisions. Unfortunately, in our rapidly-changing society and business environment, this information is stale-dated. It doesn't take long for it to become outdated and/or inaccurate.

One of the easiest ways to add value to the information you findis to provide regular updates. Use RSS feeds, email alerts, and even specialized tools such as Yahoo Pipes to monitor any topic. Then compile relevant articles, summarize in an email or Word template, and send to stakeholders on a quarterly basis. And, don't ask if they'd like to receive updates on this topic - Ask how often they'd like to receive them. That's much more valuable.

 

Quick Tip #14 - Create a value-add toolkit

This is the latest in my series of Quick Tips - low-cost options for adding value to the information you find:

 One of the biggest barrriers to using charts, maps, pull quotes, and other features that add value to information deliverables is time. I often hear from info pros that adding value to their reports takes too much time - time they just don't have.

Save time and energy by creating a value-add toolkit - a collection of templates that you can reuse. These tools not only save time and add a distinct look and feel for your information packaging, they'll also enhance your image. Why "rip and ship" when you can offer eye-appealing reports that transform information into insights? 

Here's what I've created and keep in a dedicated folder: 

• Branded report template with preferred styles, cover letter, table of contents, section headers, and copyright/disclaimer wording
• PowerPoint templates
• Word document with frequently-used SmartArt diagrams and a template for pull-quotes
• Matrix template
• Interview summary template
• Excel spreadsheet with a variety of sample charts

What's in your value-add toolkit?

Related links:

• 10 Microsoft Word Style Secrets
• Value Added Reports and Deliverables
• Ready-to-use information graphics

 

Quick Tip #13 - Use quotes

This is installment #13 in my series of Quick Tips - low-cost options for adding value to the information you find:

Primarily used in journalism and publishing, Pull quotes - also known as callouts - highlight a key quotation or excerpt from an article. When summarizing results of research and analysis, for example, pull quotes draw attention to key findings or insights in your report. They also provide quick answers for those just-the-facts types of readers. Use the text box feature in Word and format your pull quote in larger or bold font so it's distinctive.

 

 

 

Quick tip #12 - Map it

This is installment #12 in my series of Quick Tips - low-cost options for adding value to the information you find.

Much in the same way I use charts and graphs for turning information into insights, I like to display place-related data on maps.

Spreadsheets are great for crunching, sorting, and analyzing data. But, as hard as it is for the math geeks among us to comprehend (myself included), columns and rows of numbers mean absolutely nothing to most people. Convert the data into a pretty picture, tough, and it all starts to make sense.

Here's an example from a recent project. My client was trying to make the most efficient use of her sales team's resources and wanted to know how many companies within several metropolitan areas met met their specific requirements (ownership type, revenue, industry, and location), and she wanted the information broken down by county. After running my search in Hoover's to find how many companies met their criteria, I created this spreadsheet for the Denver metro area:

Then, with the help of some relatively-inexpensive mapping software, I turned the numbers into this visual that my client included in her presentation at the next department meeting:

 

I use Microsoft's MapPoint for creating maps and have found the $300 well worth the investment (it took me about two minutes to complete this example). There are cheaper options out there, though, including Mapland, an Excel add-in. You can also download many U.S. government data sets into maps for free through American FactFinder, BearFacts, and other sites.

From demographics to business and industry statistics, a picture is definitely worth a thousand words - or numbers.

Quick tip #11 - Include a matrix

Clients often want insights into how their products and services compare with those of their competitors. That's when a matrix comes in handy. Here's a template I put together that can be easily adapted for different types of projects. Note that I create hyperlinks that lead to more in-depth information about each of the competitor companies.

This visual representation makes it easy for clients to discover their key differentiators and identify gaps in the marketplace.

Let me know if you'd like a copy of an editable version of this matrix. I'll be happy to share.

Quick tip #10 - Add images

This is installment #10 in my series of Quick Tips - low-cost options for adding value to information.

At times, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. For example, when you're delivering information or analysis about places, photos from these locations can enhance your story. If your client is researching competitors, adding Google Earth images of corporate and satellite offices could verify what's online.

The trick to including images in your deliverables is to make sure you have the right to use them. To avoid any copyright violations when incorporating images into my articles, presentation, or client deliverables, I head to these resources:

Search.USA.gov image search - The websites of most government agencies contain collections of photos, which generally can be used without restriction.

Google Advanced Image Search and Flickr Advanced Search - Both have options for finding Creative Commons content that can be reused.

iStock - Sometimes free isn't always the quickest route to quality images. This site offers low-cost stock images and advanced search filters. 

Quick tip #9 - Try different formats

This is another installment in my series of Quick Tips - low-cost options for adding value to information.

Not everyone wants or needs their information analysis delivered in a Word document. The key is knowing your audience and how they will be using the deliverable.

Does the client like to crunch numbers or sort data in a variety of ways? Do they need to see key metrics when preparing their strategy? Consider using Excel spreadsheets to deliver your findings and facilitate analysis.

Will your client be using your findings in a presentation? Is your client a high-level executive that needs to quickly get to the bottom line? PowerPoint can be very useful for these and other types of situations. I like using PowerPoint, because it forces me to be concise. 

If a Word document is required, think of ways to mix up the formatting. Text-heavy documents don't get read, and they're not conducive to delivering insights. Find ways to 'chunk' the information into manageable, digestible pieces. Use headings, charts, tables, bullets to break up the text and convey key points.

The only way to find out what format works best, though, is by asking the right questions - before you even get started. 

Quick tip #8 - Listen!

This is another post in my series of Quick Tips for adding value to information that won't break your budget.

The only way you'll know what's valuable to your client is to listen. Listen for:

• Why do they need the information?
• How will they use it?
• Where have they looked, and what information do they already have?
• What's been frustrating in their search for the best information?
• If the information they're looking for can't be found, what would be an appropriate replacement?

Beef up your initial client or reference interview to include these questions. Conduct informational interviews with clients and prospects. Look at recent research requests to identify recurring needs. Follow up after you deliver findings. Determine what would really help turn the information into insights, because it's not the same for everyone.

Listen - and learn what value means to each of your clients.

Learn more quick tips for adding value to the information you find in my Internet Librarian 2011 presentation on this topic.