Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in professional services. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.
Industry overview
What is shaping professional services
Consulting, legal, accounting and advisory firms win on reputation and relationships. Client feedback, thought leadership and steady lead flow keep them growing.
- Thought leadership builds credibility
- Client feedback improves retention
- Lead generation is becoming more digital
Client background
A management consulting firm, working in India & UAE. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.
- Organisation
- A management consulting firm
- Sector
- Professional services
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Online surveys, Reporting & insights
Client challenge
The firm wanted original data for a report on digital transformation.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: a thought-leadership survey for a consulting firm.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of senior executives.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 300 senior executives.
- senior executives300
Audiences we typically reach in professional services
Clients and former clientsProspectsBusiness leadersPartners and referrersProfessionals and staff
Geographic coverage
Coverage: India & UAE. Markets: India and United Arab Emirates.
- India
- United Arab Emirates
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2CXO survey
- 3Insight
We surveyed senior executives on priorities, budgets and challenges.
Business panelOnline surveysReporting & insights
Sampling strategy
- senior executives
- 300
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
Key findings
- Original data makes thought leadership credible.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: original data makes thought leadership credible.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The report provided new insights and became the basis of the firm's client events.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how satisfied are our clients?