In the world of market research, we sometimes hear grumblings about “death by PowerPoint.” But contrary to widespread belief, many market research clients actually prefer slide deck-style reports to written reports. In a recent episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars, Lead Instructor Kathryn Korostoff shares two common reasons why slide-style reports have won the hearts of clients, and provides insider tips on structuring them effectively.
Market Research Clients Like Slide-Style Reports
So, why do clients prefer slide-style reporting?
- Ease of finding needed content. No client wants to hunt for the “so what” results. They want easily digestible information that allows them to quickly grasp the most important results. Slide-style reports condense complex data into engaging graphics and concise text; catchy slide titles help clients to skim and find what they need, fast.
- Suitability for repurposing. Market research clients often use our research reuslts in their own deliverables—which may be for their executive teams or clients. Written reports are difficult to repurpose without Signiant effort to rewrite (to add segues, etc.). In contrast, slide-style reports allow clients to easily grab the slides of interest and pop them into their own presentations.
Report Structure Matters
A thoughtful structure helps clients get the most value, and avoids the dreaded “data dump” feeling the clients detest. In this Conversations for Research Rockstars episode, Instructor Kathryn recommends three options for structuring slide-style reports: by project objective, by geography, or by…can you guess the third? Skip ahead to 4:04 for the breakdown and benefits of each structure!
Making Market Research Rock
Slide-style reports have rightfully earned their place as a favored format among clients, and for good reason: these reports make their lives easier as compared to text-dense, written reports. Until something better comes along, we can make slides work for us—if we adhere to known best practices, such as having well-structured designs.
To learn more about creating compelling qualitative research reports, check out the Writing Qualitative Research Reports course available at Training.ResearchRockstar.com. Rock on!
