CUSTOMER INSIGHT 07
Gareth Nagle
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Bringing Innovative Concepts to Client Engagement
We recently sat down with Gareth Nagle, Business Development Director at Assured Thought, who offered insights on his experience with Network Sunday's thought leadership initiative. Gareth delves into the merits of a more involved client engagement strategy.
A Collaborative Approach to Enhanced Customer Insight
What made Network Sunday's methodology stand out from other marketing providers you've worked with?
I really liked the unique concept that Network Sunday brought compared to other providers we’ve worked with in the past. Often, other providers would simply conduct interviews and produce an output. Network Sunday has a neutral interviewer who first speaks to the interviewees and provides that information back to us. We then have the opportunity to speak directly with the participants and establish a relationship. Having that more conversational, two-step approach allows us to gain deeper insights from the clients.
The Power of an Independent Facilitator
How did Network Sunday's third-party branding help connect with participants?
Working with the Network Sunday team was wonderful. Their project management and coordination as an independent facilitator helped engage participants and align objectives. They were efficient, helpful, and made sure everyone was on the same page in terms of meetings, objectives, and logistics. The regular reminders and coordination from the Network Sunday team facilitated the dialogue smoothly. Their third-party branding helped establish trust and openness with the participants.
Making Clients Feel Heard
What feedback did you receive from interview participants on the value of this experience?
Many participants appreciated the more conversational nature of the interviews compared to other market research projects. Often, client interviews feel scripted, with predefined questions read verbatim. Our participants noted that Network Sunday's approach felt more organic, with the interviewer listening and tailoring the discussion. They valued feeling heard, developing a relationship, and not just supplying information. Their enthusiasm for the concepts and process came through in the videos and one-page summaries.
I found great value in the conversational, two-step process compared to other providers’ more transactional interview model. Building rapport through a participatory program allowed me to gain deeper insights from clients.
Gaining Crucial Market Intelligence
Beyond learning about industry dynamics, what were the key benefits of this marketing program?
The client insights we gained are invaluable for understanding the current landscape. We can also share the output with participants, prospects, and across our social channels to showcase our innovative approach. The biggest benefit was gaining quality introductions that are so difficult in financial services. This process opened doors that were previously closed and helped us engage the right targets.
Many participants appreciated the organic nature of the interviews compared to feeling “scripted” in other market research projects. They valued developing a relationship beyond just extracting data.
Building Bonds to Support Commercial Goals
How has the program supported your commercial objectives so far?
Since our initial engagement with participants, the program has exceeded expectations in supporting our commercial objectives. Notably, we've transitioned from exploration to tangible results with one direct sale so far stemming directly from our interactions. This success underscores the program's effectiveness in generating actionable leads. Moving forward, I intend to capitalise on this momentum by leveraging further connections established through the program to cultivate additional opportunities. By nurturing these relationships, we anticipate continued growth and the development of fruitful business partnerships.
Keys to Maximising Program Success
What advice would you give sponsors embarking on a similar thought leadership program?
First, ensure consistency by having the same core team involved throughout the process. Second, work closely with Network Sunday on curating the target list and segmentation using tools like LinkedIn. Third, ask a lot of questions upfront to fully understand the approach, timeline, and objectives before kicking off. Network Sunday welcomes inquiries, so sponsors should not hesitate to get the details needed to maximise the value.
An Ongoing Thought Leadership Journey
Would you recommend continuing to invest in thought leadership programs for market learning and engagement?
Given the value of customer access and insights, I expect to embark on another program within 6-12 months as Assured Thought expands services and having structured access to client insights becomes even more crucial. I would spend more time in the initial phase defining the target list and ideal participants. But the ability to have quality conversations with key decision-makers in our market is invaluable and well worth the investment.
Advice for Strong Results
How satisfied were you with the program, and what could be improved?
For any company embarking on a thought leadership program, I would advise spending ample time early on in the process to align on objectives, ideal targets, and audience segmentation. The more dialogue between the sponsor and Network Sunday early on to understand the client landscape and define success metrics, the more effective the engagement will be. Smooth coordination and communication with ample Q&A in the planning stages help set up the program for maximum impact.
Enthusiastic Endorsement
Would you recommend Network Sunday to other companies?
I happily recommend Network Sunday to other companies seeking meaningful customer engagement through thought leadership initiatives. The process ultimately ran smoothly, delivering impressive results and I would encourage other firms to consider investing in structured market intelligence and thought leadership programs. The customer access and knowledge Network Sunday provides are truly differentiating. I look forward to continued partnership with Network Sunday on future programs as a key element of Assured Thought's outreach.
We've transitioned from exploration to tangible results with one direct sale so far stemming directly from our interactions. This success underscores the program's effectiveness in generating actionable leads.
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Accelerating Digital Innovation & Time-to-Market in Today's Transformational Financial Services Sector
This recently published Market View Report reveals the invaluable insights into the challenges and, more importantly, opportunities for organisations looking to accelerate digital innovation and the time-to-market within the Financial Services sector.