Customer satisfaction jobs are widely available in both the private and public sector nationwide. You can land jobs in consumer behavior analysis companies if you come to the table with the right credentials. While entry-level positions in consumer market research are prolific, the better paying jobs in consumer behavior research require industry knowledge that only comes from training and experience. To pursue careers in customer analysis you should accumulate as many certificates and degrees as you can.

Look for training opportunities in learning how to write and give a consumer behavior survey through online customer satisfaction job programs and through contacts and connections you can make in the industry. Use all the tools available to you to find the best education in consumer research services. There are a number of avenues you should pursue as you continually upgrade your training for consumer research.

1. Peruse online training in consumer behavior research

2. Find training in consumer behavior analysis through trade groups

3. Enlist the help of consumer feedback experts

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Watch for training for online consumer research

Take the time to regularly watch the employment sites, as you look for opportunities online to advance your consumer marketing research career. You'll find a number of online training programs that will be most helpful as you search to upgrade your skills and credentials. Check out the requirements and look for training to make you more suitable for the position you seek.

I recommend: Get training online in the use of consumer marketing software, in-house or personally, through Nielsen Claritas. Make arrangement to attend the Chicago School of Professional Psychology for a degree in consumer research.

Look for consumer analysis through associations

While you are pursuing a career in consumer behavior research, you also should be accruing a list of connections that will help you throughout your career. Trade associations are great places to get involved with experienced professionals and make those important contacts. At the same time, most associations offer a wide variety of professional development courses that will look good on your resume.

I recommend: Get a Professional Research Certification through the Marketing Research Association. Attend one of the many seminars and training programs respected by the industry at the Burke Institute.

Enroll with customer analysis programs

Recruiters and headhunters know the landscape and can point you in the direction of the companies that may hire rookie researchers. Send your resume to recruiters so that they can at least know about your credentials and your availability. Update the service with a new resume after you complete additional certificate courses.

I recommend: Get a marketing research degree from the Wisconsin School of Business A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research. Check out the many training opportunities available through the Academic Resource Center of the American Marketing Association.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Find a consumer marketing research manager that is willing to mentor you while you continue your training to help you find the right training and credentials to advance.

There's an expression that past behavior is often the best predictor of future behavior. That's the idea companies are banking on when conducting consumer behavior research. By tracking past purchases and returns, businesses hope to predict what products and services consumers want.

Consumer behavior research can help your company in the following ways:

1. It builds predictability into marketing strategies.
2. It helps eliminate tactics that aren't working.
3. It enables companies to make their promotions more customer-specific, thereby increasing the chances of repeat purchases.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Study what others have done

Know as 'secondary research,' companies can peruse studies about similar firms or industries.

I recommend: The Market Research Portal at KnowThis.com contains a section devoted to finding company and industry information. Look for research on your market at trendwatching.com.

Conduct your own research

So-called 'primary research' is another way to track consumer behavior. Select marketing firms specialize in tracking customer behavior through surveys, focus groups, and direct observation or monitoring (such as 'cookies' used by Web sites to track visitors preferences).

I recommend: You may have heard of Nielsen ratings for television, but were you aware that AC Nielsen also does consumer behavior research tailored to your business? Claritas also offers customized behavioral profiles for purchase.

Sharpen your skills

Keep up with the latest on consumer behavior research by monitoring industry Web sites.

I recommend: The Association for Consumer Research publishes studies on the mind of the consumer. Take a tutorial on buyer behavior at KnowThis.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use customer feedback cards to gather some of your own information – include a self-addressed, stamped one with each purchase.
• •  Provide customer surveys with regular newsletters or at your web site.
• •  Keep your eyes open while reading general marketing or business magazines to spot trends in your industry or in market research.
• •  Never underestimate the power of the Internet – make sure your marketing department is tracking customer behavior while visiting your web site, how long they spent on each page, etc. or ask your web designer to implement a tracking system.
• •  Ask around at trade shows and conventions to learn how your competitors are tracking their customers' habits.

Consumer behavior analysis companies continue to evolve as Internet usage grows and more consumer behavior professionals and consumer marketing research companies learn how to make the most of their own new software and online applications. Online consumer surveys are growing rapidly with more IT tools and consultants available to help every consumer behavior survey owner reach their maximum Internet potential.

Customer satisfaction consultants remain viable as entrepreneurs and administrators still need help figuring out all the options and many business owners still prefer to work with consumer feedback they receive on their own. Follow the consumer market research news and trends through industry magazines, marketing and promotions resources and trade associations. Stay in the loop with current information on consumer research news and trends in a number of ways.

1. Follow trends in the customer satisfaction industry

2. Subscribe to the most popular consumer behavior analysis reports

3. Meet with industry experts to get the latest consumer analysis information

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find consumer behavior trends

As consumer research companies learn more about how consumers navigate the Web and use their Internet connections, they are becoming savvier about making their information more accessible. You need to stay on top of the trends to get your team on-board with emerging technology.

I recommend: You’ll find all the latest news in consumer research and opportunities to participate with other professionals through the Association for Consumer Research. Keep up with trends in the industry at CM Insight.

Stay on top of consumer behavior research information

While you can't spend your whole day reading about what every marketing consultant is doing or what latest scheme your competitor has come up with, you need to stay informed about the latest news affecting your industry. Find niche publications that can narrow your focus and regularly feed you with the important news that you need to have each day.

I recommend: The University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers are the most-respected gauge of consumer sentiment in the US. Quirk’s Marketing Research Review keep you updated with the latest news about trends affecting the industry. Members of the Consumer Electronics Association can purchase trend reports and updated news feeds from the organization’s website. Subscriptions are free for members and available to others for a fee.

Get involved with consumer behavior survey companies

You often can hear about the latest news affecting your industry before it even hits the press from a good networking group. Find ways to interact with your peers and be prepared to give and get important information on news and trends that you've picked up.

I recommend: The Conference Board covers consumer research issues for executives involved in the industry. Read up on reports of current consumer trends that you can use in your business at Consumer Reports Webwatch.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Give employees time each day, when you can, to read an industry publication and present regular reports on the online consumer research news that they've found.

Consumer research, also referred to as consumer market research, is a form of applied sociology that is used to understand the behaviors of consumers in a market-based economy, and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns aimed at those consumers. Consumer market research is a systematic process and can seem intimidating to market research novices, but it is an essential process for the success of a business, since it can improve customer relationships and increase sales. Start with the following consumer research key terms, and soon there will be enough of an understanding to begin the process of conducting market research for your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Primary research

Primary research is original research, information gathered first-hand directly from the source. In the case of consumer research, the source is the customer base.

I recommend: Learn more about primary research and ways to conduct it from Market Research World.

Secondary research

Secondary research is research previously conducted, usually by someone else. This research is usually much easier to come by, but not as valuable or relevant to a business as primary research.

I recommend: Read more about secondary market research, such as the advantages, disadvantages and sources for, at KnowThis.

Demographic

Demographics are a set of characteristics amongst customers used to segment the market, or break down the market into smaller groups. Groups can be organized by age, race, income level, employment status, level of education or location.

I recommend: Find in-depth information on demographics from AllBusiness.

Marketing mix

A marketing mix is the unique combination of marketing tactics, using product, price, promotion and place, used by a business to achieve its goals. The objective of consumer research is to discover how a marketing mix is effecting customers and their buying decisions.

I recommend: Visit Marketing Teacher to find a great explanation of the basics of marketing mix.

Exploratory research

Exploratory research is conducted to find comprehensive insight into a specific situation using qualitative research tools like small focus groups or one-on-one interviews.

I recommend: Discover more information on exploratory research and how it might be used from University of Maryland University College.

Conclusive research

Conclusive market research is conducted for the purpose of drawing conclusions using quantitative marketing research techniques, such as customer surveys and questionnaires.

I recommend: Read about the ways that conclusive market research is conducted by market research companies like Leede Research Group.