- Ray Bueno
- Mar 23
- 4 min read
For entrepreneurs and marketers—whether you’re launching a venture or scaling an
empire—understanding customer behavior is the cornerstone of growth. In my Miami-based
credit repair business, I’m always evaluating what retains clients or drives them away.
Research transforms that uncertainty into strategy, but success hinges on pairing questions
with the right method: qualitative or quantitative. One uncovers motives, the other measures
scope. Here’s how to select your approach and turn insights into action, adaptable to any
industry. (Missed last week’s post on starting a research project? Check it here: Starting a
Qualitative Research: Exploring Motives
Qualitative research targets “why” and “how”—questions needing depth. When you
need to understand the emotions or reasoning behind customer actions, this
approach delivers rich, narrative-driven insights that numerical data alone cannot
convey.
Best For: “Why do customers disengage?” or “How do they perceive our
process?”
Why It Works: It reveals perceptions and attitudes beyond the reach of
statistics.
Example: Over coffee in Little Havana, a colleague explained her Starbucks aversion: “The taste doesn’t align with the cost. ” That depth of insight eludes a standard survey, which often reduces complex opinions to simple metrics.
To uncover these underlying drivers, you’ll need a deliberate method—here’s how to
begin.
Actionable Steps for Marketers:
Arrange 5–10 one-on-one interviews with past customers.
Pose open-ended questions: “What shaped your decision?” or “How did our service
feel?”
Document responses thoroughly—tools like Plaid streamline recording and help
identify recurring patterns over time.
A client once remarked, “I didn’t see movement. ” Credit repair requires patience—only inaccurate, unverifiable, or incomplete items can be removed, not guaranteed fixes. Because he expected quicker results, I enhanced our progress updates with regular, detailed communication.
Quantitative Research: Assessing Scale
Quantitative research addresses “what” and “how many”—questions requiring numerical evidence. If you’re aiming to gauge the prevalence of an issue or track performance trends, this method provides the precision needed to inform strategic decisions.
Best For: “What percentage find our service unclear?” or “How many remain active
after 30 days?”
Why It Works: It delivers measurable, objective clarity.
Example: A survey of 25 former clients showed 60% lacked visibility into their
progress—data that redirected my focus to communication improvements.
To collect this data efficiently, a structured process is essential—here’s how to proceed.
Actionable Steps for Marketers:
Distribute a concise survey (5–10 questions) to 20+ contacts: “Was progress
evident—yes/no?”
Analyze existing metrics—such as retention rates over specific intervals—from your
records.
Establish a measurable goal—for instance, reduce the percentage who find progress
unclear from 60% to 50%.
My retention data revealed 45% stayed after one month, dropping to 25% by six
months—quantitative analysis highlighted the need for stronger early engagement efforts.
Matching Questions to Methods
Choosing the wrong research type wastes valuable time—here’s how to avoid common
pitfalls. Misaligning your question with the method can lead to incomplete or inefficient
results, so precision in this step is critical.
Avoid This: Relying on interviews to determine “how many feel confused”
—surveys provide faster, broader data.
Avoid That: Using a yes/no poll for “why they left”—interviews offer deeper, more nuanced explanations.
Lesson: A survey indicated 65% of respondents questioned our service’s value, but
interviews clarified that a lack of visible progress steps was the underlying
concern—not cost alone.
Quick Strategy: Align the question’s purpose—exploring depth (qualitative) or assessing
reach (quantitative)—with the appropriate tool.
Combining Approaches for Impact
Integrating both methods creates a comprehensive perspective—qualitative
identifies core issues, quantitative evaluates their extent. This dual approach builds a
stronger foundation by blending detailed insights with statistical validation.
How It Works: In conversations, three clients highlighted “no progress” as
their reason for leaving. A subsequent 50-person survey revealed 70% shared
this sentiment, confirming its widespread impact.
Broader Tie: Television executives once analyzed a show’s declining
follow-ups—interviews uncovered “freedom” as a key viewer draw, while
surveys measured how many valued it. I’ve adopted a similar tactic:
discussions revealed uncertainty as a pain point, and polls assessed how
prevalent it was among my clients.
To execute this effectively, follow a clear sequence—here’s the process.
Steps to Integrate:
Start with 3–5 interviews to uncover issues (e.g., “Why’d you stop?”).
Survey 20–50 respondents to quantify findings (e.g., “Do updates matter—yes/no?”).
Act on both—e.g., implementing progress reports increased my retention by 10%.
Relevance Across Industries
These principles extend beyond my field to retail, tech, or any other industry. Qualitative and
quantitative research offer versatile tools to enhance decision-making, whether you’re
refining a product or a campaign.
Example: One client cited “no engagement” as their reason for leaving—a 30-person survey confirmed 40% felt similarly disconnected. Introducing regular updates resolved this. For your business, it might translate to “why customers abandon carts” or “how many complete a purchase.”
Advantage: Identify motivational drivers through qualitative insights and measure
their scope with quantitative data to maintain a competitive edge.
Quick Tip: Validate a qualitative observation (e.g., “they need clarity”) with a quantitative
follow-up (e.g.,“how many agree?”)—results emerge quickly.
Your Implementation Plan
Turning research into action requires a deliberate, structured approach. Begin by defining a
specific question and selecting the method that best addresses it—here’s how to start.
Step 1: Choose a question—e.g., “Why do they churn?” (qualitative) or “How many renew?” (quantitative).
Step 2: Implement your approach—conduct 3 interviews or distribute a 25-client
survey.
Step 3: Refine based on findings—e.g., a client’s “no progress” comment, paired with
55% of survey respondents echoing this, led me to improve update frequency,
addressing varied patience levels.
Key Insight: In credit repair, only inaccurate, unverifiable, or incomplete entries can be
removed—research revealed clients often expect rapid changes instead, a misconception I’ve tackled with clearer, transparent communication.
The Strategic Gain
Mastering this balance—qualitative for understanding motives, quantitative for gauging
scale—transforms questions into strategic leverage. Whether you’re a startup founder or a
marketing veteran, these insights refine your approach and foster trust, especially when
progress takes time. Ask, analyze, act—your next decision could redefine your trajectory.
What will you investigate first?
