PlanBeyond

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief of staff at a UX design consultancy. We provide consulting services to help B2B technology companies improve the UX of their apps or websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PlanBeyond?

We were looking to launch an industry-wide research study so that we could understand the current state of the market’s maturity regarding the companies’ UX practices and how mature those practices were.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PlanBeyond supported our market research study, which took the form of a survey. First, they helped us understand the strategy behind the survey, the questions that we should be asking, and the objective of this research from a business perspective.

Then, Laura (Founder & Principal) worked closely with us to finalize the list of questions to be asked on the survey. After that, she worked with a third-party recruiting company to help us recruit participants for the survey.

The target audience for the survey was mostly identified by us because we like to cater to B2B technology companies. Thus, we typically work with product managers, UX designers, and other people involved in product development. Still, Laura helped us figure out the right number of people to survey per segment and depth of experience.

We eventually figured out that we needed to survey around 400 people within our sector, so it needed to be a pretty niche audience. Laura was in charge of managing the relationship with the recruiting company and overseeing that side of the project.

After the 400-participant survey was completed, PlanBeyond worked with another service provider to help us with the data analysis for the survey results. They worked with this other partner to look at all of the questions and the responses and compare the participants’ different sectors.

Ultimately, the deliverables consisted of the survey itself and the final data analysis report. I believe that PlanBeyond offered other services. However, after we received the data, we took it from there.

What is the team composition?

Laura was the only team member from PlanBeyond we interacted with.

How did you come to work with PlanBeyond?

We used Clutch and Google to search for companies that could help us with our project. We already had a good idea of what we wanted to do, so we were looking for the right partner to help us do it. After doing our research and reading some Clutch reviews, we shortlisted some service providers and had phone calls with them.

Eventually, we reduced our options to two potential partners, and we ultimately decided to hire PlanBeyond. From the very first call, it was very obvious that Laura understood what we were trying to do and had a strategic mind, so she was able to connect the business side with the marketing side of what we were trying to accomplish.

Some of the main questions she asked were what the title would be for the final report and which were the top insights we wanted to articulate in a pitch to the media. After that conversation, I felt that PlanBeyond’s approach was different because Laura wasn’t only a researcher, but she also was business savvy and understood our goals.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $28,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our conversation around November 2022. However, the project didn’t start until January 2023, and it was a three-month process, so we finished in March 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Thanks to the work that we did with PlanBeyond, we were able to get substantial insights that we wouldn’t have been able to get without their support. Proof of that statement is that we actually had tried to do a similar process with a different service provider, but we ended up firing them.

Laura and her team’s support was instrumental in helping us get the quality insights that we got. Ultimately, the report ended up being a great marketing piece; it was media and pitch worthy. Overall, PlanBeyond’s unparalleled partnership and support were above and beyond their line of duty.

How did PlanBeyond perform from a project management standpoint?

I was very impressed with PlanBeyond’s project management because they had a very detailed project plan broken down into stages. Within each stage, there were also incremental milestones. Thus, Laura effectively helped paint the picture and manage our expectations. Additionally, PlanBeyond always delivered ahead of schedule, so we experienced no delays.

As for collaboration tools, they used Excel to create a project Gantt chart. Moreover, we communicated via email and had virtual meetings via Zoom and Google Meet. Laura also met me in person before the project started.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the things I really appreciated about working with PlanBeyond was that I felt that Laura was rooting for us. I genuinely felt that they operated under the mindset that our success would be their success. Laura was a flexible and willing partner along the way, and she went the extra mile to ensure that we got what we needed for the money that we were spending with them.

Whenever I had questions that were out of PlanBeyond’s scope, Laura was very willing to answer them, provide feedback, and try to troubleshoot our concerns. She was a true partner and enabled the project’s success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything PlanBeyond could have improved on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of Laura and view her as a strategic thought partner. She will help take your project to the next level by providing her support, advice, and expertise. Don’t be afraid to lean on her and her team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Director of Marketing for a personal injury law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PlanBeyond?

My law firm was looking to better understand our brand awareness in the Seattle market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We looked online for a few different vendors who would be able to tackle a brand awareness research study. I was looking for a reliable vendor with good reviews from prior clients, a flexible vendor to work within my deadlines with a price that made sense for my budget.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We met to kick off the project and build out a survey to send into the Seattle market. I reviewed the survey and questions many times and the team was great with my edits and questions. We then sent the survey into market and gathered the data quickly. The team put together insights and shared them with my team.

What was the team composition?

I had one point of contact and worked closely with her through the entire project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were looking to get a baseline of our brand awareness in the market, and we now have a baseline. So I'd say it was successful.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. We had consistent communication to ensure we'd hit the deadline I was hoping for.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were on top of things at all times. They kept the project moving forward and though we had quick turnaround times, the quality of the work was not lost.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Not for a project like this. All expectations were met.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the head of strategy for Program 11, a boutique content research, strategy, and development company based in Los Angeles. We do a lot of audience research in house, but when we are called upon to do product ideation research and analysis, we need more intellectual muscle. That's when we call in PlanBeyond.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PlanBeyond?

Our client was seeking to discover what premium features in their software would drive decision-makers to upgrade. Plus, they hoped to identify barriers to moving to a new platform. PlanBeyond had excellent solutions and ideas for how to achieve this quantitatively and qualitatively.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Laura Troyani suggested multiple solutions, and we landed on a MaxDiff analysis to help our client understand the degree to which features do or do not impact a purchase decision. Survey respondents were shown a set of features and asked to select the most important and least important in the purchase decision. The output let us compare the relative importance of features in the purchase process (e.g. we saw that feature X contributes 40% to the purchase decision while feature Y contributes 5%...and therefore we knew what feature(s) really moves the needle).

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After helping us design the audit document and codebook, Laura contributed to the analysis and designed the discussion guide for our 1:1 interviews. She led a hypothesis workshop in order to develop this final discussion guide. From there, she designed and ran a survey in Qualtrics that was sent to more than 20,000 customers in the client database. She analyzed the responses and delivered them succinctly to our client, who was delighted at the clear opportunities the survey unveiled.

What was the team composition?

Our team at Program 11 was composed of me, a PM, and an interview. Laura did much of the client interaction. We worked directly with the leaders at the software company that hired us, as well as their investors.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The client was engaged throughout the process and is eager to put the research outcomes into their product roadmap. They plan to hire us again for the next feature prioritization exercise.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was excellent. We kept one another up to date via regular syncs on email and ongoing comms via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

PlanBeyond was a great partner. Laura and her team deliver clean, actionable data. She is an educator at heart, helping all of us understand her process and how we should interpret the data.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Nothing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work on the strategy team at a marketing firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PlanBeyond?

We have a client who produces a wide variety of infrastructure products that are used in large-scale construction projects. Our client wanted to gain insights and opinions from a selection of their current customers on order to understand strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities with regard to overall customer experience and product/service offerings.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

This project had a very tight timeline and we had limited internal bandwidth, so we needed a partner who could take the lead and get results quickly without sacrificing the integrity of the research methodology. I spoked to several potential partners, some of whom I had a relationship and some of whom I did not, and PlanBeyond was the best fit.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

PlanBeyond managed the entire research project including developing a discussion guide, conducting 21 qualitative interviews, providing ongoing feedback and insight to the client, purchasing and distributing incentives, and presenting the final report to the client.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with the company's principal and she was very hands-on throughout this project. I believe she had other team members conducting interviews, but all of my personal interaction was with the principal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We've begun planning for various campaigns and the messaging and targeting is directly affect by the outcomes of this research program.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very smooth. PlanBeyond was an extension of our team and was even responding to client emails.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most impressed by PlanBeyond's ability to be nimble, yet diligent. They were able to deal with all curveballs and hit all deadlines.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

I cannot think of anything that could have been done differently for this project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Executive Director of Strategy at a marketing firm that supports a wide variety of clients across many industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PlanBeyond?

We hired PlanBeyond to facilitate a set of customer interviews for one of our key clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We discovered them through online searches, and after vetting a few different options, we liked their consultative approach and appreciated their willingness to jump into the partnership on a very tight deadline.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

PlanBeyond met with us and our client to understand the nature of their business, their customers, and the types of information the client was looking to gather. They then developed a comprehensive interview guide to serve as the backbone of 20 customer interviews. They provided guidance on how best to reach out to customers and solicit their participation, along with a point of view on how to handle non-responding customers (including incentivizing them to participate). PlanBeyond conducted each 1:1 interview and captured notes from every discussion, synthesizing their findings into a thorough report that extracted key themes, areas of opportunity, and potential actions along with all the verbatims.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project lead and collaborated with her to coordinate communications and responses from the agency, but we also put her directly in touch with our client for more timely and thoughtful responses to questions that came up along the way.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

PlanBeyond helped us very quickly confirm many findings that had previously been gained from far more significant quantitative studies. They identified key areas of opportunity in areas including branding, marketing, product development, sales, and service. These learnings and analyses were incorporated into the client's strategic planning process to inform future strategies. Our client was very pleased with the output and found the analysis insightful and well thought out.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. PlanBeyond was very responsive and flexible as the project launched and evolved. Even though it was "our" project for "our" client, they took the lead as research experts and guided us and the client as if they were part of our own team. They offered a level of service and a final deliverable that exceeded what we would have been able to make ourselves.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Laura at PlanBeyond is a very effective communicator and showed an innate ability to "read the room" to understand a client's nuanced needs from this project. Despite our client being in a niche, highly B2B industry with customers not versed in market research or sharing opinions with consultants, PlanBeyond was able to lead over 20 meaningful conversations and generate thoughtful conclusions and strategic recommendations, all in about one month.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of an early stage startup offering a Job Search Management Solution for executives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PlanBeyond?

We were looking for help doing some Marketing Research, Strategy work and an audit of some of our Marketing activities to date. We wanted to work quickly and cost-effectively since we are still in the launch phase.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had worked with PlanBeyond in the past and had been very satisfied with Laura's services.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The work was broad and included market research, strategy work and auditing our progress to date. We wanted to have a quick and cost-effective project to confirm we were on the right track and get practical recommendations on next steps. Laura reviewed the competition landscape we had established and was actually able to uncover competitors we had missed. She then helped clarify our target segment and did some hands-on work crafting an interview discussion guide for the purpose of conducting prospect surveys. She also provided a very useful audit of our first web site version, with clear recommendations to implement. Finally she help craft our initial value proposition and messaging through the analysis of competition and initial prospect surveys.

What was the team composition?

Laura and I worked directly together

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Thanks to PlanBeyond, we have quickly confirmed all the outstanding validation points required to launch the business. We also have a clear set of next steps for our go-to-market, as well as very practical recommendations for the web site, the interview guide and for further work on competition analysis.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Laura was very easy to work with, turning around additional asks very quickly, and always spot-on in her answers and deliverables. When there was a need for clarification, she was proactive in seeking clarification and proposing options.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Laura has a broad set of marketing competences, which allows us to cover a lot of ground without having to go to other specialized resources. In addition to the quality of her work, what we appreciated was the time and cost-efficiency working with her.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

We would have liked to continue working with PlanBeyond on more tactical activities such as setting up ads and reworking our web site, but we understand that PlanBeyond focuses more on research and strategy work. Laura did provide us with great references for this type of work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Vice President for a consulting firm that helps large corporate and institutional clients design and implement programs to drive energy efficiency and sustainability.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PlanBeyond?

We were look to sharpen our 'sustainability' offering to multinational manufacturers. We needed to assess their understanding of the space, and to talk with their supplier-base who would be receiving mandates to be more sustainable.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A team member of mine, who engaged PlanBeyond previously, recommended them. After meeting Laura and coming to understand her framework for attacking the problem, I felt comfortable PlanBeyond's effort would accelerate and enhance any effort we might self-perform to do the same.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We hired PlanBeyond to do market research on the needs of the major manufacturers whom we knew and were otherwise representative-buyers.

What was the team composition?

I worked with one of the firm's Principals directly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

It was critical for our organization to catalog, in detail, the breadth and depth of needs of our potential buyers. Through PlanBeyond's effort, we were able to identify unexpected nuances among manufacturers and their suppliers (e.g. due to policy differences, European vs. Asian manufacturers ranked needs differently).

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Outstanding. PlanBeyond previewed the process and tools well; and then executed exactly within that guidance.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Laura excels at discovering comprehensive and differentiated fact-patterns, but the most distinguishing element--in my experience--was her gifted way of distilling, clustering and expressing (with simplicity!) those fact she finds.

Beyond the core output we scoped, PlanBeyond's findings helped the narratives we used within our company.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

For the service PlanBeyond delivered...no. As with any project, the tighter the requirements at the outset, the more specific and perfected the output will be.

We probably launched a bit too early--if only relative to our ability to activate the wisdom of the findings--nonetheless, for what we articulated PlanBeyond came through in spades.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Senior Market Analyst on the Customer Insights Team at Puget Sound Energy

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PlanBeyond?

Online focus groups to gather qualitative customer feedback about their energy needs and program ideas a utility could offer

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

PlanBeyond had done other projects for us in the past and was well-regarded by the teams that hired them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The project was kicked off with a call among PlanBeyond and PSE staff from Customer Insights and New Product Development to discuss the background and goals of the project. PlayBeyond handled the discussion guide and recruiting in collaboration with PSE. They conducted a series of online focus groups with key customer segments and upon completion of the groups, presented the findings, insights and recommendations.

What was the team composition?

Laura and the focus group moderator were our contacts throughout the project

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were able to identify perceptions and needs, as well as program ideas that were of interest, and those that were of little interest. This allowed us to further develop the program ideas and test them through quantitative research. The qualitative work PlanBeyond completed gave insight into topics and perceptions we weren't even aware of, something that may not have been discovered through quantitative research.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had regular meetings to discuss the discussion guide and focus group planning. After each group we held a debrief to discuss what we heard and if any modifications to the guide were needed. This worked well and PlanBeyond was a partner throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their interest in, and knowledge of the topic. Their collaborative approach and communication skills from beginning to end were impressive.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

This project happened during COVID so all meetings and focus groups were online. Despite that, communication and collaboration were great and I don't have any

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Owner and Principal of a scenic design and production company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PlanBeyond?

We were looking to have a stronger hold on the scenic design category, and also begin looking to offering production services. We needed help understanding how we could improve our position against major competitors and also market ourselves better to enter this new service category.

SOLUTION

How did you select PlanBeyond?

I asked around and they came recommended.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The completed a completed a competitive digital audit of other companies like us to provide a sense of who was out there, what they were doing, and how we could stand out. They gave some very tangible suggestions based on websites and messaging.

They also worked with us to review our sales processes, adding more formal approaches to how we evaluated potential customers so we could vet opportunities better.

What was the team composition?

We worked with their Principal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We're still incorporating their feedback into our marketing efforts. On the sales sides, we've enjoyed a much smoother customer assessment process. It's resulted in us being better able to determine if projects were right for us or not.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless. The turnaround time on project deliverables was great. They are also really fast to not just respond to questions but responds with really comprehensive answers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to adapt to our industry and work with who we are. We're in a unique category and they had no problems getting ramped up quickly.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

No, everything was good.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of global marketing at a global creative company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PlanBeyond?

We needed help conducting market research for a brand awareness study we’ve been doing for the past two years.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a methodology for running a year-over-year study in the US and Canada on brand awareness that gauges the reputation in the marketplace. The sample was marketing job titles, people working in marketing and B2B, and looking at the major metropolitan areas in both countries.

PlanBeyond also helped us recruit our panel. They found people to take a survey they created by hiring a company that helped us find the survey respondents and then validated them to assure they were the right type of people we needed to take the survey. They later helped us develop the survey questionnaire, which is very important because we have limited time to ask questions on our panel. After that, they programmed the survey, ran it, and kept it on the market as long as needed to get the levels of required respondents. 

Once the survey was closed, they analyzed the data, prepared a final executive summary, and provided us with crosstabs with all the raw data associated with the report. They oversaw the running of all market research for this initiative.

What is the team composition?

We only worked with Laura (Founder).

How did you come to work with PlanBeyond?

I’ve worked with Laura over the years. I respect her and trust her knowledge because she provides high-quality services and professional efficiency.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $60,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

They did two surveys for us, and each one of them took around three months to get done. For the total engagement, we worked with PlanBeyond through January 2020–March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The metric we used to evaluate PlanBeyond was their ability to recruit the necessary respondents, which they successfully did. Also, their dedication to their data analysis and recommendations were thoughtful and detail-oriented.

How did PlanBeyond perform from a project management standpoint?

PlanBeyond was a good collaborator. I also involved her in key presentations to our executive leadership team — she was great in those environments.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was important to see how Laura collaborated with our crew because it was a team project with several people working on it; we had a lot of attention on this project internally, and PlanBeyond was a great partner. 

Are there any areas they could improve

I don’t feel like we suffered, but we did feel they were a little busy and overbooked. They still delivered to our expectations, but at times it felt that Laura had other things going on. If someone gets so busy, they can get diluted on some of their projects, and there was a hint of that.

Also, I think we have an issue with our survey panel and our sample size; that’s going to be challenging for us on future projects when we try to make sure we’re getting the right people to take the survey. I talked to Laura about this, and we’re focusing on it moving forward.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear brief of what you’re trying to accomplish, and be clear about your goals and success metrics.