When people ask me what I do for work, and I reply, “I work for an expert network,” I often see a confused look glaze over their face as if I were speaking another language. After working in this space for several years, I’ve witnessed expert networks become a go-to resource for law firms, consulting firms, market research firms, and corporations across every possible industry (and not to mention, a lucrative side-gig for these experts). So why then, are people still unfamiliar with the benefits of leveraging expert insight?
Whether this is your first-time hearing of an expert network, you’ve been considering partnering with one, or you’re wary about the InMail you received regarding a paid consulting opportunity, allow me to shed some light on why expert networks are the unknown unicorn when it comes to research and business.
10 Reasons Why Leveraging Expert Insight Will Enhance Your Business:
- Modern research methods just aren’t cutting it anymore: Why spend valuable time and money trying to research something yourself, when you can connect with someone who has the first-hand experience and expert-level knowledge you may be lacking? You’ll learn more from a 60-minute call with a vetted expert, than you will googling and reading reports. Your time is valuable.
- Uncover commonalities: By leveraging perspectives from multiple experts, you can aggregate what you’ve learned to discover common themes and trends in your research. It’s important to avoid biased decision-making, so why not eliminate those concerns by connecting with multiple thought-leaders? Even better, we do all the legwork for you to find these experts. Tell us your needs and we’ll take it from there.
- You don’t know what you don’t know: If you don’t have the in-house expertise, it can be overwhelming trying to understand new industries, technologies, business processes, or manufacturing operations. The good news is, there are thousands of experts who are happy to help show you the ropes – and you don’t even have to worry about adding them to your payroll – we handle the compensation too. And who doesn’t love less paperwork?
- Troubleshoot complex problems: Whether on-site or virtually, you can work with an expert to pinpoint the cause of the issue(s) your organization is facing and come up with a solution. You’d be surprised what a little problem solving can accomplish when you’re working with an expert who specializes in creating solutions.
- Fact witnesses are not enough: Through all phases of the litigation process, you need a reliable expert to provide the support and technical guidance needed to win your case. Untested experts can cause major headaches when you’re in the middle of your depositions and testimonies. You can avoid these pains by letting an expert network handle the vetting while you focus on your case. Let us lighten the load.
- Expand your reach: How better to get your name out there than to speak with leaders and consumers of your target industry/product? By going straight to the source, you can identify your target audience and hone in on how you can stand out from your competitors.
- Innovate and transform: More than ever, companies are asking themselves how they can accomplish “the next best thing” or how they can stay ahead in an ever-changing world of convenience and sustainability. Rather than following the lead of other trend-setting companies, get ahead by analyzing these trends and identifying white space.
- Expand your network: We’ve all heard the phrase “It’s about who you know, not what you know.” I think that point speaks for itself.
- Quick, tangible results: Enhance your business by getting the first-hand market context you need to clarify conclusions and interpret insights from differing perspectives, validate your findings, or improve your methods.
- Better now than never: As an organization, it’s best to be anticipatory and proactive, rather than reactionary. Some of the world’s leading organizations are utilizing experts, and if you want to keep up, maybe you should too. Think of experts as your pit crew—you have the drive, now get ahead of the competition, and cross that finish line.
It’s rare to find a company that can assist you with just about anything – but expert networks can do just that. And if that’s not enough to convince you, I encourage you to check out some success stories for yourself.
Written by Lindsey Lombardo, Director of Operations, Intellex.