The Importance Of Clear Objectives In Market Research Proposals

Market research proposals are all pretty similar, as they all follow essentially the same structure. What sets the proposals apart is the content of course, and one of the most important parts of the market research proposal is the objectives.

For a market research proposal to be effective, clear objectives are a necessity. Without concise objectives, it will be near impossible to get your proposal accepted. Of course if you are the one reading the proposal, you need well-laid out objectives to be able to pick a proposal that is best for your organization. Whichever side of this transaction you are on, clear objectives are vital in market research proposals.

What are the objectives?

The objectives could be called the meat and potatoes of the market research proposal. The whole point of the proposal is to outline specific objectives for the planned research, so it is easy to see why the objectives are so vital. While there is often a section for objectives contained within the market research proposal itself, the objectives are infused into the whole document, forming a foundation for the entire proposed plan of action.

These objectives are often the primary thing examined when a senior manager or potential client is deciding on whether or not to undertake the suggested research or to pick your firm. This means you want the objectives to be clear and complete, detailed and well outlined.

The objectives should answer the following questions, at minimum:
• Why is the proposed research important?
• What will be the benefit of undertaking this research?
• What are the expected findings?
• What researching methods will be employed?
• How long will the proposed research plan take?
• Who will be involved in the research?
• How much will the research cost, when taking into account both time and resources?

What the objectives can tell you?

Obviously, the objectives section of the document contains a lot of information. The objectives, however, can tell someone who is considering the proposal a bit an important bit beyond what is concretely written there.

This section can indicate whether or not the individuals who prepared the proposal truly understand the wants and needs of the organization the proposal was prepared for. Here is where incorrect assumptions or inexperience in a particular industry can become quite noticeable. If there is an abundance of wrong assumptions and other similar errors, it would seem that he objectives section alone may end up being the deciding factor on whether or not to go with a particular market research proposal.


Market research proposals are much more than simply objectives. These are somewhat long, complex, and well-structured documents designed to contain all the information necessary for a potential client or high-level manager to either accept or pass on a market research plan.

The objectives, however, are the main part of this proposal. The information contained in the proposal lays the groundwork for everything else that will appear throughout the rest of the document. It not only lays out what the plan is, but it can also expose faults in reasoning and assumptions.

Objectives need to be clear and concise. Good, solid objectives can be a boon to everyone involved. If the objectives are well-plotted, it could mean success for those who drafted the market research proposal and a wise decision on the part of those accepting the plan. It doesn’t matter which side of the transaction you are on, as either way, objectives are of paramount importance.

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