Should You Use Market Research Experts to Guide your Research?

In today’s competitive and fast paced landscape, it is more important than ever to make sure your research is done correctly to give you actionable and reliable insights. Expert-led market research can give you clarity for your most important decisions by integrating the knowledge and experience of seasoned market research experts who have “been there, done that.”

We recently spoke with three seasoned GLG Project Leads — professionals who bring deep industry expertise and direct access to specialized networks—who work directly with clients to conduct premium B2B market research. These experts, part of GLG’s market research consulting services, shared real-world examples showing how expert-led research can unlock insights that drive strategic decisions and deliver stronger business outcomes.

• Shawn Kelly, Independent Consultant, Former VP, Strategy & Operations for Digital Transformation Solutions at PTC
  • Shawn is a strategy and operations executive with experience driving growth and efficiency across a range of industries including B2B software and life sciences.
• Wayne Jones, Former COO at IBM Watson and Senior Director at Oracle
  • Wayne has a background in leading transformation initiatives across the technology and software sectors.
• Angela Thompson, Principal at Thompson Marketing Consulting
  • Angela is a marketing strategy and market research consultant with deep experience in the retail and consumer product goods sector.
    

What is Expert-Led Market Research?

Expert-led market research is an approach to gathering market intelligence that leverages industry experts to lead, moderate, and interpret the research process. It often includes 60-minute interviews with deeply vetted and screened experts who are decision- makers or product users who are able to share critical details on the issues our clients are trying to solve. Angela Thompson, a GLG project lead, explains:

“Once GLG matches us with a client, we start with them from the ground level. We help scope the project, develop the discussion guide, moderate interviews, and codify the learnings. We also help the client think about the types of experts they may want to speak to within GLG’s vast network. It’s truly a very interactive, consultative experience when we work with the client from start to finish.”

In other words, the process is collaborative from day one. Experts don’t simply drop in for an interview or deliver a report — they become embedded in the research journey, from problem definition through to final recommendations.

Shawn Kelly outlines the typical project types he sees with expert-led research:

“Projects typically fall into three categories: market assessments, business model transformations, and best practices gathering. As an example, about a year ago, I worked on a project with an education technology provider that had a learning management platform that traditionally served the HR function within the enterprise. They were interested in expanding to other functions, so we ended up using in-depth interviews to speak with various functional experts and learn about their needs.”

Expert-led research goes beyond just information gathering and can also help you uncover the strategic path and next steps following the research.

Angela Thompson describes a hybrid study she led:

“I helped a client with a branding study that explored some competitive landscape viewpoints. It was very helpful to have the quantitative study to figure out where the client wanted to drill down deeper, and then have qualitative discussions with particular experts to probe further.”

The ability to pivot between methods and dig deeper into findings makes expert-led research particularly valuable for dynamic decision-making.

Advantages of Expert-Led Market Research

Specialized Knowledge in Research Tools and Methodologies:

Expert-led research ensures that your insights are derived from people with a track record of success and decades of experience doing the research you are trying to conduct. Project leads also have an objective perspective, which helps avoid skewed results due to company biases.

Shawn Kelly, a market research consultant and former strategy executive, puts it succinctly:

“As someone who has worked in strategy, has worked in M&A, and has been a client of GLG, I understand what it’s like to be that client and to be running those projects. That helps me, as a moderator, ask the right questions in the right language – in the right taxonomy for that particular industry – because I’ve walked a mile in their shoes. And because we’re objective third-party consultants who are not working for the client, we are able to ask questions and get responses that they might not be able to get on their own.”

Complex research questions may require different types of research methodologies, and a GLG project lead can help you effectively blend both qualitative and quantitative techniques such as surveys, focus groups, and interviews.

Proven Expertise and Insight:

In addition to knowing what research to conduct and how to conduct it, GLG project leads can speak the language of the industry, identify subtleties, and reveal market dynamics that you might otherwise miss.

Wayne Jones, a GLG consultant with deep operational experience, reflects:

“One of the real advantages of having someone like a GLG Project Lead be part of the research is that all of the folks who are going to be brought in are going to be experts who have been there and done that. Just thinking about my own career, I’ve been through 73 acquisitions. I have seen many products launched of all different sizes and levels. And I’ve seen some spectacular failures, which is just as important. Having someone who’s already walked that path brings a perspective that an individual team may not necessarily have on their own”

Action-Oriented Outcomes

The goal of expert-led research is not just to generate findings, but to provide expert insight that drives action so that you can move forward confidently. Wayne Jones summarizes four central questions he often helps companies answer:

“Should we be in this market space at all? What do customers in the space actually want? What can a particular company do that no one else can do? And ultimately, what needs to change in the company to operate this new product or deliver this new product in the most effective way possible?”

He also recalls how expert-led insights supported a major infrastructure and the spend on the upfront insights helped them make a sound investment decision.:

“I’ve seen enormous outcomes for clients who’ve used GLG projects to inform market entrances or exits. I remember a client making a $1 billion decision about where to place data centers. One of the most gratifying things I’ve seen through GLG projects is when clients who have had success with a particular initiative come back to partner again and think about the strategy for the next phase.”

Expert-led market research often reveals more than clients expect. It’s not uncommon for findings to spark new ideas, challenge assumptions, or uncover emerging trends.

Shawn Kelly describes a moment of unexpected discovery:

“While we found individual needs within each of the functions, we also identified common needs across the functions. These weren’t generic needs – they were things that had come about over the last four or five years as companies have thought about employee engagement, training, and development. That was a bit of an eye-opening moment for the client to say, ‘Wow, this is an area we hadn’t even thought about.’”

Such breakthroughs are a hallmark of expert-led research — precisely because the research is leveraging the experience of seasoned industry executives  who possess exceptional interviewing skills, complemented by their own extensive professional experience, allowing them to bring valuable insights and depth to every conversation and recommendation.

Finding Market Research Experts – Why use GLG for Expert-Led Market Research?

When businesses conduct market research, knowing the right questions to ask—and where to find the answers—can make all the difference. That’s why many companies turn to GLG, one of the world’s leading B2B market research firms. Our Integrated Insights model combines the precision of expert-led qualitative interviews with the scale of quantitative analysis.

By leveraging a global network of subject-matter experts, GLG provides clients with actionable intelligence and custom studies that reflect real-world experience. As a top-tier market research company, we specialize in helping organizations solve complex business challenges through targeted, unbiased insights—delivered .

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