Profile: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Vincent McCabe?
Vincent McCabe is a very handsome Irish actor, who has no relationship to the company at all. The Vincent in Vincent McCabe is, of course, for Jean and John Vincent, the founders. The McCabe name is a name Jean selected to honor Fr. Francis X. McCabe, a mentor in Jean’s early life. Fr. McCabe was a philanthropist whose thirst for knowledge and drive for universal education inspires our work.
How does the National Do Not Call registry affect the telephone recruitment you do as part of a research project?
Research businesses are exempt from the Registry since we are not selling anything. Typically, Vincent McCabe research respondents are incentivized with cash honoraria and studies that are designed to engage their interests. When our work involved consumers and a consumer indicates they are part of the Do Not Call Registry and do not wish to participate in a study, we respectfully discontinue the call and remove that person’s name from our lists for future contacts.
Can Vincent McCabe work with a client on a budget?
Because of our small size, Vincent McCabe can be very flexible offering a high-level product at a reasonable cost. For our more research-savvy clients, we can assist them or they can assist us in their research projects so budgets are maximized. Vincent McCabe works with clients to make sure that their budgets are used most efficiently and effectively in the search for insights and information for their strategic initiatives. Let’s look at the situation together to see what can be done. Research is an investment in success and it’s our experience that good research has saved or earned our clients literally millions of dollars. If research isn’t the best solution to your problem or use of your budget, we’ll be honest with you.
Can we use our sales force to do research data collection?
Research and sales are vastly different disciplines. However, it may be possible to train your staff to take off their “selling hat” and put on their “listening hat.” In fact, Vincent McCabe has a training course to help sales employees take on research roles. However, it should be remembered that the sales relationship may create a bias in the results because respondents who may be sold to may bend their responses “just a bit.” However, sales staff can be very effective, with training, in collecting new product ideas and needed product refinements.
Do you have a method to help us be more scientific about pricing?
Yes, Vincent McCabe employs several methodologies to pinpoint pricing, methods such as various types of conjoint and factor analysis and the Van Westendorp price sensitivity meter method. Our clients have found that results from these methods have been very successful in optimizing sales and revenue without charging too little or too much. Surprisingly, customers often select something more than the lowest possible price. In fact, in some instances, where dollars are metaphors for quality, a higher priced product is preferred. Pricing is a dynamic and, frankly, difficult task. With the use of these advanced methods, pricing strategy becomes more reliable and scientific.