How to succeed in your new insights role

Starting a new role in consumer insights can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. 

The first few months are critical in establishing yourself, gaining trust and showing how your work can impact business decisions. In this article, I’ll walk through six things you can focus on during these early days to help you set the stage for long-term success.

The first step to success is understanding the company, its culture and, most importantly, its consumers. In your early days, make sure you take the time to familiarize yourself with the organization’s mission, values and broader business strategy. 

The company

Ask questions like: What are the company’s goals for growth? What are the key indicators for success? How does your team fit into that larger picture? 

Understanding the company's positioning in the market and its KPIs will allow you to ensure that your insights are always aligned with what matters most to the business.

The consumer

Equally important is getting to know your audience. 

“Be consistent in showing up where your audience is. Can you think of a better way to show your consumer you understand them than by being present in the most relevant areas of their lives?”

— Lauren Stafford-Webb, CMO, SoFi

Dive deep into existing consumer data, research reports and customer personas to understand who the company’s customers are and what drives their behavior. This will give you a solid foundation for your insights, enabling you to identify trends and gaps that can shape future strategies.

As you settle in, your next goal should be ensuring that your insights are actionable and closely tied to the business’s priorities. 

“Just simply ask, ‘What’s the best way that I can help?’ Ask that directly, but also try to infer that from listening to the business unit and hearing what actually is going on. ‘What are your struggles? What are the things you wish you could get to that you just can’t get to? What’s keeping you awake at night?”

— Nick Graham, Global Head of Insights and Analytics, Mondelez

Work with leadership and your colleagues to understand what metrics are most important to the company — whether it’s customer retention, revenue growth or product adoption — and shape your analyses to support those goals.

Building relationships with key stakeholders is another crucial part of your foundation. Establish strong lines of communication with teams like marketing, product and sales. 

“Your relationships are just as valuable as the research you do. You need to make the time to build your relationships. Ask for the meeting, introduce yourself, set up a coffee, put yourself out there, find coaches and mentors. It took me awhile in my career to understand how important this piece of our job is. Great research is not enough. I believe the strong and trusted relationships I’ve made with seniors, peers, juniors — both colleagues and clients — are what has helped me, more than anything, in growing and evolving my career within insights.”

— Lauren Governale, Head of CI and UXR, Hims & Hers

As a consumer insights professional, your work will have the greatest impact when it’s integrated into these broader teams, so fostering collaboration from the start is essential.

Your insights should always be presented with clear recommendations, showing how they can help move the needle for the business. This will not only add value but also position you as a trusted advisor.

As you build confidence, look for opportunities to lead new initiatives that can drive strategic decision-making. 

Propose small projects that use consumer insights to solve problems or explore new opportunities. This could involve launching research into an emerging consumer segment, refining customer segmentation strategies or optimizing how data is visualized and shared across teams.

“You can have the best data in the world, you can have the latest technology, but when decisions are made and you’re not bringing that voice forward, then we’re doing them a disservice.”

— Stefania Gvillo, SVP, Chief Analytics and Insights Officer at Domino’s

Make sure to document and share the impact of your work. As you move through the early stages, take note of key wins, whether it's delivering actionable insights that influenced a marketing campaign or uncovering a new trend that led to product improvements. 

Collaboration should be at the core of your approach. 

Get involved in cross-functional teams where your insights can shape key decisions, from product development to marketing campaigns. The more you collaborate, the more you’ll be seen as a go-to resource for valuable data-driven insights.

“Be confident in your point of view. Don’t assume that someone more senior than you is automatically ‘right’ in what they say — the reality is that we always need perspectives that offer a different point of view, and your unjaded perspective is extremely valuable in ensuring everyone challenges their own assumptions and really thinks about the advice or recommendation they’re making.”

— Sinead Jeffries, SVP of Professional Services, Zappi

Equally important is staying curious and continuing to learn. Consumer behavior and industry trends evolve rapidly, so it’s crucial to keep up with the latest research, attend webinars and participate in workshops. 

By constantly updating your knowledge base, you’ll be able to deliver fresh insights that keep your work relevant and forward-thinking.

Finally, while your first few months will focus on learning the ropes, it’s essential to start honing the skills that will make you a standout consumer insights professional in the long run. 

Looking ahead, these areas are a few standouts that should be developed to succeed in the future: 

• AI literacy and tech proficiency: Mastering tools like Tableau, Google Analytics, or CRM systems to analyze and interpret data quickly.

• Creative thinking: Finding innovative ways to approach problems and uncover consumer insights.

• Data storytelling: Communicating your findings in a compelling way that drives action.

• Business acumen: Understanding how your insights connect to broader business goals and metrics.

• Leadership and influence: Being proactive in offering insights and building trust across teams.

Your first 90 days as a consumer insights professional are an exciting time to lay the foundation for success. Understanding your company and consumers, aligning your insights with business goals and actively collaborating with stakeholders are some key areas of focus that will set yourself up to make a meaningful impact. 

For a complete 90 day manual on how to thrive in your new insights role, check out our guide below. In the meantime, keep learning, stay curious and embrace new opportunities on your journey to success!