Brief: market research techniques--a synopsis for continuing education providers

Any organization that attempts to attract and hold customers must face the necessity of determining what people want and value, and then cater to those wants and values (Levitt, 1983). Educational providers can use these market research techniques to strengthen the design and implementation of nursing CE offerings. In addition to alleviating the monotony of pen and paper questionnaires for our learners, these techniques can strengthen our programming by gathering a wealth of information about the qualitative and quantitative nature of the needs of our customers. The marketing knowledge gained from these tools can help to ensure the continued success of our educational endeavors despite growing fiscal constraints.