Editor's Note: RainToday.com members can read part two of this two-part series in which Ken outlines how professional services leaders can launch their own research once they make the decision to do so.

True leaders are exactly that because they constantly strive to, well, lead. They believe in stretching their thinking in new and original directions by learning more about what their clients might want and need here and now, or in the very near-future. Thus they continuously open their minds to "fresh thinking," conducting their own market research and client surveys.

Since most of their competitors will typically engage in the opposite—stale thinking—this forward-thinking approach reaps them huge benefits in terms of health, wealth, and a market position way ahead of the pack.

The Upside of Research and Surveys

Shelley Hall, president of Catalytic Management Group, a sales effectiveness consulting firm, puts it this way:

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