The 5 moves that make-or-break research tech rollouts 

Buying brilliant technology is only the start of the battle. If your purchasing process includes all the right steps, you’ll be head and shoulders above most buyers. But most teams skip one crucial thing during research tech rollouts. And that’s where things fall apart. 

Selling it internally is where real progress is made. Corporate buy-in is not a one-time pitch, and getting the adoption process off to a good start is half of the war. It is a campaign of influence, insight, and impeccable timing. If you want the green light, the budget, and the cultural muscle to make it stick, here are the five moves you must master. 

Stride beyond the surface-level sale 

No executive dreams about better dashboards and making sure new research technology can export to PowerPoint in a 16:9 format. Actually, we’re talking about research here, so they probably do. But anyway, the problem on their mind is market share. They dream about margins. They dream about speed. Often, the people buying aren’t the same ones who will be approving and aren’t the ones using the solution daily. When the sales process is too focused on vision and not enough on execution, things can start to stutter.  

Buyers might validate the business case, but they haven’t fully thought through what it will take to make it work. But loop in the frontline users and watch what happens. They can spot gaps a mile away. They’re the ones who know your technical requirements, your reporting quirks, your weird-but-critical processes. 

Miss those practical details, and your research tech rollouts will hit resistance fast. The smartest teams bring implementation into the conversation early. They align leadership’s big ideas with user-level reality. You need champions. Internal influencers. Voices from sales, marketing, finance, and product who will wave the flag with you.  

“There can be a real emotional disconnect. The leadership team is excited about everything AI. But the people doing the work? They don’t see AI solving problems that pen and paper can’t.” – Jilliane Martin, VP Global Customer Success, Forsta.  

More to explore: Everything you need to know about buying market research software webinar.  

Plan enough time. Period.  

Adopting a new tool or making major changes isn’t the best time to test how quickly everyone can scramble. Most process maps and project plans assume the ideal scenario. And let’s be real, the ideal scenario almost never happens. 

You need to account for the real world. Annual leave. Budget freezes. Internal politics. Shadow stacks. Every one of these can slow your momentum. And if your timeline doesn’t flex, you can lose confidence in both the solution and your own teams. 

Build in buffer. Overlap solutions where needed, as the cost of doing this is much cheaper than a failed implementation. And communicate that reality back to your stakeholders. The cost of doing it twice is higher than the cost of doing it right. 

More to explore: The complete guide to market research software ebook. 

Pilot with purpose and prove with power 

Ambition is great. But during research tech rollouts, it can backfire. The excitement of a new solution that’s going to solve all your problems and increase research speeds by 50% can be infectious. But remember, you’re wading into uncharted territory and you need to get everyone using the new tools up to speed.  

To start, make sure you’ve got your use case defined. Then, pick a smaller, simpler project you can take your time with. We recommend you don’t jump straight in with your most sensitive client. Start softer and build up over time to avoid any teething issues. 

Your first deployment should be a proof point. Not a pressure cooker. 

Start with a clean, contained project. Build internal confidence. Let your team learn the ropes without the fear of messing up a critical deliverable. And remember the point above – this isn’t the time to rush, you’re getting it right.  

Change is a challenge and a reward 

Even when you’ve made a great decision, your users might fight it. That’s human nature, we’re not the biggest fans of change.  

So, what do you do when user start to death-grip their old processes and tools? You can’t bulldoze that resistance. You need to guide people through it. Again, remember the first point here. Getting buy-in from all users early on is a great way to ease the transition, build confidence in the new solution, and get people really excited. Who isn’t going to love the change if they feel like they’re a part of it?! 

Success also comes from focusing on continuity. Show users how they’ll still get the same (or, ideally, better) outcomes. Get internal champions on board early. Celebrate quick wins during that first project. Communicate constantly, with clarity. Because left unchecked, that resistance turns into rogue workflows and wasted spend. 

Stay skeptical, but balanced 

One thing that rarely gets mentioned is the inherent tension between the five priorities buyers juggle during research tech rollouts. You can’t have all the benefits without paying the price, whether that’s in budget, timeline, or internal capacity. The most successful teams don’t try to do everything at once. They understand how to prioritize. They work through all the steps, but they put the most weight behind the one or two that will differentiate their process and drive success. Real success isn’t about perfection. It’s about priorities. 

“The salesperson who tells you, ‘We do these three things brilliantly, these two decently, and here’s what we’re not the best at. That’s the person you should trust,” explains Jilliane Martin. Every vendor has a balance between solutions and priorities. So, you should too. Build your research tech rollouts around what matters most, and don’t get distracted by the bells and whistles. 

More to explore: The smarter way to buy market research software ebook. 

Final word 

There’s no shortage of good market research tech out there. (If you are looking, we think you should check out Research HX.) But if you want your choices to deliver, you have to do more than buy. You must implement like a pro or find a company, like Forsta, who have service teams on hand to help you get up and running. From reprogramming existing surveys to migrating massive global brand tracking studies, we are here to support you.  

We also never throw you out of the nest. Once you are a client we are here with you with 24-hour technical support and a dedicated customer success manager assigned to your account, so no matter what you’re doing, you can soar. 

Success means aligning strategy with execution. Giving your team the time and space to succeed. And treating change like a journey, not a checkbox. The teams that win are the ones who lead with intention and plan for the potholes.