At the Insights Associations’ Corporate Researchers Conference last week (a really excellent event, by the way), I sat in on a panel discussion with the CEOs from four of the largest research agencies in the world.
I was listening intently as they were describing their firms, when one of the CEOs said, and I quote, “We specialize in a wide variety of solutions!” Huh? Wait a minute… that makes absolutely no sense! If you’re a ‘specialist,’ your firm has a focus on one or two key things… a methodology or an application or a particular industry or market. But more than a few… and you’re a ‘generalist.’
Minutes later, one of the other CEOs, while describing his firm, listed three or four areas of specialization… then said, “I’ve forgotten our other specializations!” Geez… how many do you have to have to start forgetting them? Again, one or two is it!
But Steve, what does it matter? Isn’t it just semantics? I don’t think so… if you specialize in something, it is your ‘thing.’ It’s where you have a depth and breadth of expertise and experience that generalists just don’t have. In other words, calling yourself a specialist – when you clearly are not – is misleading your buyers.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with being a generalist. But if you are a generalist… own it. These two firms, like I said, are both really big. And they have plenty of strengths that only a big generalist can claim… they can talk about their international capabilities, the sheer number of clients or industries they serve, their ability to take on any size project in any industry at any time any place in the world. And that’s good stuff!
But when you’re a generalist, don’t tell the marketplace you’re a specialist. At that point, you’re just kidding yourself.