What Others Have To Say

“Walt Hilker has worked with us for the past eight years and has been instrumental in the success of our qualitative program. He has provided a high level of service throughout his participation and has quite frequently been brought in as a consultant on the design and development of our programs.

Many of our clients specifically request Walt to moderate their groups because he easily relates to respondents and he brings the sessions to life. He is extremely insightful and through his years of experience he is able to extract the nuggets of gold from each focus group. He provides clients with the information they are seeking and helps them relate the focus group findings to action items that directly impact their bottom line.

Walt is a top-notch professional with years of excellent experience. He always delivers on his promises and always exceeds our expectations. He can be counted on to get the job done and in a phenomenal way!”

Director of Research and Operations, research vendor

“I have worked with Walt on many strategic projects over many years. Walt is a consummate professional and highly strategic partner. He exemplifies all the qualities our team and business partners want in a moderator. Walt has an innate ability to help translate consumer feedback into actionable and relevant business insights. He is passionate about delivering high quality consultation and results for every project. My internal clients are as passionate and excited about partnering with Walt as I am. I also appreciate Walt’s frankness and guidance on projects – willing to provide frank feedback and suggestions – and always fully supportive of final client decisions. I strongly recommend Walt for your next qualitative project!”

Market Research and Insights Manager, client

“We have been working with Walt for over a decade and it feels like he is part of our team, a true valued partner in every way. He is consultative, collaborative, and flexible. Whether we are working on B2B, mainstream or affluent consumer research, he is always the right fit for our team and our variety of diverse clients. I highly recommend Walt as a qualitative partner, just please leave room on his calendar for us!”

Vice-President, research vendor

“Walt is our go-to focus group moderator:

  • He takes the time to understand our needs
  • He develops great focus group exercises
  • He doesn’t miss opportunities to probe on important topics
  • And he has great clock management – somehow, he makes it through our overstuffed mod guides

Walt is like the 5th Beatle of our research team!”

Strategic Research and Planning Manager, client

“Walt is extremely affable with both clients and interviewees and always worked with us as a partner to develop the best means of unearthing insights. He was outstanding on all the mechanics as well (e.g., managing groups, writing reports, staying on track while allowing promising conversations to bloom, exploring innovative methods). My internal clients routinely requested him, as did I.”

Director, Product Research, client

“I have only positive things to say about Walt. He is an excellent moderator, skillful listener and succinct report writer. He is very sensitive to his clients’ needs and skillful in navigating through the internal politics that are at times inherent to some projects. Walt has extensive experience in the automotive industry; however, I would not hesitate to contract his services for other industries.”

Sr. Market Research Manager, client

“Walt’s vast experience, moderating expertise, affable personality, and outstanding analysis and reporting skills make him the solid choice whenever I need to partner with another qualitative research professional. I would unequivocally recommend him to anyone (and have!).”

Owner, research vendor

“I have been working with Walt for several years. I honestly cannot say enough positive things about him, his work ethic, and his enthusiasm for what he does. Walt constantly exceeds my expectations. He has never missed a deadline and often completes the work prior to the deadline. He works with us as a partner to develop our product to exceed our customers’ expectations. The enthusiasm that Walt has for what he does is apparent in the way that he moderates and interacts with our team. His moderating skills are outstanding. He knows how to keep everyone involved without having them feel like they are being forced to participate. He controls the group without them feeling like they are being controlled. The client always comes away with more valuable information than they anticipated. Working with Walt is always a pleasure!”

Senior Project Director, research vendor

“Walt is an extremely well qualified professional in every way. Having Walt on your team is a great asset in every part of providing complete customer satisfaction.”

President, research vendor

“Walt did an outstanding job of taking a concept and bringing it into reality. Through his diligent work, a foundation was built that improved our capabilities immediately and allowed us to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. He’s always on top of his game. I truly enjoyed working with Walt.”

Director of Marketing & Research, client

“Walt is not only a professional and intelligent moderator, but a genuinely nice person. Walt has received rave reviews from our clients – hence, making us look good. His moderation skills are top notch, and his reporting skills are thorough and add value to our projects. He is a joy to work with!”

Research Director, research vendor

“I was once Walt’s MBA professor and have kept in touch with his remarkable career. Walt has exceptional skills as a marketing research expert. His breadth of experience, genuine wisdom, and good nature make him the perfect consultant for organizations seeking a clearer picture of their marketing strengths and weaknesses. I would recommend Walt without reservations.”

Professor, consultant and author

Walt is the gold standard of our moderators.”

Research Director, client

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