Market Research Vendor Shortlist Questions

Before choosing a vendor, ask a small set of questions that expose fit, assumptions, tradeoffs, and likely friction points.

Useful shortlist questions

• How are you defining the project scope and key assumptions?
• Why is this method the best fit for the decision we need to make?
• What could create timeline or budget drift?
• What would you want clarified before finalizing scope?
• What deliverables should we realistically expect at this budget?

Why this matters

These questions make it easier to distinguish polished sales language from actual project-fit thinking.

If you want the full worksheet version, use the Vendor Selection Kit. If you want a faster starting point, download the free Vendor Selection Checklist.