How do you respond when asked to fill out a survey?
Do you feel and respond differently to a survey emailed to you?
Do you feel and respond in another way to a survey sent online which offers some type of gift if you fill it out and submit it?
Do you feel most comfortable and responsive when you speak with a person either over the phone or in person to a few questions?
Place your responses right in the comments section for this article.
THINK – – –
Would any of your answers change if you know the owner of the company and they asked you to respond as a favor to obtain feedback?
How does a business – a business owner – anyone providing a product or service – find out answers to become a better business when most people will not answer a few questions or give their feedback unless they have a real gripe or concern about something?
For many years grocery stores have welcomed sample tables in their locations where a company may set up a product table, offer free samples to taste or try out and obtain instant feedback. This is an excellent way for the lotions and potions business owners to obtain instant feedback and word of mouth sales. In a similar way a food product or a new version of a well known brand changing some of the flavors or introducing a new flavor would be able to obtain quick feedback.
What would you suggest for a business in a service oriented field? How would they obtain quick and reliable responses to help them become a better business?
Here are three methods which work for many business owners in service based businesses –
- Upon engagement ask, give or send a form and request your client fill it out immediately about the initial engagement process. This does a few things. First you have established that you really do care about what they think about your business. Second is they are now creating a habit of filling out your brief questions and returning the responses to your office.
- Part way through the engagement with your client – follow step one except now you would be asking about more than the initial engagement process.
- Upon completing a certain period of time working with your client – ask them if they would be open to responding to a few questions about your business? The goal you would explain is to always be aware of how each client feels about their business and to keep your business fresh and in touch with their customers.
Try out one of these three methods or maybe all three and see how they work out for you in your business. Otherwise how will you know?
Need help with creating the right questions and/or how to implement the changes necessary once the surveys are all returned and reviewed? Contact Mitch Tublin here.
Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified coach, trainer and speaker based in Stamford, CT.
In the previous article, 
The articles are starting to come out in a variety of places. The top ten concerns for the small business owner in the coming year. It is not that the topic is not of interest. What is of interest is how obviously self-serving so many of these articles tend to be.