DESIGNING EFFECTIVE SURVEYS
by Mike Manes
This is the latest in a series of articles on organizational management and leadership by Mike Manes. The first article created a Management “Jambalaya” using various ingredients: “Leftover” ideas that apply in the world of people and work. This article tells you how to design effective surveys.
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary offers the following:
survey vb 1 a: to examine as to condition, situation, or value: APPRAISE b: to query (someone) in order to collect data for the analysis of some aspect of a group or area
survey n: the act or an instance of surveying
This article offers ideas and motivation on the why, how, who, what, and when of the process. If you want to learn more, review marketing textbooks. Understand this is a “Cliff Notes” of the process; it's not intended to be a conclusive report.
WHY SURVEY?
You need to know your customers and prospective customers. A survey will provide data you can sort, develop, and organize to create intelligence that, properly applied, will result in knowledge that you can then convert into results.
HOW TO SURVEY?
There's no single way to survey. National, regional, and local market research organizations are ready, willing, and able to help. You can contract with a graduate student from a local college, study some local market intelligence obtained through media outlets, research on the Internet for studies of your customer/prospect base, hire mystery shoppers, conduct focus groups, contract with a consultant for “boots on the ground” intelligence, etc.
WHEN TO SURVEY
Even though every survey is an “event” in terms of a timeframe, specific target audience, questions asked, and inquiry format (telephone, snail mail, e-mail, personal interviews, focus group, etc.), consider surveying as an ongoing process, rather a specific project.
A specific need might trigger a reason for a focused survey — a new product to be introduced, a planned merger or acquisition, a new competitor, etc. Never take your organization's “ear from the ground” or “finger off the pulse” of the market.
Asking questions and engaging in dialogue is critical. The act of listening is more important than talking. Teach your employees to dialogue with your customers and prospects. Have them listen to community leaders, competitors, friends, family, etc. Often you (they) can learn more about your own shop by talking to people who don't know you or know what you do.
WHO DO YOU SURVEY?
Your customers and prospects, and those of your competitors, are your primary targets. Obviously there's a considerable overlap in these groups. Don't limit the process of learning — question, listen, and learn from everyone: competitors, regulators, the media, cartoons, your employees, legislators, family, children (“out of the mouths of babes”), etc.
Don't limit your study of customers to their age, economic status (white collar, blue collar, etc.) and gender. Consider their lifestyle, life stage, and life condition. In the microcosm of the nation that is Louisiana, we have Cajuns, Creoles, rednecks, uptown New Orleanians, and other groups definable by their lifestyle — all defining their lifestyles as much by attitude as by ethnicity.
In terms of life stages, you can divide individuals and couples over age 55 into many narrower groupings. Some of these groups are retired, some are working in a second or third career, some are parenting their children at home, some have empty nests, others are sandwiched between parents and children, etc.
In terms of life conditions, recognize that an individual's world can change in an instant. Christopher Reeve was a healthy, active movie star and athlete on one day — the next day he was a paraplegic.
WHAT DO YOU ASK?
Ask clients and prospects who they are (demographics), how and why they buy (psychographics), what they want and need, what are they willing to pay, how do they want to have this product or service delivered, etc.?
WHERE DO YOU ASK IT?
Formal surveying will dictate certain methods, territories, formats, and audiences. Beyond these efforts, keep asking, surveying, and listening. Engage people in conversations whenever and wherever you can. Don't target them for your reasons — target them to know them better.
CONCLUSION
Many years ago, a stock brokerage firm ran a highly effective TV commercial. A satisfied customer was explaining to a friend that his “financial house was in order” — his broker had met his unique needs.
The friend asked in amazement, “How did they know?”
His response, “THEY ASKED!” That's my recommendation for surveys: Just ask!
Michael G. Manes can be reached at Square One Consulting, 543 Pebblebrook Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70815, (225) 273-2243, (225) 939-5944 (Cell), e-mail [email protected], or visit http://www.squareoneconsulting.com/.