I think you already know the answer to that question. Of course, you should survey your customers. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
There are surveys that come in many forms these days. You can be surveyed by email, online via web site forms, phone, in person, and direct mail. You've probably gotten some sort of survey using all these methods in the past year.
Restaurants are even enticing you on your bill to complete surveys to be entered into huge cash drawings. Just punch in the code at a toll free number and answer the questions. Sounds like fun, right? My wife and I had dinner recently at a local restaurant and the next day my wife thought she'd give them some feedback.
There are surveys that come in many forms these days. You can be surveyed by email, online via web site forms, phone, in person, and direct mail. You've probably gotten some sort of survey using all these methods in the past year.
Restaurants are even enticing you on your bill to complete surveys to be entered into huge cash drawings. Just punch in the code at a toll free number and answer the questions. Sounds like fun, right? My wife and I had dinner recently at a local restaurant and the next day my wife thought she'd give them some feedback.
The Wrong Way To Conduct Surveys
She placed the call on our speaker phone and when prompted, began the survey. The first few questions were very specific, asking about our dining experience. Good questions, I thought. They wanted to know if the staff were friendly and offered prompt service.
What happened next had me shaking my head in disbelief. There must have been 30 or more questions in the survey! Everything from the temperature of the restaurant, to the temperature of the meal itself, to the cleanliness of the bathroom, to the number of adequate parking spaces available. Too many questions!
The Right Way To Conduct Surveys
It's admirable to want to gather lots of feedback from your customers, but don't overwhelm them with a survey that takes 30-45 minutes of your time! If you survey customers using email surveys like I do from time to time, you should only ask a few questions (5-10 questions at the most). Ten questions may be too many, in fact.
You can keep deepening the profile of your subscribers by surveying them 3-4 times a year. Then you can use that information to send them relevant future emails. For example, a friend of mine consulted me recently on setting up email marketing programs for club members at his fitness facility.
I suggested that he send a survey first to members to ask them what they'd like to learn from the club. Give them options on nutrition, fitness tips from trainers, special classes available, incentives, etc. You can then segment the member lists and send personalized email communications based on what they've told you would be most important to them.
Well crafted email campaigns that are intended to get a response will get at least 15-20% response rates. Mostly because subscribers receive messages relevant to their interests.
So the next time you think about surveying customers or prosepects, keep it short and ask for permission to send future emails tailored to their interests. You'll be amazed at the results you get.
You can keep deepening the profile of your subscribers by surveying them 3-4 times a year. Then you can use that information to send them relevant future emails. For example, a friend of mine consulted me recently on setting up email marketing programs for club members at his fitness facility.
I suggested that he send a survey first to members to ask them what they'd like to learn from the club. Give them options on nutrition, fitness tips from trainers, special classes available, incentives, etc. You can then segment the member lists and send personalized email communications based on what they've told you would be most important to them.
Well crafted email campaigns that are intended to get a response will get at least 15-20% response rates. Mostly because subscribers receive messages relevant to their interests.
So the next time you think about surveying customers or prosepects, keep it short and ask for permission to send future emails tailored to their interests. You'll be amazed at the results you get.
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