The Uses of Surveys -- Talking, Listening and Showing

It's been a while since I've written about the uses of surveys for business development, but the awesome Seth Godin mentioned it today in a post, and it reminded me of something. Surveys are about talking, as well as listening ... as well as doing.

Godin wrote:

The traditional understanding of a survey is that the goal is to LEARN from your population and that you will ask a scientific sampling, not everyone.

You can TEACH people with a survey, though, simply by asking them questions that help them notice things they never noticed before. "Do your prefer option A or option B," might just be a way of getting people to notice that you even have an option B. 

The very act of asking a question may change the experience for the customer. One small firm I know shows prospects a book of testimonials. Then they say, "I hope that when we've completed our job for you, you'll be willing to write one too." That seed increases the likelihood that people are going to be looking for something good to say, which increases the likelihood that they'll enjoy the event.

And in a proposal I wrote for a Washington law firm for a client survey project, I said something very similar. Surveys are as much about talking as listening. I wrote:

First, simply by asking an important client to share his or her perceptions, the firm is sending a powerful message. It is explicitly demonstrating that client satisfaction, which many firms honor only in the breach, is something it views as essential. The firm sets itself apart simply by asking the question: “How are we doing?”

 Second, in the process of interviewing clients, the firm will uncover an enormous amount of strategically valuable information. Much of it, of course, will be about the firm’s relationship with the client. But much of it will also be about industry competitors, new areas the client believes are important, and the performance of other law firms. By conducting the interviews professionally, creatively and attentively, the firm will create a valuable channel for enhancing its knowledge.

 Finally, following through on the survey with a response, and with action, is critically important. Learning about a client’s issues, and doing nothing, is a fatal mistake. It is actually better to be ignorant of a client’s unmet expectation than to know and do nothing.

So, I guess I'm seeing Godin's analysis, and raising him one. The impact of a survey comes in three parts:

You talk, by asking people questions, which educates them and demonstrates that you are keenly interested in their perceptions of your firm.

You listen to their perceptions.

And finally, you show them your commitment, by doing something.

Comments

[seth godin]

great riff!

[Kathleen]

Thanks for this great post. I am just starting to use surveys on my blog, and you've opened my eyes as to their true potential.
Kathleen Lisson