So you want to do a survey. Great!
Wait – why is that, exactly?
Putting out a survey, technically, can be a quick and easy process. With options like a bank full of ready-made surveys, multiple modes for launching, and instantly available reports, who wouldn’t want to do a survey?
Still, not so fast! Ask yourself these three simple questions:
Q: What’s the point?
Is your answer “We always do a survey around this time!”?
Q: What do you want out of it?
Is your answer “Hopefully something helpful!”?
Q: Will you act on, or at least share your results?
Is your answer “I guess it depends on what we find out!”?
If any of these answers sound familiar, step back before you launch. Going through the motions of launching a “just because” survey without any sense of direction and no plans to share results is a recipe for – well, maybe not disaster, but certainly confusion and wasted time. You know the saying – if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.
When you’re ready, these three steps should help:
- Work with the right people on your team to figure out your goals for this project.
- Craft an instrument that will help to provide the actionable data you need to achieve these goals.
- Make a commitment to act on or at least share your results with your participants.
Communicating clearly – both within your team and with your participants – will help keep everyone on track, ensure time is well spent, and improve response rates.
Okay, NOW you can get started!