You may receive criticism that stings, but if you are one of the few willing to open yourself up and ask the questions, the rewards can far outweigh any temporary bruising your pride may take.
SURVEY TECHNOLOGY
I highly recommend Survey Monkey. You can sign up for a free account that is powerful enough to conduct a very impactful survey with nothing out of pocket. The interface is simple to navigate. The customization options help you create a highly professional final product, and your clients can answer the questions from any computer or device.
LENGTH
There is no perfect survey length, but I am a fan of a short survey. Everyone is very busy, and asking someone to answer 20 or 25 questions may scare them off. Stick with five questions or less for your first survey. Keep the questions clear and direct.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
It is important to determine exactly what you want to learn from the responses before you put together your survey. Are you interested in determining how you can become more referable? Do you specifically want to learn about your clients’ feelings with regard to your response times? Are you wondering about what topics your clients want to learn more about? What is your end game? Determine what you want, and then work backwards.
I like to leave an open field after each question for additional feedback if the respondent so chooses because there is no such thing as too much client intel.
If you are struggling to create questions, Survey Monkey has question banks you can use or you can simply Google “client survey questions” and find numerous question choices.
DELIVERING THE SURVEY
Send the survey via email with a very short note. The note can read, “, Our top priority is consistently exceeding your expectations. Please click on the link below to take a very brief survey and share your opinions on how we can better serve you in 2015. Sincerely, ”
ANALYZING RESULTS AND IMPLEMENTING CHANGE
As survey results begin to arrive, revisit the goals you set for the survey. What did you want to uncover? Then, as you evaluate the responses, be on the lookout for trends among responses, particularly in response to questions about areas where you can improve.
Remember, the most important portion of the survey process is implementing necessary change. Leave your pride at the door, and be open to hearing honest feedback from your clients. An opportunity to remedy shortcomings or expand in ways that better serve your clients is the beginning of exciting goals for 2015.
Conversely, keep in mind that you are allowed to choose what you do and do not want to change. You may have some outliers in responses. You may be taking your in a new direction and feel comfortable with ruffling a few feathers in the process. Use your reasoning and knowledge of your business and clients to identify areas that need improvement and are worth your time versus those things that do not need to change.
TAKE ACTION!
Identify what you would like to know from your clients as you start 2015. Create your survey, and send it to your clients.
HERE ARE SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO GATHER INFORMATION ON GENERAL CLIENT SATISFACTION AND REFERABILITY:
• What have we done recently that you found especially valuable?
• How likely is it that you would refer us to a friend or family member?
• What are your three most important priorities for this year?
• Do you have any suggestions as to how we can serve you better?
• Do you have any other feedback?
• Calendar the follow-up and hold people accountable to make it happen.