Questionnaires, Surveys and Other Ways to Waste Time
I know what you’re thinking. Dylan “predictable” Campbell wants to have a moan about those companies that promise to make you a living out of completing surveys.
He’ll whinge about the crooks who charge you $50 just to get the names and addresses of market research organizations. And he’ll take a swipe at the companies that stop sending you surveys, just when you’re about to reach the payout mark.
Well you’re wrong.
This week I’m aiming at every program owner and newsletter editor that tries to waste my time with another mindless questionnaire.
“Tell me what you like/dislike about my newsletter/program”
“Tell me what you want me to write about”
“Tell me how I can make things better”
Heard these questions before?
Virtually every week, a newsletter editor or webmaster wants to pick my brains in exchange for some ebook I’ll never read, or some piece of software I’ll never use.
And like a sap, I do it.
I pity the poor individual who is desperate for feedback on their work and so I feel compelled to help them out.
But where does it end? I get so many of the darn things, I’ve had to create a special email folder just for these requests. There are dozens backed up now but I have neither the energy to wade into them, nor the heart to hit the “delete” key.
If I’m going to point the finger at anyone it has to be the article or ebook writers that told everyone asking for feedback was a great idea.
Trust me. It’s not.
Think about it. Your target audience is busy trying to make money. Why should they take time away from their efforts to help fill the void in your imagination?
If you can’t think of ways to improve your program, maybe you have no business running one. Or if you can’t think of anything to write about, then perhaps producing an ezine wasn’t the best choice of vocation.
How much good are these surveys anyway, when they’re thrust upon someone? If you ask me what I like best about your product, I’m going to find something for the sake of answering the question. Even if what I’ve picked would send me to sleep on any other…zzz
Don’t email your users with a survey for the sake of it, or because everyone else doing it. Everyone else doing it is exactly the reason why you should give it a rest.
Feedback is useful but, if you’re patient, it will come. And in a far more useful variety.
If someone, voluntarily, writes to tell you something good about your program/ezine, then you can be sure they really liked it. If some writes to tell you something bad, then you can be sure it really bugged them.
Unsolicited feedback without any hidden agenda is far more trustworthy and ultimately more beneficial.
And if no-one ever writes to tell you anything good or bad, don’t assume the worst and whip up a panicky questionnaire. Maybe, just maybe, everyone is too busy, happily reading your ezine or using your program to find the time to write to you.
Or perhaps making money is taking a priority.
Either way, if they haven’t unsubscribed or cancelled their membership, it can’t all be bad.
Please rate this article: Send an email to david@thenettle.com with a mark out of 10 in the subject line and a detailed description of what you liked and disliked about this article. Everyone who replies with positive comments will receive an email in return containing a dictionary description of “irony”.
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This article first appeared in The Nettle Ezine.
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