Are You Listening?

In the consumer industry, it is important to speak – to speak well; to promote your brand, your product, your service. There are tones of advertisements on televisions, theatres, newspapers, hoardings, online, all shoving their goods down consumers’ throats. Everybody’s speaking. The louder, the bolder, the better! But is anyone listening?

To what the consumer has to say. To what he/she really wants, likes, dislikes. The consumer has a lot to say provided you are ready to listen. To listen and work on it. And how does one listen? 

Now you’re asking the correct question. Through surveys, of course! Through surveys that are ready to listen, not just the ones that give them fixed options to choose from. Always leave an ‘Other’ option, a huge box for them to speak. And you’ll be surprised at the ideas that will flow.

What’s in a name?

What’s in a name? A lot apparently; nationality, religion, caste, class, gender! That’s a lot of fodder for judgment. Strip a person of his name and his work becomes clear of labels. People then see the person’s work of art for what it is, devoid of perspectives.

 I remember how fond I was of poetry, even as a kid. I would often end up reading everything related to the subject before my term would even begin. Soon I started knowing poets by their name, and I noticed that one poet’s poems were listed in my syllabus more than any other. And that was by Anon. I became a big fan of Anon! It was only later that I was told that Anon is not a person but a mere short for Anonymous. Oops, turned out that I didn't even know whom I was such a big fan of!

Why would someone not take credit for his/her soulful words? Either the name must’ve got lost over the years or the poet must have seeked solace in his/her anonymity. But what kind of solace does anonymity provide? Turns out that there are many. It prevents prejudice, takes the pressure off your shoulders, and provides security when it comes to a controversial subject.

In fact, it has been observed that people tell the truth when their identity is hidden. They become bold, brutally honest even, and may give you the best feedback that can turn your business around. To take advantage of this very fact, online survey software offer the option of conducting anonymous surveys. The benefit of these surveys, to the participant, of course, is that their electronic identifying information including email addresses and IP addresses is removed.

So if handing the participants a mask increases the power of your survey, why not start a Venetian parade?

It’s Magic!

This was one of the surveys I participated in before I began working; when I knew very little about surveys. I don't really remember the topic of the survey, but what I do remember is the way it made me feel – special! From the moment I clicked on the button that led me to the survey I was surprised by one thing followed by another.

 For starters, the survey platform not only knew who I was but also kept referring to me by my name throughout the survey. That was the first thing that surprised me. If the survey link was sent to hundreds of people, then how did my name appear on the one that was sent to me? Did the survey maker actually customize the survey one by one for each participant? Whatever it was, it sure meant that the person who had created this survey had taken a lot of time to actually customize them all. I was mighty impressed!

The second thing that impressed me was how the questions kept appearing or disappearing on the basis of what my answers were. Now that was absolute magic for me! I found it amusing to watch them appear and disappear and it kept me on that particular page for a while.

Of course, now I know that it was the so called ‘magic’ of the Piping and Question Display Logic features. These features are highly intuitive and completely mesmerizing to a newbie. People love magic. People love customization; to be called by their name. They love intelligence. If you send them something that respects their intelligence, they will respect you back by filling up your survey for you.

So the next time you plan to create a survey, make sure you make use of all those advanced features your online survey tool offers.

Discounts and freebies

Students are on a constant lookout for discounts; for a price cut that will allow them to spend the rest of the money on a date or the latest shoes. And it's not just students who look for freebies. Non-profit organizations also need whatever help they can get to help the community. The online survey brands saw a potential here and offered student discounts to gain free word-of-mouth promotion and at the same time contribute toward educating the youth. Offering free or discounted accounts to NGOs is their way of giving back to the community.

If you're a student or handle a non-profit organization, I'd advise that you look for online survey brands that offer free upgrades. In fact, the other day I came across an online survey provider that offers discounted Healthcare as well as Government Plans.