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Surveys for Fun and Profit
Author: Eric M. Williams  | Posted: 20-12-2006 | Comments: 0 | Views: 273 | Rating: (50)  (?) 
A friend of mine once told me having the right survey technology and expertise in today's market is like having insider information on the stock market, only this is legal. It took awhile for me to understand and process the implications of this statement. Keep reading if you are ready to profitably leverage information in ways that could not even be imagined only a few years ago.
Surveys used to be conducted by telephone, often at great expense. Today, they can be effectively conducted via the internet at a near zero cost per response, assuming your target has access to the internet. The value proposition of web based surveys is simply incredible. Let's look at three ways you can leverage this web based survey technology to rapidly increase your revenues and your profits to stratospheric levels.
Before I uncover the awesome power of web surveys, it is important to note that simply creating a survey is not good enough. You have to find the right audience and you have to craft the appropriate message. Then you have to develop a strategy to attract or invite the appropriate respondents. Also, the survey questions must be simply stated and the purpose and meaning of each question must be easy to understand. Finally, the results must be collected, analyzed and reported to the appropriate resource(s) that can leverage the information and turn it into higher revenue and huge profits.
Gathering and managing sales leads and other requests is the FIRST way to leverage web based survey technology. The internet has the potential to be the ultimate one-on-one fulfillment tool. But customer requests, information requests, frequently asked questions requests, even customer complaints continue to use static "contact us" e-mail based forms. The responses to these requests are typically fulfilled either by an auto-generated message, a reply that states someone will get back to them, or often there is no response at all. This is not an effective use of technology and certainly not in the best interest of your firm to continue these practices that provide such low levels of customer service.
Here is how to use a survey form to improve the standard "contact us" process:
1. Capture demographic and other pertinent information in addition to the request;
2. Place the request in a standard format to improve the automated response;
3. Create an automatic database of inquiry requests and categorize them for analysis and follow-up improvement which will reduce future inquiries and requests;
4. Customize and narrow the focus of the automated responses over time while simultaneously automating the input of the inquiry data into your company database. Keep these data entry chores out of the hands of your sales department and watch your sales soar.
The SECOND way to leverage web based survey technology is to gather information about your customer and then disseminate important information back to them to generate repeat and referral sales. Listed next are several examples of data sets you must collect to create strategies that will increase repeat purchases and increase your referral business.
First, determine the overall customer satisfaction with your products and services. Then identify the customer's perception of your weaknesses and your strengths. Next, measure and prioritize areas where improvements will most affect customer satisfaction and repeat purchases. Capture information from your customers regarding your key competitors and your competitive position in the market that you service. Next, implement the required improvements and adjust your competitive strategy accordingly. Finally, share these improvements with your customer base and invite them to "see for themselves". Provide your customers an incentive or special offer to refer their friends and business associates to your products and services.
The THIRD way to leverage web based survey technology is to increase traffic to your website. Jeffery Henning, Sr Vice President of Services at Perseus/WebSurveyor SurveySolutions (www.perseus.com) lists several creative ideas in a whitepaper entitled: Knowledge, Lead Management and Increased Traffic. Use these ideas to stimulate creative ways to leverage your web survey traffic based on your unique client base and market niche.
Try holding a monthly raffle using a survey form on the website as the entry form. Build special offers and introduce new products into the survey to turn responses into sales. Invite past visitors to your website to complete a "top ten" survey on a fun topic, then show them the results instantly and then combine the results with a special one time offer. Submit your surveys to the main search engines, keep the surveys on your website for an extended period and watch your website rankings improve. Finally, send a survey to every client after every purchase to gather transaction satisfaction information and offer a "last chance" offer that is related to the product they just purchased. The list of possibilities is endless, be creative and you will be surprised and rewarded by the incredible results.
The bottom line is that information is power. All you have to do is ask your customers for information in an appropriate format and they will provide it to you. The power is now in your hands to go out and leverage this knowledge for your own good and for the good of your company and your employees that depend on you to do the right thing.
Eric Williams is the founder of the Get Ready to Win Network. Contact Eric at ericw01@yahoo.com or 928-255-5379. For more information, click here: ericwilliams.48dayscoach.com
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sales-articles/surveys-for-fun-and-profit-84229.html
About the Author:Eric teaches, trains and coaches leadership and management skills to employees at all levels of an organization. Using a variety of resources and tools, Eric helps others massively and quickly improve their skills, habits and attitudes. Eric is passionate about leading and motivating others toward achieving extraordinary results. His expertise is coaching and motivating others to exceed their own unique and specific goals and objectives through the Get Coaching to Win Network at http://ericwilliams.48dayscoaching.com
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