Often, when I am working with clients who wish to create a new service or product for their business, I ask them what made them decide to go ahead with that idea.  The question is usually answered with something like "Oh, I think the clients will like it and it will bring in more money".  "THINK they will like it or KNOW that they want it, and even more importantly, will they part with their hard earned cash to have it", is the question I ask them.  There's a mighty big difference and before you set out and invest a lot of time and money into a new addition to your business, whether it be a product, service or even a new system that may affect your clients, you should make sure that you are really meeting your clients needs with something that they really want!

So how do you get to this valuable information? You know what I am going to say, don't you?  Yes.  Just ask them!  The answers you need can be found by conducting a simple survey -  a questionnaire that will get you the kind of information that you want and need before you start on that new investment you are about to make in your business.

To make your survey a great success here are some simple and tested tips :

1. Before you get started, make sure that you are totally clear on what you are trying to achieve with your survey.  Is it to improve customer service standards or possibly to find out if your customers would purchase a new product if you added it to your business? Whatever the reason, stay focussed on that issue. The more focussed and clear you make your questions, the more valuable the information you will get from your customers.
2. Limit the number of questions that you ask.  Your customers will be generally more willing to participate in your survey if they only have to answer 10 or less questions.
3. If you are mailing out your survey, create a sense of urgency to get your replies back in. You will need to add a deadline and of course offer a small gift for participation.  Something like "Don't miss out! The first 100 surveys returned will go into the draw on September 30 to win a fabulous (insert your gift here). You might also like to consider including a stamped, self addressed envelope to make things even easier for your customers.
4. Use a rating system that your customers can quickly tick and flick through to make answering your survey easy . You could use a numbering system of one to five where one represents the best and five the worst or you could also use a system where the client can choose from things like Very often, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, and Never.  Either way, keep it simple and you will get a clear indication of how your customer feels about the questions you are asking.
5. Always give your customers the opportunity to reply anonymously if they wish.  It may just give them the opportunity to say what they really feel without being identified.
6. Include at least one question where your customers have the chance to answer in their own words. Give them the opportunity to tell you what they believe is missing for them. For example, you could ask "What additional service/product would you like to be able to get from us"  
7. If you are in touch with your clients by email, you could offer your survey the same way.  There are online survey creators such as Survey Monkey which will offer you a variety of ways to survey your clients.
8. Encourage your clients to participate in your survey by offering them something with perceived value in return for their participation.  It can be something simple, such as a product or service that you can provide, through to a gift card from the local up market coffee shop. A small reward is often all it takes to encourage your customers to participate in your survey.
9. Most important of all, once you have the data that you collected through your survey, make sure your analyse it and apply what you have learned.  Pay special attention to your open answer questions and don't be surprised at the valuable information that you will have gained.

So now it's time to start preparing your survey.  Involve your team members and get their contributions about the kind of subjects you think should be covered and the questions that they would like to have answered.

Pam Stellema is a  Specialist Coach for Small Business Development.  Her area of expertise lies in coaching and motivating small business owners, managers and their key staff towards maximizing productivity and profits, excellence in customer service and client retention, and recruiting and retaining key staff. Pam can be contacted on ask@pamstellema.com.au, 0431 975515, 0755 296 467,  or to visit her website go to www.pamstellema.com.au