Research Tips
Respect your Respondents!
Successful market research often depends on customers or consumers voluntarily participating and providing complete and accurate information. Unfortunately, many organizations doing or sponsoring research seem to forget this and do things that might not only discourage people from cooperating with their study, but could also reduce their willingness to participate in other research projects in the future. Here are some Dos and Don’ts to keep in mind when dealing with respondents:
Dos
- Do ensure your questions are clear, concise, and well-structured to make them as quick and easy for respondents to answer as possible.
- Do try to contact respondents when, where, and how it’s convenient for them.
- Do tell respondents what is being asked of them (e.g. time commitment, etc.) and how the information they provide will be used.
Don’ts
- Don’t assume that respondents know or care as much about your product, service, or organization as you do.
- Don’t use information in any way other than what was promised. For example, don’t use data gathered as part of a research project for sales purposes unless you told respondents you would at the time they agreed to participate.
- Don’t forget to show appreciation — respondents are helping you!