Every marketing manager knows the importance of consumer insight and pulse. In today’s market, cold calling for targeted sample phone surveys can be a very cost-effective and relatively accurate means of understanding consumer perception and intent. In a hectic world where people are constantly busy with the struggles and turmoil of everyday life, a call from an unknown person can be very upsetting to anyone. For a caller, getting over this barrier and getting the respondent to provide the necessary feedback can be a very daunting task. Despite the hurdles, just concentrating on certain aspects of the call, some dos and don’ts, and paying attention to details can help the caller easily gather the necessary information and also leave a lasting positive impression. The following 5 steps, if followed correctly, will give any caller an advantage in turning the call into valuable and relevant feedback.
1. Proper greeting:
The first impression, that is, the first seconds of the call will decide your fate. An effective greeting is one in which the caller correctly identifies himself, clearly states the reason for the call, and asks the respondent if he wants to take the time to participate in the survey. If the person refuses, politely thank them and hang up. If, and only if, the respondent is willing to participate without coercion, only then proceed.
2. Listen to peripheral feedback:
Rather than the actual response, special attention should be paid to the tonality and form of the response. It is very important to understand the emotion or feeling that can be hidden under a standard response to a query. A successful caller will easily identify the respondent’s internal sentiment regarding the query and thus make a more effective judgment on the accuracy of the response. Often the respondent, especially if it’s not a mystery survey, may give a biased answer because of the identity of the caller.
3. Probe deep and, if possible, deeper:
A response, given in a lukewarm tone or with a pause, often suggests a contradiction between what has been said and what may be, the respondent’s actual feeling. In such cases, it is the caller’s duty to tactfully ask follow-up questions, to get a more accurate picture.
4. Judge the respondent’s mood when asking personal or sensitive questions:
Increased tension or hostility, and ultimately the loss of potential feedback, often results from not judging a respondent’s mood or situation, especially with regard to sensitive demographic queries like income, age, etc. . Not only is it mandatory to prompt the respondent before asking such questions, but it is also imperative to judge the current mood based on previous questions.
5. Have an effective closure of the call.
The importance of an effective survey closure can never be underestimated, as it will set the tone for the entire survey experience. The interviewee should feel that her time was not wasted, but rather made a significant contribution to the purpose of the call. He remembers that the impression left behind will definitely have a significant influence on the respondent’s perception of the product or organization.
If you’ve paid attention to these 5 steps, chances are you’ll be able to entice even the toughest of respondents to actively engage and provide the necessary feedback, resulting in a higher call conversion rate and therefore efficiency. In a market where competition is fierce and time is of the essence. Businesses need to stay one step ahead of the competition, effective market research through profitable phone surveys can provide invaluable insight into the minds of consumers, giving your business an edge.
