Coming in on the heels of client service, this post is about a simple tool that can significantly help build your client relationships, enhance client service and steer you in the right direction. Plus, it can be a subtle marketing tool, as well.

Enter the client survey.

There are two ways you can gauge your effectiveness and quality of service. You can give it your best guess, or you can ask. The latter makes a whole lot more sense. With responses in hand, you’ll be able to take action based on facts, not guesses or whims.

Conducting a client survey can be scary stuff at first. Thoughts tend to fly around our brains like, “Gee … what if they think I suck?” Sure, you might get a negative response or two. But, odds are you’ll have a good idea who they’re from and why they gave you a poor grade. Beyond this, it’s much better to know if some things aren’t up to snuff. You can do what’s needed to fix it, rather than getting a call or email from a client saying, “Thanks, but no thanks. We’ve found someone else.”

One the marketing side, a client survey can help promote additional services your clients may not know you offer. They like to pigeonhole us. It makes things easier for them. “He’s a web guy,” “She does brochures,” “That firm does annual reports,” etc. Asking a question like, “Please check which services you know Mighty PaVa Design offers,” promotes your other services. As the client goes through the list, they’re enlightened. “Well, golly, gee! I didn’t know PaVa did package design. I should call them about our new product.”

Another thing a survey can do is give you promotional ammo. Perhaps you received stellar marks on your creative abilities. How about including that in your marketing materials? Maybe something like, “9 out of 10 Mighty PaVa Design clients think our creative work is the next best thing to sliced bread.” Statistics and testimonials like this, that can be backed up with hard data, can add a lot of credibility to your message.

So, what do you ask? Below is the questionnaire I use. It should help to jump start your thinking for your survey. I like to weave a bit of humor into mine to keep it on the light side. Yours may take a different direction to reflect the personality of your practice. As an incentive for them to reply, I include a scratch-off instant lottery ticket. It adds a bit of fun and I’ve had some clients win some dough. That sure doesn’t hurt client relations.

I feel the quality of Tortorella Design’s work is:

• exceptional & utterly brilliant
• good
• average
• below average
• lousy. This guy stinks

I feel Tortorella Design fees are:

• way out there in the stratosphere
• on the high side
• just right
• low
• I think it’s a non-profit organization

I feel Tortorella Design’s billing method is:

• great
• typical
• lousy

I feel Tortorella Design invoices are:

• crystal clear
• typical
• clear as mud

My projects are completed:

• like greased lightening
• faster than I expect
• in an average time frame
• slow
• at a snail’s pace

I feel Neil is responsive to my needs:

• yes
• no

I feel Neil understands my business:

• yes
• no, he’s in a fog
• not sure

I feel Neil provides me with valuable insight and feedback:

• yes
• no

I feel that Neil:

• knows what he’s doing.
• doesn’t have a clue.

Please check all service you know Tortorella Design provides:

• marketing/sales promotion collateral
• brochures
• logo design
• corporate identity programs and systems
• web site design
• Flash motion graphics
• publication design
• package design
• annual reports
• illustration
• environmental graphics (signage, trade show graphics)
• marketing consulting

I feel Tortorella Design can handle:

• anything I throw at him.
• moderate size projects.
• only the small stuff.

Would you use Tortorella Design again?

• Yes. He’s the only guy I’ll work with.
• Yes, but I use other designers too.
• I’m not sure.
• No.
• No. If he comes within a mile of my office, I’ll …

Thanks for your help. Please add any comments below:

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt