I’m sure that in an article recently I expressed my amazement and discontent at the hide of people who want some of your time to answer a simple survey. The thing you can almost always be sure of is that it will neither be simple nor will it only involve a little of your time.

Now I agree it’s great to get feedback from clients, customer and patients but I think there are some ways that are better than others and the one from Foxtel here isn’t one of them. The cheek! They want 25 minutes of my time; tell me to only answer only on a PC; then write 25 words and maybe win one of 25 prizes that are gunna be split amongst who know how many thousand entries.

Bah humbug! Phooey! I’m not gunna waste my time (much as I’d like to tell Foxtel a few home truths!).

Now, remember, most people love to be asked for their opinions and will cheerfully volunteer them if you do it the right way. So, if you want to get feedback there are a couple of suggestions I’d make:

• Always ask nicely and in a personal fashion. The best way? Have someone with a bright bubbly personality phone them.
• Treat them with courtesy and respect as valued clients.
• Explain why you are phoning and what their responses will achieve.
• Find out if it’s convenient to continue, or get an alternative time and phone back when promised.
• Keep the questions simple, easy to understand and easy to answer.
• Limit the survey to 5-7 minutes.
• If you want more feedback, ask them if it will be okay to phone again and make a time to do so.
• Thank them with sincerity.
• Surprise them with a token of appreciation… generally a soft dollar gift, for example Foxtel could give me a free month’s subscription.

If you’re planning to use direct marketing, then A Marketer’s No Disaster Checklist is essential. Marketing guru Winston Marsh takes you through a 50 point checklist of things to do so you can disaster proof your campaign. Discover everything you should put in place before launching your campaign. Get it here. Part of the Winno’s Wise Words series.