The modern market of goods and services is experiencing serious competition for the consumer. To work more efficiently, most manufacturers, suppliers of real products or intangible services, use a variety of marketing policies, apply creative methods to work with staff and customers, real and potential consumers. One of the most effective marketing and advertising tools that have gained wide popularity is questionnaires, or surveys.
Method Features
- Questioning - this is collection of certain information depending on the purpose of its conduct and the organization that is involved in this. It is very widely used in politics, psychology and sociology, pedagogy and career guidance, for the selection of personnel in a particular organization, in the diagnosis of demand and consumption in the labor market and production.
- Traditionally, questionnaires are answers to pre-compiled questions that should illuminate the side of the problem that is of interest, present a general or detailed picture, and provide the necessary information. After studying the results of the questionnaire, certain results are summarized, mathematical or statistical calculations are made, and certain conclusions are made.
- It is clear that questionnaires are precisely the work with the questionnaire, the questions in it are grouped in a special way. And the answers should be either unambiguous, such as “yes / no” (closed profiles), or in any form, which may contain elements of argumentation (open).
- And, finally, a questionnaire is a type of survey that can be conducted directly with people (in-person, direct) or in absentia by phone, the Internet, or remotely. It can be oral or written, as well as non-verbal - in the form of drawings, graphs, charts, etc. In addition, the questionnaire is a one-time, i.e. it is carried out once for any reason (for example, the release of a new type of product, a new series of goods), and dynamic, multiple (public opinion polls for any political occasion). In the latter case, it becomes possible to predict certain actions or events (a survey during the election campaign).
Questioning and market
Questioning is considered a strong and useful marketing step. So, the survey
consumers gives an idea of their interests and preferences, allows you to get critical information about how real and
potential buyers relate to certain goods or products, what kind and
type of service they specifically need, which firms and companies give a clear preference. Thus, a realistic picture of demand is determined, on the basis of which the market can form its proposals and evaluate the shortcomings of work to meet the needs of the population.
Types of Questioning
The survey can be done in a variety of ways:
- An online questionnaire when questionnaires are sent to users of online stores, special forums, or simply to owners of real email addresses. It can be paid or free - depending on company policy.
- Survey of customers in stores or in the market, at the place of direct purchase and sale.
- Survey through questionnaires sent by mail.
- Questioning by telephone or SMS.
- A survey of experts.
- An indirect study of the interests and needs of the total mass of customers.
- Questioning of consumers from a certain age or social group.
- Trade audit and evaluation system.
Important!
When planning to conduct a survey, you should always remember that questioning is a purely voluntary matter, most often anonymous, and does not allow a coercive element. On the contrary, in order to attract people to participate in the survey, many organizations use an incentive element in their work: when filling out a sheet of participants, they will receive a gift or discount on goods. This type is called a promotion and allows not only to obtain the necessary information, but also to sell not very popular products.