Association executives would give anything to read the minds of their members and know exactly what they need. The simplest solution is to ask members how they are doing and what concerns them. Most members feel comfortable responding–until things start to get “personal.”
Companies tend to balk at sharing financial, production, and other sensitive business information. Associations have a way to address these concerns while still gathering and sharing valuable industry data.
- Easy Access: Making it easy for members to respond to the survey is critical. While some prefer to respond via email or with a USPS mail-in form, others would more readily respond to a quick online survey. Giving them a choice makes a big difference in the response rate.
- Make It Quick: People are busy but would gladly share their opinions if it didn’t take too much of their valuable time. The survey must have clear goals and a limited number of questions to gather the required information. Simple is best; a three- to five-minute survey is enough.
- Independent Third Party: While the concern among members regarding sharing business details with the association may be misplaced, it exists nonetheless. The solution is to engage a non-biased, independent third-party to conduct the surveys and present the data while preserving the anonymity of the respondents.
Contact Industry Barometer Reports LLC for more tips on effective business-confidence surveys focusing on one specific industry.
For more information, contact Joan Weis at 847-807-8480 or [email protected].
