Why do we want to know about our current customers, their needs and challenges, how they feel about our products and services? Why do we want to know about our target clients, their issues, problems, needs and wants; their characteristics, buying behaviour, their preferred way of buying? Here are just a few of the benefits that finding out about your customers could bring to your business:

• a better understanding of what your target clients and customers want
• invaluable insights into how consumers make their decisions to buy. Some people make spontaneous decisions; others gather information, evaluate it and then decide – but if you knew where from, whether it was customer reviews on websites selling these products, forums, social media, asking friends, family, colleagues you could make sure that your marketing message and information about your products and services was available in those places
• the ability to create a marketing message that attracts the attention of your target clients
• information to help you segment your market into target clients with particular characteristics or interests or resident in a specific area. For example: baby boomers enjoy traveling and making the most of their leisure time BUT they often are the caregivers for their aging parents which can cause financial and emotional problems and place constraints on their time; single mums often need to be able to work from home and frequently this means they have to start a home-based business rather than telecommuting for an employer.
• an adequate understanding of your market to determine your position in relation to the other players out there – this can help you differentiate your offering, develop a unique marketing message
• knowledge of where they go to buy – large stores, boutique stores, on-line – which enables you to use the best distribution channels for getting your product or service into their hands
• the ability to offer products and services with meaningful and compelling value propositions that not only meet their current needs but also enable you to keep in line with their evolving and future needs
• helps you make a whole range of decisions about your business; and of course
• knowing about your customer is essential when preparing key documents like feasibility studies and business plans.

Market research is one of the most important things you do no matter what type of business you’re in. If there’s no market for your product or service, you’ll struggle to survive.

If this article was of value to you then you may be interested in the book Understanding your customer – a guide to doing surveys.

The first step in designing a questionnaire is to decide what you want to achieve by doing a survey.

What do you want to find out?

What use will you make of the information obtained?

What are you trying to discover?

What actions do you want to take as a result of the survey?

You can only answer these questions when you have decided the objective of your survey. An objective is, if you like, a statement of the survey’s hoped-for outcomes.Knowing your objectives in doing a survey will make it so much easier to formulate your questions, decide who you should target and then to analyse and take action on the results.

You need to be clear and specific when defining your objectives. If your goals aren’t clear from the very beginning, your results won’t be either. Be specific. A survey that is too broad may provide you with little actionable information.

I always advise people to start their survey from a “guiding question”. This will go a long way to ensuring that your survey yields useful results. Your “guiding question” might be: “What delivery mechanism should I use for my information products?’, “What cities should I hold my weekend workshops?”, ‘Why are my sales dropping?”.

Research can be Confirmatory, Causal or Exploratory. Let’s take a look at these and some examples so that you see how this is relevant to defining the objective(s) of your survey.

EXAMPLE 1 – Confirmatory research

Confirmatory research is when you want to test a hypothesis that you have. For example, suppose you have an idea about something – an hypothesis if you like – and you want to find out whether or not you are right. For example: your proposition or hypothesis might be that some people who want to learn about starting a business will enjoy attending a 3-day workshop away from their home environment and combine it with hiking or cultural tourism rather than just doing an intensive workshop.

To find out if this is what people want you would formulate questions that enable you to discover whether people would be willing to travel away to a venue, if they would be willing to devote three days to it; how much they would be willing to spend; whether they would be interested in other activities while they are. In this way you would be able to discover whether they are interested in this type of workshop, how much they would be willing to pay and therefore you can determine whether your proposition is commercially viable. With the information obtained you would be able to prove, disprove or modify your hypothesis.

EXAMPLE 2 – Causal research

Causal researchis more rigid and specialised. It seeks to measure the relationship between variables and to verify hypotheses.As an example, suppose you produce home cooked chutneys that you use in your tea room. You want to find out which recipe people like best. You could simply ask them to taste both chutneys and say which they prefer. But perhaps you would like to know whether there are similar characteristics among the people who like recipe A and those who like recipe B? Perhaps you would like to modify your recipe and therefore know what tasters liked and disliked. When you get into discussion about points like this you will see why it’s so important to decide what you want to find out and why you want to know it.

EXAMPLE 3 – Exploratory research

A survey that is exploratory in nature is less straightforward so in this case often we might carry out some preliminary research to discover the various issues and then construct a questionnaire. This is where secondary data can be very useful. Remember that questionnaire writing does not and should not take place in a vacuum.

When you know why you are doing a survey it helps enormously when you come to select the types of questions and to write those questions.

If this article was of value to you then you may be interested in the book Understanding your customer – a guide to doing surveys.

We live in a world where our customer can not only talk to us but about us, be it favourably or negatively. We can reach out and engage with them in conversation and gather information about their problems, needs, desires and opinions, either by directly asking them questions or by listening to them on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. We can draw them around us and form our own little tribe. Doing so provides us with invaluable information that can guide us in our business decisions whether we are just starting out in or are about to take an existing business to the next level.

Finding out what your target clients want is vital if you’re going to run a successful business. Whether you’re a solo service professional or running a small or medium-sized business, whilst you are probably already clear on who your target clients are do you really know what they want and what their buying behaviour is? Are you really sure you are providing the solution to their problems and in the way that they want?

Perhaps your products, programs, and/or services are not selling as well as you thought they would or as they used to do. Maybe there is a mismatch between what your market wants and what you’re providing them with. It might be that you are providing the solutions based on what YOU think the problems are rather than what your target market wants.

The only real way to find out is by doing some market research. This applies whether you are the proud owner of an on-line or a ‘bricks and mortar’ business; if you are selling products or your professional services; whether you are just starting out or you want to move your business up to the next level. It’s really foolhardy to not do any market research at all and just guess what your target audience wants. When you realise how much valuable information market research provides you with you may well find yourself getting really excited about doing it!

Researching what’s going on in your market should be a continual activity so that you are constantly able to provide solutions to your customers’ problems and to give them what they want. You may one day discover that your target audience is no longer the ideal audience for you and your products or services or that you need to totally restructure and reposition your business. So never stop asking your target market what they want. The survival of your business depends on it!

If this article was of value to you then you may be interested in the book Understanding your customer – a guide to doing surveys.

Recently I was on an amazing 5 day Mastermind Retreat in Iceland.

One day we drove into the volcanic highlands which have the most amazing scenery as you can see from my photos below.

As we progressed on the rough volcanic tracks our stunning vehicle suddenly had some challenges with its gearbox and we ground to a complete standstill.

With enough fuel for 9 hours of warmth in the vehicle and sufficient food for a couple of meals we were fairly relaxed about the situation.  We had a telephone signal from the the top of a nearby hill and one vehicle came by that was able to radio for assistance for us.

We waited just over 4 hours for a replacement vehicle to come out to us although I think some of us were secretly disappointed that some cute guys from the rescue service wouldn’t be coming to helicopter us out!

We were in an area surrounded by massive hills with stunning views from the top including snowcapped Hekla – a volcano that scientists say is poised to erupt.

We had sun, rainbows, even snow.

Icelandic horses wandered along a ridge on one of the hills.

So many visual delights.

So how did we spend the fours hours of our unexpected time out? Since the only signal was at the top of a hill which was a steep climb and darn cold when you got there no-one sidetracked into emails or other internet activities. We just got on and masterminded. We individually planned our next steps in our businesses. We went for walks. We breathed super clean air. We marvelled at nature and the beauty around us.

We discussed the incident the next day and explored what we each had learned from it – about ourselves, about life. We all concluded it was a relaxing and beneficial experience – albeit unscheduled!

So… why not take a few hours out in a place that’s a long way from anything and with no internet connection – by the sea, by a lake, wandering through a forest, hiking through some hills and then see how you feel physically and whether you have new perspectives on your business.

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

There are many things to bear in mind when formulating questions for your survey. These boil down to: be clear, be concise, be focused.

I have many tips for developing great questionnaires. I’ve taken some of the ones I included in my book Using Questionnaires to Understand your Target Clients (being published by Business Expert Press in New York early next year) to share with you here.

•  each question should relate directly to your objectives in doing the survey and enable you to collect the data that you need to achieve those objectives.
• avoid questions on things that are just ‘nice to know’
• keep your questions as short as possible. Break long questions into smaller, more pointed questions.
• make each question clear and concise using simple language
• phrase each question in a way that ensures that the majority of respondents will interpret it in the same way
• avoid jargon and unfamiliar words that you understand but which may not be familiar to your respondents. If respondents don’t understand the question they’ll either guess at an answer or abandon the survey.
• avoid abbreviations and acronyms – if you really must use them include an explanation of what they mean.
• avoid words such as often, occasionally, regularly, frequently, many etc as these will vary in meaning from one person to the next.
• avoid double-barrelled questions such as “Was service prompt and courteous? Yes/No”. Someone who found the service prompt but not courteous (or vice versa) will probably feel uncertain how to answer and there’s a risk they’ll answer “No”. Split the question into two separate questions.
• avoid leading questions that might suggest a certain answer – be neutral in how you phrase your questions.
• ensure any multiple choice response categories are mutually exclusive so that clear choices can be made by respondents.

I hope you found these helpful !

Remember: Be Clear, Be Concise, Be Focused!

Questionnaires are a great way to gather information about a market, target clients and customers.

The uses of questionnaires are numerous !

Here are some examples:

• gathering information about customers and target clients – their characteristics, buying behaviors, wants, problems, preferences. This enables you to better communicate with them and provide the products and services that meet their needs. It can also help with market profiling / segmentation.

• tracking surveys help you to discover where is the customer in the adoption process. The information gathered shows their market awareness, knowledge, intention to buy, or repurchase of the product for example

• customer intention surveys look at what motivates someone to move from interest in a product to buying it. This gives you an understanding of customer conversion, commitment and loyalty.

• customer attitudes and expectations surveys help you discover whether your product meets their expectations; what opinions have they formed about the product / your company / your brand. This can be useful for advertising; to improve conversion rates and their loyalty to your company.

• getting feedback on people’s needs before developing a product or service – including before you develop an information product!

• getting feedback on new product concepts; discovering target clients’ likes and dislikes; evaluating pricepoints; likelihood of purchase and of course these serve to create anticipation for your new product or service. They can also enable you to estimate the demand for new products/services

• habits and uses – to understand how, when and where a product is used. A simple example – a toothbrush can also be used to clean around taps, those awkward cracks on cookers. I buy the cheap ones for that – ones that I would never use to clean my teeth.

• obtaining feedback on your products and services

• product positioning or competitive market position i.e. how the market views your company/products/services relative to the competition

• customer service surveys about the customer service received, the process involved and how those involved performed

• brand equity surveys – brand awareness, brand quality, brand associations, brand loyalty

• measuring the effectiveness of advertising messages
• price setting surveys to estimate demand elasticity and discover optimal price points

And of course …. while you’re gathering information you’re also communicating with customers and target clients. When you use a  survey to solicit feedback from customers, this lets them know that their opinions and the information they can provide is of value to you and to your business. When a survey is used to gather information from target clients it can be the mechanism for starting a relationship with them that could result in them feeling that they know, like and trust you and want to buy from you. It keeps your company and your products/services top of mind. It can also help in building a list if you have an online business or use online marketing to promote your business.

Why bother to Research your Customers & Target Clients?

There are numerous benefits to gathering information about your customers and target clients, for example:

• you can discover what your customers and target clients really want so you can provide the right products and services
• you can get insights into how they make their buy decisions – some people make spontaneous decisions; others gather information, evaluate it and then decide. If you knew where they gathered information from, whether it was customer reviews on websites selling these products, forums, social media, or by asking friends, family, colleagues you could ensure that your marketing message and information about your products and services were available in those places.
• it enables you to create a marketing message that attracts their attention – a message that resonates with them – that speaks to them in their language
• it can help you segment your market into target clients with particular characteristics or interests or resident in a specific area
• it can give you sufficient understanding of your market to determine your position vis-à-vis other players. This can help you to differentiate your offering or develop a unique marketing message.
• knowledge of where people buy. Information such as this enables you to select the best distribution channels for getting your product or service into customers’ hands.
• the ability to make a range of informed decisions about your business
• preparing key documents such as a feasibility study if you’re evaluating a new business idea and business plans when you need to raise financing

Research may seem like a lot of work but its importance to the success of a business should never be underestimated. It’s the foundation of sound business decisions and running a successful business.

Market research is one of the most important things you can do no matter what type of business you’re in and no matter what the size or location of your company. If there’s no market for your product or service or no longer a market, you’ll struggle to survive.

It’s essential that throughout the life of your business you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your market.

Starting a business

If you’re about to start a business you need to know about your target market and target customers. You need to be able to take an informed decision as to whether to proceed with your business idea, whether it needs modifying or whether you have to come up with something completely different. It may be that there’s limited demand for your product or service or the market is so saturated it will be hard to penetrate unless you’re really able to differentiate your product or service.

Expanding a business

If you already have a business you may be thinking about new products or services or moving into new markets – perhaps a new niche or a different geographical area. Again knowing what people want is essential. A survey also keeps the communication lines open between you and the people who’ve already bought from you – they know that you care about their opinion and their needs when you ask them to complete a survey. They’re also your ambassadors and are likely to tell their world about the new products or services that you’re planning or are about to launch.

Surviving in business

In any business it’s vital that you remain constantly up to speed about the market your business operates in, its suppliers and customers, your competitors – both direct and indirect, emerging and declining trends and so on so that you know the issues your target market experiences, the kind of subjects they want to hear more about, what products and services they need, how you can help them. If you fail to do this then you reduce your chances of survival. A survey is a great tool to help you to do this.

The Red Arrows – the Royal Air Force Aerobatic team – gave a spectacular (and breathtaking) air display over the sea at Sidmouth this summer. I thought how daring they were and how committed and focused they have to be – both in their training and during their displays.

A  week later I was in Vienna for a few days and managed to get a ticket for a performance by the beautiful white Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School. The commitment and discipline of the riders who start at the age of 16 and stay with the same horse for up to 20 years got me thinking about how this was applicable to a business owner.

And so this blog post was born !

Here’s what I believe can be learned from the Red Arrows and from the riders at the Spanish Riding School that are applicable to most business owners:

• you need a vision – of how you want your future to be. This will keep you on track even if the going gets tough at times.
• you need to dare
• you need to play big
• you need to have discipline and focus
• you need to stay totally committed to achieving your goal
• if you’re piloting a fighter plane or training and riding a horse you have coaches and mentors and a strong support system. Most business owners would say this was essential and yet… they often don’t have a business coach or a support system for their own business. Even though you’re the driving force behind your business without a business coach and without a support system it will take a lot longer to succeed in your business endeavours.

My question for you:

• what else would YOU add to my list? Let me know in the comments box below.

I’ve blogged before about the importance of attracting attention through the way you display your goods when you’re a retail store or have a stall in a market.

When there are major events such as the Olympics or the World Cup this can be an opportunity to tie your promo activities to these events and get more visiblity for your own business.

As an exmaple I was in Sidmouth during the 2016 Tour of Britain which ended Stage 5 and started Stage 6 in Sidmouth. Some of the shops had included bicycles and other links to the event in their window displays – as you can see from the photos below.

If done well it’s a clever way to get people to notice what you’re offering in your window especially if you’re a store that’s been there for years and local folks tend to take it for granted and just walk by without bothering to look.

In the photo below there’s a bicycle in the window – not something you expect to see in a furniture store. It did attract attention and in my case I noticed some furniture that I might put on my wish list. If the bicycle wouldn’t have been there I’d have just walked on by without even looking.

This gentleman’s outfitters tried but …I wasn’t convinced they succeeded. What do you think?

This charity shop only had a bike and union jacks. Since these left no room in the window for anything else I did wonder how many customers it attracted.

For me the best display was the ‘penny farthing’ bike and the kits for cyclists which made a very eye catching display in this small department store. The display was uncluttered and simple. Now the store does have several wiondows so they were able to display their usual items in the other windows.

My questions for you:

• have you ever tied your promo efforts into a specific sporting or other such event?
• in what way and with what outcome?