Customer Feedback: Using Surveys at Trade Shows

What You Should Know about Customer Feedback Surveys

• Conducting Customer Feedback Surveys is a great way to obtain valuable feedback
• Be sure to tailor the questions to the appropriate timeframe: pre-show, show, and post-show
• Conducting surveys and compiling the information is only half the battle

While the trade show is in full swing, you will have some idea about how people are receiving your booth and your company. You will have a rough estimate of traffic through your booth and the quality of your leads. By observing and listen to people, you can gauge their reactions with some degree of accuracy. However, all these methods provide you with only so much information and are limited in scope. A great way to learn more is by conducting Customer Feedback Surveys. These should be done before, during, and after the show.

Make It Worthwhile

Make surveys part of your pre-show press packets. Include a one page survey asking potential and former customers about their expectations for the upcoming show. Make it worth their time. Inform them that by filling out and sending in a brief survey they will be entered into a raffle or drawing. Let them know they will be eligible to win valuable prizes during the show. During the show have a stack of surveys available and ask people if they would like to fill one out and be entered to win a prize. Include them again in the information packets you send to customers after the show.

Here are some examples of potential survey questions:

• How did you hear about our company?
• How did you hear about our presence at the trade show?
• Have you used our products/services before?
• What was that experience like?
• What is your goal/purpose in attending the show?
• What trade publications do you read/subscribe too?
• What trade guilds or societies are you a member of?
• May we send you a mailer or add you to our email list?
• What trade shows have you attended in the past?

Be sure to tailor the questions to the appropriate timeframe: pre-show, show, and post-show. The pre-show questions should focus on customer expectations and the post-show ones should focus on customer satisfaction. Ask customers what you could do in the future to improve the experience. In the end, surveys are another way to listen to your customers. Donald Trump, a man who knows a thing or two about business has been quoted as saying, “Watch, listen, and learn. You can’t know it all yourself . . . anyone who thinks so is destined for mediocrity.”

Act in Good Faith to the Survey Results

Finally, conducting surveys and compiling the information is only half the battle. You have to study the results and share the information with the appropriate people or departments. How they handle that information may not be your responsibility, but ideally, an action plan or response should result from the survey information. Customers who take the time to complete a survey are acting in good faith that your company will read their comments and act appropriately. In some cases, they expect someone to contact them with a solution. Failing to respond creates not only an unhappy customer but also a customer who will share their unhappiness with anyone who will listen.

For more infomation about trade show or events marketing, give us a call or send us an email. We welcome the opportunity to assist you with your next event.