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Participation: It's the Backbone of Society
Posted on May 10, 2005 by Sarah Eaton.
When I ask a question, I want dozens of answers, hundreds even. Heck, I want thousands of answers. I want people raising their hands and shouting, "Oo! Ooo! Pick me! I know the answer!" like a bunch of eager, overachieving first-graders with crushes on the teacher.
Sometimes, though, it seems like I'm asking questions of a bunch of college freshmen at an eight o'clock general education class on a Friday morning; those who have come to class are half-asleep, hungover, or just plain not responsive.
Let's say the question is asked via a survey embedded in a newsletter. It seems to me there are two ways to get that eager first-grader type of response:
1. Ask a really simple question, and give them lots of in-between answers so they don't have to get too specific. If you ask "How do you do this?", you'll get much less response than you will if you ask "Do you do this?"
But what if you really want to know "How do you do this?" Then...
2. Give them stuff. Promise that, if they answer, you will give them stuff they really want.
So, tell me, friends: Do you think that's too cynical?
The possible answers to that question are:
A. yes
B. no
C. sort of
(or D. an elaborate response telling me what you really think)
May 10, 2005 in award winning blog, award winning newsletter, Award winning publications, Blogging Tools, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Intuition, bulk email marketing, company newsletter sample, corporate magazine, create a newsletter | Permalink
Comments
I will have to take the easy route and simply say no, that is not too cynical. A blog is a little bit more reliable than a pop-up, flashing obnoxiously for you to match a movie stars face to a name with an obvious choice amongst two other ridiculous possibilities to win a FREE trip to Las Vegas. Yeah right.
But, if the question is simple and the possible answers make me feel smart or compliment my attitude, while receiving a $5 Starbucks card, it's a win win situation.
Posted by: Kevin | May 11, 2005 1:10:35 PM
I've circled "d" (...now does anyone have any ideas how to get permanent marker of an LCD screen?)
I think the response has much to do with your audience and their mindset. If I come into a situation where I am instructing - and I know the audience has come with the mindset that they are going to be intellectually fed without requiring any interaction on their part, I can say that ( with relative consistancy) very few people will be willing/able to interact...they just can't bring themselves to do it! ...they weren't ready for it at the time I requested it.
On rare occassions you find that one person who's always ready to interact...will give you feedback (sometimes regardless of your desire for it), and will "play nice" with you as long as you want. But this is rare.
Most of the time people come to a web page to read...to be "intellectually fed"...or sometimes just to waste time, but not with the intent or plan to interact. That's the safety of the web for many. "I can get what I want without having to give back or interact."
So, if you want feedback...prepare them at the beginning. Tell them they can't get the final results they want..with the quality they want...without being willing to interact.
That...or bribe them.
Posted by: David | May 26, 2005 10:14:43 AM
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