This post corresponds to podcast Episode 3: Get Actionable Feedback from Customers, Prospects and Employees with Rypple which is included in our Core Program, and is accompanied by workbook and video tutorials that show you how to do this on your own.



Throughout the Know Your Market section of this program, we’ve been explaining how good market research is the foundation for good marketing. We’ve already pointed out some examples, and some tools that you can use for free, but before we move on we’ll review one more platform that you definitely don’t want to overlook.

There are many good, free ‘survey’ applications out there, including SurveyMonkey and others. But one of the things that makes Rypple a favorite of ours is their use of anonymous feedback. It’s simple human nature: people are more willing to be honest when they don’t have to worry about hurting your feelings (you’re not looking for sugar-coated responses during this critical business decision making process, right?). Additionally, Rypple helps us ask one pointed question instead of a variety of general questions. That makes it much more likely that we will get timely, direct feedback.

You can use Rypple to poll people you know well, such as mentors and ‘internal’ customers like employees. You can also get incredibly important feedback from customers and prospects by adding a poll to your website or emailing them a survey link.

When you get the kind of direct feedback that you’ll see through Rypple, it’s really hard to ignore the evidence. So whether you are asking people about a new product, suggested pricing, features or services, management style or other area for improvement then you’ll want to seriously consider their answers.

One great way to make sure that you will continually receive valuable feedback is to share responses with your contributors. None of us like to feel like we spent time offering our help, only to find that our opinions were disregarded. So you can use Rypple to send personalized messages to your list(s) telling them about the feedback you received and the actions you are planning to take. This helps them feel involved, and greatly increases the chances that they will participate in your future queries.

Finally, we encourage you to think ahead about the input you’re going to want or need in order to maximize your sales opportunities. Consider how you can use Rypple to get feedback on your customer service, repeat purchases and marketing, for example. You can always use direct questions such as:

• “On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your recent experience?”
• “What is one thing we could do better next time?”
• “Would you refer a friend to us?”
• “What other products did you consider before purchasing ours? Do you feel like you made the right decision?”
• “What is the main reason that you buy from us?”
• “How do you like our new ________? Are you planning on purchasing one?”
• “Would you rather we offer a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ program on pre-selected items or offer 25% off on one product of your choice?”

Now that you know how to easily and effectively evaluate your market we’re ready to move on to the second part of our program, Create a Buzz! In our next post, we’ll explain how you’ll use your newfound understanding to create a message worth spreading.