Phone surveys are a versatile research method designed to easily gather respondent feedback for qualitative or quantitative projects.
This approach still remains incredibly useful even in today's digitized landscape. These surveys also provide a more personalized experience for the respondent, which often leads to higher-quality data.
Like any market research method, it's only successful when done correctly. In this post, our phone survey company will walk you through key steps to conducting this type of research.
What is a Phone Survey?
A phone survey gathers feedback from respondents over a call and is led by a trained interviewer.
Conducted on landlines or mobile phones, these surveys can be inbound or outbound. Inbound refers to the participant initiating contact, while outbound refers to the interviewer initiating contact with the participant.
Once contact is made, the interviewer will have a list of questions to ask the respondent. Using a script like this provides structure to ensure the call stays on track.
While the script plays a critical role in a successful phone survey, additional conversations are welcomed. For example, a question may be asked that leads the respondent to mention a related topic that can provide helpful information.
Furthermore, the conversational nature of phone surveys can also help interviewers clarify respondent answers, ensuring they receive accurate data.
Benefits of Phone Surveys
Phone surveys have multiple benefits, from their emphasis on personal connection to the ease of asking questions from any location.
Let's review three of the biggest pros of conducting surveys over the phone.
Personal Interaction
Due to their conversational design, phone surveys are far more personal than online or mail surveys. Plus, the personal nature of phone calls can lead to higher engagement levels when compared to these other market research methods.
Interviewers can use this time to bond with the respondents, ensuring they feel valued and that their responses are important to the project.
Because of this, respondents often feel more comfortable sharing in-depth answers to the questions and explaining their reasoning.
Lastly, the personalized aspect of phone surveys allows interviewers to probe. Perhaps a respondent gives a vague or confusing answer; the interviewer can then ask a few follow-up questions to provide clarity.
Broader Reach
Phone surveys are ideal for reaching a wider demographic, making them a great option for gathering diverse responses.
For instance, those who may not have internet access can still share their responses over the phone versus having to take an online survey. This inclusivity ensures that certain groups will still be represented in the research process.
Common demographic segments that can benefit from phone surveys include:
- Older adults
- Those in rural areas
- Those who prefer not to use the internet often
Since phone surveys can target these underrepresented groups, they ensure all voices matter.
Anonymity and Comfort
Respondents can feel more comfortable being transparent with their answers over the phone.
During a face-to-face interaction, respondents may feel less inclined to be fully open with their answers. They could feel pressured to respond or behave in a certain way, which can lower the quality of the feedback.
During phone surveys, however, respondents get to be in their preferred environment which can lead to them feeling more at ease. As a result, respondents will likely have a simple time opening up to the interviewer.
This invisible "barrier" a phone survey provides also creates a sense of anonymity for the respondent, enhancing their comfort throughout the process and promoting honest feedback.
Drawbacks of Phone Surveys
Cost and Resources
Phone surveys can be more expensive than online surveys due to several reasons.
First, costs associated with staffing and training interviewers can ramp up pricing. Well-trained interviewers don't grow on trees! They must be properly trained over a period of time to ensure professionalism and understanding of the process.
Interviewers should also be trained to deal with the natural flow of conversation over the phone and ready to effectively handle all responses.
Secondly, long-distance calling has a direct effect on the price of phone surveys.
Costs can add up fast, especially when surveys target populations that are dispersed across a wide area. While research companies can often handle these costs, it's still a significant factor to consider.
Technological Limitations
Many people use call blocking or screening services to avoid unsolicited calls, which can reduce the pool of potential respondents.
While these actions are often used to block spam or telemarketers, genuine phone survey requests can get lumped into the pile as well. Not only can this skew the sample, but it also negatively impacts how many respondents are contacted.
Another issue is the "do not disturb" mode those with smartphones can use. This automatically silences unknown numbers, limiting the amount of respondents used.
15-Steps to Conducting Phone Surveys
When conducted correctly with the proper market research team, phone surveys can yield invaluable data for the client. Below, we'll walk you through the basic steps of our market research process for phone surveys.
1. Discovery Meeting
Connecting with a phone survey that matches your goals is the first step to a successful project. To make things easier, you should have a list of objectives for the phone survey. This will also aid in the search for your perfect research team.
Finding the right team can take some time, but it's 100% worth it. Here is a great resource for Choosing a Market Research Company.
Once you've selected a partner to work with, there will be an initial meeting where factors like budget, project goals, and timelines are shared.
2. Proposal
After the initial meeting, a team member will send over a market research proposal for the phone survey.
The proposal will work as a template for both the research team and the client, laying out the steps of the project. This ensures both parties will stay on track throughout its entirety.
Common topics covered in a proposal include goals, approach, timeline, and cost.
3. Kickoff Meeting
A kickoff meeting is then held between the research team and the client.
During this time, the client can discuss their main objectives for the project, along with any questions or concerns they may have.
Additional topics like budget and timeline can also be discussed more in-depth at this point to ensure everyone's on the same page as research begins.
4. Project Workplan
Detailing the dates and deliverables for the project, a workplan ensures the client stays updated throughout the process.
A project workplan will outline key tasks, responsible parties, delivery dates, and other important factors of the project. Having a well-designed workplan eliminates miscommunication and keeps both the client and research team on track.
5. Question Development
Both the screener and phone survey questions are created based on the client’s objectives.
A screener ensures the survey will be taken only by participants who qualify for the research, promoting accurate data. The survey questions will be clear and concise, promoting conversation between the interviewer and respondent.
6. Sign-off
The client will then approve both the questions/script and sample criteria for the list. An official sign-off indicates that the client is aware of what respondents will be asked and who will be contacted. If anything needs to be corrected or adjusted, now is a good time to do so.
7. List Purchase or Exchange
At this point, the phone survey list will be purchased. Depending on the client, a customer list will be passed along if that is desired the target audience.
Lists will let the interviewer know who should be contacted, saving time and promoting organization.
8. Training
To ensure the survey reps conduct quality interviews, call centers/research companies will conduct a formal training session.
As a result, the interviewers will be able to head into the phone survey sessions knowing what to expect. They will also be able to successfully conduct the interview, knowing when to encourage conversation and when to move onto the next question.
9. Soft-launch
To uncover any lurking issues, a soft launch takes place.
Soft launching includes running the survey with only a small batch of respondents instead of the entire pool. That way, if there's a problem, it will be discovered without all of the respondents being exposed to it.
10. Full-launch
When ready, fieldwork officially begins and the phone surveys will be conducted during the next few weeks (timelines may vary based on client needs).
In most cases, phone surveys take around four to eight weeks to complete. Factors that impact this timeline include the scope of the project and how many completes are needed.
11. Check-ins
After fieldwork is complete, quality checks of all data cases are conducted.
The research team will perform these checks to ensure only the highest quality data will be presented to the client. This includes a careful review of every response given by the survey participants.
12. Final Quality Checks
After fieldwork is complete, quality checks of all data cases are conducted.
The research team will perform these checks to ensure only the highest quality data will be presented to the client. This includes a careful review of every response given by the survey participants.
13. Analysis
During this stage, the research team spends time carefully analyzing the phone survey data.
This includes coding of open-ends, tabulation of data, charts, and graphs. The ultimate goal here is to take the raw data and turn it into digestible content for the final report.
14. Reporting
A report is one of the most important pieces of the research, as it contains essential insights the client can refer back to.
Reports also include suggested strategies and expert recommendations on how the client can use the data.
Designed to break down the survey findings in a digestible manner, a good market research report will include...
- Recap of objectives
- Key findings
- Next steps/recommendations
Reports may also feature infographics, consumer personas, and more.
15. Debrief
The debrief will be held with the client and the research team to discuss the key findings of the survey.
The team will also spend time reviewing their recommendations with the client based on the survey data, and how they can effectively use it.
Additionally, debriefs are a great way for the client to ask final questions and share their thoughts before things wrap up.
Contact Our Phone Survey Company
If you're interested in conducting a phone survey, our team of research experts can make that happen. We'll work with your business to create a survey that meets your objectives, timeline, and budget.
To learn more about our market research services, get in touch with us today.
- Message us on our website
- Email us at [email protected]
- Call us at 888-725-DATA
- Text us at 315-303-2040
George Kuhn
George is the Owner & President of Drive Research. He has consulted for hundreds of regional, national, and global organizations over the past 15 years. He is a CX-certified VoC professional with a focus on innovation and new product management.
Learn more about George, here.
