https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2020 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2020 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

Sales & Marketing


10 Ways Surveys Can Boost Your Service Provider Business

  • Written by Bob Godgart 2
  • July 20, 2010
I'm always impressed when the service providers I work with take the time to ask me how things are going. When it comes to checking in with custo

I’m always impressed when the service providers I work with take the time to ask me how things are going. When it comes to checking in with customers, consumer-oriented companies are pretty savvy. They know that regular customer satisfaction check-ins will help to maximize customer retention, and help them figure out how to best position themselves to win new business.  But businesses that provide services to other businesses have been slower to figure this out, and I’m continually surprised at how few companies in the IT business regularly conduct surveys of their customers.

And, increasing customer retention and loyalty is only one of the many reasons you should be regularly conducting surveys – of your customers as well as your prospects. Here are my top 10 additional reasons you should conduct customer surveys:

1. Redeploying resources on most important issues.
All too often, companies spend a lot of time on issues THEY think are important, little realizing that there may be completely different issues that are of most concern to their customers. Surveys can quickly pinpoint the most important issues that you and your staff should be focused on.

2. Competitive Intelligence.
You might think you know how you stack up against your competition – in terms of awareness, pricing, perception of your company, etc. But what are you basing your beliefs on? Simple market surveys can get you the real facts about where your company stands in comparison with your competitors.

3. Product/Service Development.
Too many service providers design their services and solutions based on what their existing customers are telling them or asking for. But the biggest opportunity may live with the huge part of the market that are NOT your customers. A well-done survey to prospects may shed better light on what future service offerings you should consider.

4. Customer Outlets.
Surveys give unhappy customers a way and place to vent any negative feelings they may be harboring. And you gain key data to help correct the situation.

5. Service Quality Improvement.
You may have ways to measure your first response to ensure you are complying with your SLA, but that doesn’t always translate into delivering “great service…” only “fast response.” A customer satisfaction survey can complete the picture of your overall service delivery.

6. Stimulate repeat business.
If you sell a number of one-off services or products, a survey can often bring you back to “top of mind” with your customers, and lead to more orders . . . or alternatively give you clues as to potential needs that you can fulfill.

7. Measure the performance of your staff.
By linking your surveys to individual transactions or activities, and collecting that data over time, you can get real solid data on the performance of your staff who interact with clients and prospects.

8. Prioritize Development Resources.
What better way to prioritize your product and service development resources, than by taking a survey of both customers and prospects?

9. Get feedback on new products or services.
Of course, you have sales numbers to track performance of new products or services, but do you know WHY a new offering is doing well, or flopping? And are there simple things you could do to make big improvements? A well-constructed survey will tell you.

10. Demonstrate your customer commitment.
Even if your customers and prospects never respond to your surveys, just asking their opinions will win you points, and earn their respect.

There are probably even more reasons than I can think of to conduct surveys of your customers and prospects. But with just the examples above, you can see why surveys are so essential for continuous improvement of your services, support, products, and your overall ability to compete.

In future blogs, I’ll dig a bit deeper into this topic and talk about some of the ways that our company uses surveys to run our own business, better.

Bob Godgart is the CEO of Autotask Corporation, developers of Autotask hosted professional services automation software, the VARStreet family of advanced quoting and e-commerce tools and Taskfire a hosted service desk and ticket management system sold by IT solution providers for businesses of all sizes with internal IT resources. Guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor’s annual Platinum sponsorship program. Read all of Godgart’s guest blogs here.

Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Best Practices From the Industry Sales & Marketing

Related


  • Ready, Set, Go
    New, Changing Partner Programs: AWS, Tech Data, Avaya, Verizon
    Vendors and distributors thanked partners for their efforts in 2020 and geared up for 2021.
  • Business hands together, diversity
    Intel Partner Alliance Unifies All Programs, Provides New Opportunities
    The new program is designed to enhance Intel's relationship with valued partners.
  • Hacker looking at computer
    Fired Cybersecurity Chief Chris Krebs to Aid SolarWinds with Hack
    Chris Krebs was fired because he disputed Trump's claims of election fraud.
  • Opportunity Knocks
    SolarWinds MSP President: Rebrand Will 'N-Able' Partner Opportunity
    The "new" name is resurfacing from the high-profile 2013 acquisition of N-able, maker of the N-central software platform.

2 comments

  1. Avatar Jay McBain July 20, 2010 @ 9:59 pm
    Reply

    Great blog Bob.

    One of the interesting trends I have seen lately is micro-surveys…a series of short, timely, web based surveys closely linked to your purchase behavior. A good example is Hotels.com that polls you within 24 hours about your stay when your memory is the most detailed. Amazon does this as well.

    Tools like Survey Monkey have drastically reduced the cost and complexity of generating surveys allowing even the smallest companies to keep a pulse. Some companies even link it back to their loyalty program to drive up yield.

  2. Avatar Joe Panettieri July 20, 2010 @ 10:42 pm
    Reply

    Jay: Building on that theme… Here at HostingCon in Texas, the conference organizers are sending a “micro-survey” to attendees at the end of each day to get quick content reactions. I suspect the organizers are making tweaks/changes based on the daily feedback in near real-time.

    The age of paper-based surveys at the end of each conference session seems to be over…
    -jp

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Cybersecurity Top Priority Among IT Leaders, AI/Automation Not So Much
  • Microsoft Source Code Accessed by SolarWinds Hackers
  • Alteryx Chooses Palo Alto Networks Vet to Lead Go-to-Market Plan
  • MSP 501 Profile: Monroy IT Services with a Minority's Perspective on the Channel

Galleries

View all

New, Changing Partner Programs: AWS, Tech Data, Avaya, Verizon

January 11, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

SMBs’ Cybersecurity Risk Awareness Is Rising

January 13, 2021

Your Cloud Data Is Protected, But Is It Portable?

January 12, 2021

How to Improve First Call Resolution with Microsoft Office 365 Service Tickets

January 6, 2021

Webinars

View all

Blueprint for a Scalable MSSP Practice in 2021

January 21, 2021

Who’s Behind the Mask? Hacker Personas Explained

January 26, 2021

How Managed Hosting Providers Thrive with the Alternative Cloud

February 24, 2021

White Papers

View all

Why Subscription Business Model

January 15, 2021

The Ultimate MSP Guide to Sales Efficiency

January 14, 2021

Eight Reasons Why MSPs Need IT Industry-Specific Sales Tools

January 14, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Virtual

March 2, 2021 - March 4, 2021

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

Advantages of the Subscription business model for MSPs and IT Resellers @kaspersky dlvr.it/RqgDJn https://t.co/ay694fudp3

January 15, 2021
ChannelFutures

Cloud #distributor @Pax8 launches in UK with leadership team in place. dlvr.it/RqfJWx https://t.co/RsKDCowM5V

January 15, 2021
ChannelFutures

bit.ly/3oO2vFY twitter.com/Craig_Galbrait…

January 15, 2021
ChannelFutures

The Ultimate MSP Guide to Sales Efficiency @zomentum dlvr.it/Rqc63q https://t.co/rHIVLkR01K

January 15, 2021
ChannelFutures

Eight Reasons Why MSPs Need IT Industry-Specific Sales Tools dlvr.it/Rqc62k https://t.co/MQDcIYc7G9

January 15, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@SamsungMobile debuts new #GalaxyS21 line with improved hardware-based security, wireless PC and Mac DeX.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 14, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@Malwarebytes OneView enhanced to streamline #MSPs' security business. dlvr.it/Rqbkj3 https://t.co/yEfJix3IfY

January 14, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@HPE, @SYNNEX among partners looking forward to new @intel CEO's arrival. dlvr.it/RqbZwZ https://t.co/qYaUSL3veH

January 14, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X