INTERVIEWING IS THE KEY ELEMENT in nearly all market research surveys. It dictates the accuracy and depth of information obtained and very often leads to conclusions and recommendations involving thousands of pounds worth of plant and hundreds of jobs. Most interviews are semistructured. The interviewer uses a questionnaire or aide memoire but initiative is still required as to the manner and order in which the questions are asked. If a comment leads to a subject of interest, this may well make a suitable point from which the questioning is guided to cover all the other relevant topics.
CONTACTING THE RESPONDENT. Obtaining a market research interview is not easy - the respondent believes (with some justification) that he is giving up his valuable time and may be getting little in return. The best way of approaching a respondent is to be confident, clear, pleasant and businesslike. Respondents do not like to feel they are being singled out unfairly. Thus if you explain that you are contacting all major companies in the respondent's field as part of the exercise, it will increase the sense of security and will help you get the interview.
The SurveyAnalytics's iPad app has really changed the traditional approach of Market Research Interviewing.
SurveyAnalytics is a web based service for conducting online surveys. The process is simple using SurveyAnalytics's online survey software:
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Build your survey using the intuitive wizard interface.
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Send invitations using the integrated email system.
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View your reports online automatically.
