Maven’s Electronic Survey product is a fantastic tool for customers who are looking for a quick way to source multiple perspectives on a topic; it enables them to gather various insights from topical experts in a timely, streamlined fashion.
Survey respondents may come from a variety of backgrounds and have differing experiences within an industry, but what makes up a quality response from these respondents is always the same.
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- Timeliness – Many customers run Surveys because they need quality insights quickly. When sent an invitation, participants are expected to respond as soon as they are reasonably able and customers look forward to receiving these insights right away. Latecomers to Surveys risk missing the opportunity to respond because the quota may have already been reached.
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- Honesty – While working on a Survey, if there are any questions or doubt about whether a participant is qualified to respond, he or she should answer as truthfully as possible or reach out to Maven staff (using the green button on the left hand side of your screen) for clarification. Participants should also be sure to read questions COMPLETELY before responding so that they are fully aware of what is being asked and can answer accordingly.
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- Comprehensiveness – Open text questions allow for Survey respondents to really show off their knowledge. Many customers are interested in running further paid engagements with quality respondents from Surveys so participants should consider these open text questions as a written audition for further opportunities – the more articulate and comprehensive a member is in their response, the more likely they are to be noticed positively by the customer.
- Citations – It is OK to use external sources to help craft a response to an open text question in a survey, but it is NOT OK to plagiarize. When using external information (such as academic journals, studies, news articles, etc), be sure to cite sources accurately. Customers (and Maven staff!) appreciate the diligence and willingness of participants who provide educated and complete responses by taking extra time and effort to provide additional information and sources.
In order to provide the best possible Survey responses and continue to attract positive customer attention (which can lead to future consulting engagements!) respondents should keep these elements in mind when accepting any new invitation on Maven. In the end, quality always pays off.
