I have an annual survey out right now through my work, with a target of 150 responses. Halfway through the campaign, we are sitting at 76. On track, but much lower response than I had anticipated.
Admittedly, the 150 target is an arbitrary number — growth from the previous year as we work through some considerable systematic organizational changes. My goal on the 5-year horizon is to reach the 1,000 response-rate threshold.
I take an approach to the famous proverb:
“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”
Means — you can give someone an opportunity but not force them to take it; however, I cannot be complacent with this perspective.
The critical aspect of leaning into this proverb is that you cannot give up too soon. There is still more within my control to ensure people understand the value of participating.
Scott Stockdale recently shared his experience when one person showed up to his webinar, which motivated me. (Thank you for sharing your story and keeping “it” real, Scott!)
From his funnel of 103 email opens, yielding 18 registrants and one attendee, we can learn how critical an increased baseline is as the attrition rates become more constant. Fifty registrants may have yielded three attendees — and so on.
The horse won’t drink the water if it feels trapped.
This reality is where I believe when the organization is at in its history. Trust is limited.
We are at the foundational place of creating a place where persons feel safe, where clients trust the process and that their contributions, their time invested, are for a good reason.
Building trust takes time.
This circumstance is particularly challenging when you don’t feel like time is on your side, which is often the case. But, we cannot be short-sighted.
Time spent building trust by demonstrating credibility and fostering human connections is a critical investment that cannot be underappreciated. And this is exactly what we are doing.
Management has spent an evening or weekend connecting with clients at events in the community to support relationship-building through genuine connections. This action cannot be done by a communications team or marketing gurus.
At this point in history, the organization needs grassroots, organic, and authentic relationship-building. This need requires a remarkable commitment that blurs the lines between a work-life balance and shows how much the team cares.
This ask is a big one for the team and me, and they have responded — openly. This team is a gift. I owe it to them to examine more strategies to reach our targets. In reflecting, I lack communication of the value proposition behind completing the survey — which is significant.
I asked a participant recently about their survey experience.
“People should know it’s more than a survey. There is so much valuable information in it. I don’t think people know what they are missing by not participating.”
Wow.
So, there’s a sample of the product testing and the energy spent in refining something that is a less traditional industry survey experience and affirms the value and trajectory — from at least one participant.
Exploring tactics
I have applied emailed lists and earned media, signage, guerrilla marketing, and generic calls to action through Twitter and the in-person markets. But, I am not communicating the value effectively; this is a piece of what I am missing.
Next week, I will highlight sample content from the survey and the testimonials from participants and build momentum to the campaign closing date on July 17, 2022 — we are getting down to the wire. As a one-person communications team, casting this internal dialogue into cyberspace is a means to reflect, process, and pivot to maximize the product’s potential and honor the team’s commitment.
All the while keeping focus on the long game.
I am new to the organization. Actually, most team members are which present challenges and opportunities.
While the horse won’t drink if it’s feeling trapped, it also may not drink if it’s the first time they’ve seen the trough. This is where reliability and repeated exposure come in — and patience.
A lot of patience.
Another consideration is that a horse may not drink if it’s not yet thirsty enough.
Again, this takes time — and a longer-term horizon.
At this point in the organization’s history, our hope is that the horse will remember there was a good water source close by and will return later when it is thirsty enough — this time will come each year and the same time year after year, so the audience knows what to expect.
Takeaway
Having and monitoring targets during any campaign is critical — as is adjusting the strategy along the way, where feasible, and evaluating at its conclusion.
Analyze the data and listen to your audience: apply a growth mindset to realize opportunities you might not see at the outset.
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