The motto 鈥渢here are no bad questions鈥� does not apply to surveys. There is definitely a right and wrong way to ask attendees for feedback.
The wrong way can confuse and annoy attendees 鈥斅燼nd ultimately lead to them giving up on your survey. It can also affect the accuracy of the answers you get. If you鈥檙e getting biased answers 鈥斅燼nd making critical changes to your events as a result聽鈥� it could seriously undermine the success of your future events.
Here are nine common mistakes the SurveyMonkey team sees event creators often make with event survey questions, and how to correct them so you receive helpful results.
1. Asking leading questions
You鈥檙e not trying to convince attendees to say they liked your event. You鈥檙e an earnest event creator looking for authentic input. So don鈥檛 “lead the witness” by trying to put words in attendees’ mouths. Instead, ask questions that leave room for an honest response.
| Wrong | Right |
Was the keynote speaker the highlight for you?
|
What was the highlight for you?
|
Pro tip: If your multiple-choice or dropdown list doesn鈥檛 offer the option they鈥檙e looking for, they might get discouraged. To gather accurate and enthusiastic answers, set survey-takers up for success with an 鈥渙ther鈥� option,聽even for something as seemingly straightforward as gender.
2. Asking loaded questions
Don鈥檛 assume anything about your attendees experience 鈥� for example, that the attendee drove a car to your event. It makes answering difficult and confusing, particularly if they鈥檙e pressured to answer the question before moving to the next.
| Wrong | Right |
Where did you park your car during the event?
|
How did you get to the event?
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Pro tip: If you still want to know where the car-drivers parked, use a nifty trick SurveyMonkey calls 鈥渟kip logic.鈥� This mechanism allows you to show people only the questions that are relevant to them. For instance:
| Question: How did you get to the event? | |
| If they replied 鈥淚 drove my car,鈥� ask a selective follow-up question:
Where did you park?
|
If they chose 鈥淚 took a ride-share,鈥� ask a different question:
Which rideshare company did you use?
|
Skip logic helps keep your event survey as short as possible, and as relevant to each individual as possible, too.
3. Asking double-barrelled questions
In your attempts to keep your survey short and sweet, don鈥檛 fall into the trap of trying to lump two different questions into one.
| Wrong | Right |
Was our staff friendly and professional?
|
Was our staff friendly?
Was our staff professional?
|
It鈥檚 entirely possible your staff was friendly, yet not professional, or vice versa.
4. Asking absolutes in questions
When you force respondents to reply that they 鈥渁lways鈥� or 鈥渘ever鈥� do something, you risk inaccurate answers. People are complex, and their behaviour is not always consistent. Don鈥檛 raise the stakes by making them take a stand.
| Wrong | Right |
Do you always hand out your business card when you meet someone new at an event?
|
How likely are you to hand out your business card to someone you meet at an event?
|
5. Using jargony language
Don鈥檛 assume your survey takers are hip to the latest acronyms and technology verbiage. Use clear, simple language that everyone will understand.
| Wrong | Right |
| Are you interested in the ROI of AI? | Are you interested in learning more about artificial intelligence (AI) and its return on investment (ROI)? |
6. Asking overly personal questions
People are less likely to answer questions that feel encroaching or threatening. Instead, ask questions that give you precise information without being creepy.
| Wrong | Right |
| What鈥檚 your street address? | Which neighbourhood best describes where you live? |
7. Burying your lede
In journalism lingo, 鈥渂urying your lede鈥� means failing to emphasise the key to the story up front. You have to capture people quickly if you want them to pay attention.
Similarly, SurveyMonkey suggests asking your most important survey question first. In fact, they suggest you include that question聽right in the email itself. That 鈥渓ede鈥� question should be both easy and compelling to answer, for instance:
Overall, how satisfied were you with this event?
Placing your first survey question in the email is a practice that can increase your opens by up to 22% and the number of people who finish your survey by 20%.
8. Trying to jam a bunch of questions onto one screen
Fewer questions on each page is survey best practice. SurveyMonkey recommends one to five questions, max.
Since SurveyMonkey captures the data every time the user clicks 鈥渘ext,鈥� this practice ensures you record as many answers as possible, even when attendees don鈥檛 complete the full survey.
9. Forgetting about your brand voice
If your buttoned-up brand suddenly starts using hipster slang in survey copy, people will wonder whether you鈥檝e been brand-snatched.
The more consistent you are in your language and tone across every platform, the more recognisable and friendly your 鈥渂rand voice鈥� becomes.
Ask these event survey questions instead
Avoid these common event survey question mistakes 鈥� and use The Most Important Event Survey Questions to Ask Attendees 颈苍蝉迟别补诲.听
