Getting to Yes When Response Rates Plummet
I used to think that when potential research respondents said no they’re not interested in participating in our survey, they really meant it, end of story. Then I started working more on the field side where all kinds of different data collection was happening all the time. Seeing recruitment and data collection up close amazed me, and one thing I learned was that “no” means “no” only half the time.
Sometimes “no” means a person is distracted. Or they are busy at the moment, or expecting a different call. Sometimes it means an interviewer fumbled the outreach or sounded too cold. Half the time “no” means that if we try again later or the next day or a few days down the road and if we adjust our approach, or offer a better explanation of what we are doing, the answer may become “yes.”
Three academic researchers recently put this notion to the test, publishing their results in The Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology. They were able to convert almost half (43%) of non-respondents, improving the representation of their sample and the validity of their findings.
Inspired by their success and by the specific strategies they described for their research, we compiled this list of 12 ideas for you to consider when trying to boost your response rates and convert refusals:
- Follow up with another request
- Make the survey shorter and simpler
- Improve the layout and appearance of the invitation and the survey
- Modify the survey to make it more relevant and interesting
- Check that all contact information is current and correct
- Offer or increase monetary incentives for participating
- Rewrite the invitation to offer a more persuasive appeal
- Shorten and simply the invitation so that it does not get ignored
- Customize the invitation and survey to make it more personal
- Highlight the urgency of doing it now before time runs out
- Reconsider any burdensome or intrusive requests included in the survey
- Emphasize legitimate third-party or non-commercial sponsorship
Primary data collection is always a tough slog—much tougher than even seasoned researchers tend to think. But when you start hitting a wall and it feels like your data collection effort is about to fail, do not despair! Start considering simple changes you can make, like those above, that can turn half your non-respondents and refusals into research participants who happily say “yes.”
