Surveys can provide vital information to a business owner, providing insights that customers may be hesitant to share face-to-face. If you’ve taken the time to craft a customer survey, you’ll want to take a bit more time to write a cover letter encouraging your customers to complete it. Keep your letter short and to the point; after all, you want your customers to spend most of their time completing the survey. Above all, underscore the value of their feedback and your appreciation of their time.
As with all marketing efforts, be sure to track the response to your survey by putting a special code on the mailing envelope or the letter.
Step 1
Address the recipient in the salutation just as you would if you were greeting her at your place of business. Use “Dear Ms. XX” or “Dear Nancy” rather than the impersonal “Dear Valued Customer.” Addressing each letter by name takes more time, but it will make your customer feel more genuinely valued.
Step 2
Open your letter on a friendly note that states your purpose in writing: “As a respected customer of (name your business), you could help guide my efforts to serve you better by taking a few minutes to complete the enclosed customer survey.”
Step 3
Explain why the survey is important to you and why the customer is being asked to participate. Writers and marketers often refer to this statement as an emotional appeal because it should prompt the customer to respond in kind to your request. You might say, for example, “We at (name your business) work hard every day to provide superior (name the products or services). But we rely on the honest opinions and ideas of customers like you to tell us how we can improve. It is in this spirit that we hope you will assist our best intentions by completing the survey.”
Step 4
Direct the customer’s attention to the survey, how long it should take to complete and how it should be returned to you. To encourage participation, enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Step 5
Refer to any special premium or small gift you may be offering as a thank you for completing the survey. You also may encourage the customer to bring in the letter or the envelope – which should contain a tracking code – so that you can validate that the survey was indeed completed.
Step 6
Close the letter by expressing your gratitude for the customer’s time and “good ideas.” Then thank her for her continued loyalty to your business, perhaps by saying that you will continue to “work hard to meet and exceed’’ her expectations.
Step 7
End your letter with a formal closing, such as “Sincerely,” rather than the more informal “Best regards.” Sign your full name above your typed name and title.
Step 8
Proofread and edit your letter before sending it.
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Tips
- As with all marketing efforts, be sure to track the response to your survey by putting a special code on the mailing envelope or the letter.
Writer Bio
With education, health care and small business marketing as her core interests, M.T. Wroblewski has penned pieces for Woman's Day, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal and many newspapers and magazines. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Northern Illinois University.