There Are No Right Answers In Research
Don’t create research to tell you “That”. Create research to tell you “If”.
If you want your research to be statistically reliable — meaning that you can depend on it to accurately represent a particular audience, guide your strategic direction, etc. — you need to have a certain number of respondents. So the simple answer to this question is 400. But of course, that’s not the only…
Your goal with research shouldn’t be to confirm you’re right — it should be to prove yourself wrong. Thanks to Edison Research VP Tom Webster for inspiring this one.
There are a lot of things you can do to make sure that your research respondents have a great experience and you’re not throwing roadblocks in their way.
Whether you’re dealing with a decision-maker in your organization or with a client, you’ll likely come across this question. Those who have been working in organizations for some time often have assumptions about their customers and prospects that are firmly entrenched. The “Why bother?” question is one you’ll need to be prepared to answer….
It’s not really about the number of questions — it’s about your needs (and your audience).
Many people who do research with their customers or prospects forget this simple and incredibly valuable step!