How can you conduct audience surveys and interviews?

1 Choose the right method

Depending on your presentation goals, time, and resources, you can choose between different methods of surveying and interviewing your audience. For example, you can use online tools, such as Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Poll Everywhere, to create and distribute surveys via email, social media, or QR codes. You can also use live polls, quizzes, or games during your presentation to engage your audience and collect feedback. Alternatively, you can conduct interviews in person, by phone, or by video call with a sample of your audience members before or after your presentation.

2 Ask relevant and clear questions

The quality of your surveys and interviews depends largely on the questions you ask. You should focus on questions that are relevant to your presentation topic, purpose, and audience. For example, you can ask about their background, knowledge, attitude, expectations, preferences, or challenges related to your topic. You should also avoid asking questions that are too vague, complex, leading, or biased. Instead, use simple, specific, open-ended, and neutral questions that allow your audience to express their opinions, feelings, and experiences.

3 Analyze and use the data

Once you have collected the data from your surveys and interviews, you need to analyze and use it to improve your presentation. You can use various tools, such as Excel, Google Sheets, or Tableau, to organize, visualize, and summarize the data. You can also look for patterns, trends, gaps, or outliers in the data that can help you understand your audience better. Based on the data, you can adjust your presentation content, structure, style, and delivery to match your audience's needs, interests, and expectations. You can also use the data to support your arguments, illustrate your points, or acknowledge your audience's feedback.

4 Follow ethical principles

Conducting surveys and interviews with your audience also involves following some ethical principles. You should respect your audience's privacy, confidentiality, and consent when collecting and using their data. You should also be honest, transparent, and respectful when asking and answering questions. You should not manipulate, misrepresent, or misuse the data to serve your own agenda or harm your audience. You should also acknowledge the sources and limitations of your data and invite your audience to ask questions or share their views.

5 Test and refine your surveys and interviews

Before you conduct your surveys and interviews with your audience, you should test and refine them to ensure their effectiveness and validity. You can test your surveys and interviews with a small group of people who are similar to your target audience and ask for their feedback. You can also test them yourself or with a colleague and check for any errors, ambiguities, or biases. Based on the feedback and testing, you can refine your surveys and interviews by adding, deleting, or modifying questions, options, or formats.

6 Evaluate and improve your surveys and interviews

After you conduct your surveys and interviews with your audience, you should evaluate and improve them for future use. You can measure the response rate, completion rate, satisfaction rate, and accuracy rate of your surveys and interviews and compare them with your goals and expectations. You can also ask your audience for their feedback on the surveys and interviews and how they affected their perception and engagement with your presentation. Based on the evaluation and feedback, you can improve your surveys and interviews by addressing any issues, challenges, or gaps that you identified.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?