Help me with survey questions!
 

Hey guys, I am currently working on a survey that I'm going to post on-line and hopefully get some of the brides from our recent bridal shows in our market area to fill out to help us do a better job, not just at the shows, but just to know what the brides are thinking before their wedding about wedding videography. There is national results from WEVA that was conducted with recently married brides and what not, but I would like to get more info. on what they are thinking before their wedding and in our market, which is quite different than the rest of the nation I believe. I've got about 20 or so questions so far, but I'd like to see what I can get from all of you.... What kind of questions would you like to know from potential clients in your areas?

Eric Hansen
www.ehansenproductions.com

I'd like to know the 20 questions you have thus far. I will be meeting with a wedding planner next month to address the state of our respective businesses and where to go next. Since we are geographically not that far apart from each other I am guessing we face similar issues. I am sure that with your questions in hand, we could offer you a few more.

I think that most brides/grooms leave it all up to the pro videographer to shoot a decent video. Of course, some will never be pleased. Why bother with a survey?

In my experience, they only want the quality product.
How you cnoduct yourself as you service the client to create that product is another question.

IMO surveys wont get you results and youd be surprised how little a response you will get.

People want to know what you do and how u do it. Thats all.
They want to know the price and they want to see consistancy

theres not much more you can ask of a client who wouldnt tell you stright out anyway, and most research can be done by sitting with the client and asking them what it is they want... not in a survey form, but as a consultant...
This is better for business, as youre listening to them in an attempt to cater for their needs...

You can ask youself.. will a client go with someone who listens? Or will they go with somoene who has fixed ideas??

so IMO save ur energy and focus on a business model that works as opposed to trying to suss out what the few want...

well sorry about that, I don't think I was very clear as to what I'm trying to do. I know "what" they want (i.e. quality), it's the buying and advertising info that I'm going after. Seeing that I'm studying advertising and currently in a research class, I'm just applying homework and projects with my own business. (really helps out with the whole motivation factor.) So really what I thought would be interesting to see is the way that brides go about looking for their vendors, whether it be from magazines, on-line, bridal shows, whatever... and what aspects of having a wedding video interests them the most. Basically I'm more curious and would like to know where my marketing money will be best spent... and really this is the best way to find that out...

Eric

Peter is absolutely right. Our clients want a quality product. However, I believe he is absolutely wrong in respect to the value of a carefully constructed survey, and I am a person who believes every statistical survey question is an exercise in stupidity. Most statistical survey companies want to expedite the processing of results so they choose to ask questions that can only generate bland answers. This allows the service provider to create a survey based upon their client's needs, a totally unrealistic approach. Clients do not have bland answers. They have opinions based on their specific experiences. There lies the key. There are Yes or Nor answers. There have never ever been Yes or No answers. There are only opinions, which can be catagorized.

A useful survey of opinions, when applied to the all-important business model, anmd then tempered by personal experience, will, I am certain, yield bountiful results.

The challenge is to construct a client based and ultimately useful survey, whereupon the individual videographer can, as Peter clearly states:

"You can ask youself.. will a client go with someone who listens? Or will they go with somoene who has fixed ideas??"

A good survey, placed in the appropriate context...is a useful tool.

A bad survey is useless.

what he said :)

as for ascertaining marketing avenues, there are many and varied...

"it's the buying and advertising info that I'm going after. Seeing that I'm studying advertising and currently in a research class, "

OK, well this i didnt know, so my answer would have been a little different...

From here.. well i think maybe 99% of brides need to have somethign THERE.. in front of them.. be it a brochure a pamphlett, or a magazine. At teh moment here in aus, Magazines still rule the roost and make for a great conversation piece. One must never underestimate the power of the ego, or the power of self importance, and magazies help a Bride to Be in establishing her position to the publiccc by simply carrying that magazine. These arent bad things, but this is what magazines cater for. Most magazines are full of ads... 90% of magazine content is advertising material and due to cost, most advertisers are dressmakers and jewelers.
BUT to be seen in public or to have a magazine "on teh coffee table" is a conversation piece in the workplace (ie leaving a mag on her desk) or at home when guests arrive
After the wedding however... thats another issue..

Online is good for those girls that dont have that "look at me" requirement. Its also cheaper and much more varied in the approach of marketing. Theres also access to communities of brides to be and is a mecca of information pertiaing to attitudes.
ALL my advertising is done online and from there word of mouth. I also frequent several and offer advice and suggestions to brides who are having issues with this profession.

Again, after teh wedding, when the excitement is all come and gone, there are 2 things remaining.. photos and video... the dress wil be boxed up, the cake will be eaten, the rings will be worn but the only archive they have is the photos and video, so for them, its of the utmost importance to not only get this out asap, but its also reflective on attitude upon the service.

Couples never really appreciate the value of our products until after the wedding, and when that time comes, is when it hits them... Sure their are couples that will say i need to have a video.. but HOW much they value that video will only be known after the wedding itself. Youd be surrpised at the attitude change once theyre back from their honeymoon... its a good thing though.. BUT one thing ive noticed is that when clients have had issues with their photographers, they automatically assume that the video is the same. As an example, i get couples whove had photos underexposed or out of focus or what have u, and the phtographer assumes that as his results were far from perfect, so will ours. Ive also had brides upset at their photographers for not doing enough, consideirng he price theyre paying vs our costs on video

Its all about attitude, whether it be to the cost of food, the cost of the cake through to the products they recieve after teh fact.
Ive had clients pay 4grand for a cake, then were loath to pay 3k for a 3cam wedding shoot... Its these attitudes which make it hard for us to slip the value of what we do higher up in the ladder...
When the cake is gone the only memory of it is in the toilet, and on the photos and video and THATS IT
The dress is going to be boxed up and more than likely taken out only once a year.. but how will she ever know what SHE looks like in it? Photos? and how will a photo catch the motion of that dress as the sun bounces off the finely positioned dimonties? Photos cant... How will a photo catch that dip at the end of their first dance where shes almost dropped and theyre laughing in hysterics and the 400+ crowd is going nuts.. it cant..

This is how we shoudl be targeting the value of the memories we capture...
ive just slipped off topic i think..im not sure.. lol but in the end, brides want to be acknowledged of their "chang of social status" to that of a married woman. Once that excitement wanes, its a different story

One question I always ask is if there will be alcohol at the reception, if there is, I know my video will be quite entertaining.