How Beta-Carotene Can Improve Your Training Evaluation Response Rate
Even with so many web-based survey products—including our own class registration software evaluation tool—it can still be tempting to use paper: According to conventional wisdom, you can achieve a better response rate if you don’t let attendees leave before they turn in their training evaluation. Perhaps nothing works as effectively as 
holding people hostage until they give you what you want, but there are still ways to improve evaluation response rates with web-based evaluation tools. Plus, you can generate great data in real time rather than having to enter the responses into another program.
To improve your web-based training evaluation response rate, we offer five ideas used by Learning Stream’s own class registration software users:
- Dangle a carrot. Assure attendees their feedback really means something. Tell them you’ll use their input to make the next program even better. If they see their suggestions put into practice, you can expect the response needle to keep rising.
- Dangle a juicier carrot. Post and promote the evaluation results, emphasizing when and where attendees can find them. In addition to percentages, ratings, and statistics, include anonymous comments that are suitable for a family publication.
- Dangle an even juicier carrot. If you issue a much-coveted certificate of completion, for example, you can create a rule to automatically issue it via email only after a participant provides their evaluation. Watch how fast they respond. For many ABC Signup users, this approach guarantees a 100% (or near) response rate.
- Dangle a really, really juicy carrot. If you charge for your programs, offer a discount on the next class to anyone who offer an evaluation. Then provide a unique promotional code to each respondent. Generally, evaluations should be anonymous, so you would have to include fields for optional contact information.
- Dangle a magnificently juicy carrot. Assuming again that you make contact information optional, you could offer a prize, such as a gift card, to the first five or ten responders. If each gift card is worth $10, you can decide if that investment is worth the invaluable information you may receive in return.
If you have other ideas on improving evaluation response rates that are packed with beta-Carotene, we would love to hear about them. Contact us.