| 1. Identify Candidates - Make a List. | | | | Top Five, Then One. |
| Build your master list of potential candidates | | | | By now based upon your conversations with the |
| knowing full well you will throw away most of | | | | company staff and using your master list, you |
| these names in time. Build up your list using all | | | | should quickly be able to narrow down your list to |
| available means possible. Ask your friends for | | | | the top five candidates. You might already know |
| recommendations, look for online directories that | | | | by now which company you want to support. |
| list survey software (Yahoo, DMOZ, etc), and of | | | | Now you can dig in deeper. See if the companies |
| course, check the search engines. When searching | | | | offer a free trial software download or an |
| the internet, be sure to specify the most relevant | | | | internet-based trial that you can explore. Make |
| keyword phrases that appeal to you. If you are | | | | sure you trial the form of surveying (software or |
| looking for Microsoft-based survey software, you | | | | hosted) that you want to implement. If you aren't |
| might also try Google's Microsoft focused search | | | | sure at this point, try both. |
| engine. | | | | Then, when you get closer to making the |
| 2. Compare Basic Attributes - It's Spreadsheet | | | | purchase decision, compare the attributes you |
| Time. | | | | liked side by side. Especially when looking at |
| Create a new spreadsheet. This will be your | | | | hosted and "market-research" oriented survey |
| ratings guide. Going across the first row, put the | | | | software packages, be sure you understand the |
| following attributes: Company Name, Functionality, | | | | incremental costs that will apply once you go over |
| Cost, Support, Maintenance, Reliability, | | | | your response limits. When you are using a |
| Performance, Scalability, Usability, Security, | | | | company's internet bandwidth, they have to put |
| Flexibility/Customizability, Interoperability, and Legal | | | | measures in place to make sure you aren't using |
| License issues. Also put a couple specific features | | | | more resources than you are paying for. For |
| that you couldn't live without such as | | | | example, large research companies like Nielson, |
| "Multilanguage support," "Advanced Branching," or | | | | who sends out hundreds of thousands of surveys |
| "available in software and hosted offerings". | | | | per year, would cost significantly more to a |
| Going down the far right column (Company | | | | company than a 10 person marketing consulting |
| Name), put the names of the companies identified | | | | firm. |
| in step one. Set aside some time for emails/calls. | | | | If you are leaning towards a software-based |
| Use email to make as much headway as possible | | | | solution, watch out for limits of number of users |
| because getting consumed with phone calls. But in | | | | and capabilities that you might get charged extra. |
| the end, phone calls will give you more of a sense | | | | Start small and see if you can test run on a |
| about the people you'd be working with if you | | | | hosted solution first, that way if you discover |
| end up making the purchase. | | | | something you don't like, your investment loss is |
| 3. Analyze Top Candidates in Depth - Pick Your | | | | minimized. |