Subtle persuasion

Julian English explains how to write surveys to ensure you get the results you want.

Asking survey questions in a certain way to elicit a desired response is an established marketing tool, adopted by all the great brands around the world. Indeed, Saatchi and Saatchi has a whole department whose specific goal is to help marketeers use these techniques. I wish the technique had a name, but I cannot find one frequently used term anywhere. Now before you start criticising me, or FMC, about being dishonest or manipulative, by the time you’ve finished reading this you’ll be reminded that the subtleties of language may mean that there’s no perfectly neutral way to phrase a question or arrange an answer set. Every choice leads respondents in some direction.

But let me explain what I am talking about with an example from Yes Minister – where the subject at hand is national service (conscription). In the epsiode, the character of Humphrey Appleby, played by Nigel Hawthorne, runs through two sets of questions designed to guide his unsuspecting interlocutor into two very di erent answers. First, came the questions in favour of conscription: 1. Are you worried about the number of young people without jobs? 2. Are you worried about the rise in crime among young adults? 3. Do you think there is lack of discipline in our comprehensive schools? 4. Do you think young people welcome some authority and leadership in their lives? 5. Do you think young people can respond to a challenge? 6. Would you be in favour of introducing national service? Then came the second set of questions: 1. Are you worried about the danger of war?

2. Are you worried about the growth of armaments?

3. Do you think there’s a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill? 4. Do you think it’s wrong to force people to take up arms against their will?

Julian English is the editorial director at FMC.

The example brilliantly exemplifies the use of leading questions. They are designed and presented in such a way that they trigger agreement — ‘yes’ seems an obvious answer to each. Then the final question is cleverly worded – to be a supposed solution to all the things you have just accepted are problems, so how could you say no? How can we apply this to the dental industry? Well firstly, we must adhere to the rules.

Asking the right questions of the right people is recommended.

Question language

Question language is a good technique when asking leading questions – for example: Does your employer resort to trickery in order to defraud you of your part of your earnings? Is the new design easier to use than the old one? The use of “new” and

“old” cues respondent expectations, which are also primed to consider whether the changes make the website ‘easier’ to use.

Double-barrelled questions

Conjunctions pose risks to questions. Both ‘and’ and ‘or’ often result in double-barrelled questions, which force respondents to respond to two things simultaneously. For example: Are you satisfied with the pay and benefits at your o ce? How would you describe your experience trying to source blog or webinar content?”

Loaded questions

Unlike leading questions, which suggest the desired answer, loaded questions assume one:

Was it easier to navigate the new design? (leading) Which of the design improvements was your favourite? (loaded)

Knowledge-based questions

No one wants to come o as an idiot. And that desire can lead to overreporting for knowledge-based questions, such as brand-awareness surveys. Respondents believe that they shouldknow an answer, so they’re more likely to check yes. For example: Do you happen to know…whether

Liverpool has won five or six

European cups As far as you know… Can you recall o hand… And the list of techniques goes on and on, from open-end questions, close-ended questions, knowledgebased questions and so on. Try xcl. com for more examples.

Conclusion

The subtleties of language may mean that there’s no perfectly neutral way to phrase a question or arrange an answer set. Every choice leads respondents in some direction. Leading questions are great at producing a desired answer. While neither I nor colleagues condone deception, I do recommend techniques as long as they are used for positive ends.