The Survey Planning Workbook

The most common survey mistake happens before a single question is written: skipping straight to drafting without deciding what the survey actually needs to accomplish. Answer these six questions first, and the rest of the build goes faster.

1. What decision will this inform?

If you can't name the decision your team will make differently based on the results, the survey isn't ready to build yet - "let's just see what people think" rarely produces actionable data.

2. Who exactly is the audience?

"Customers" isn't specific enough. Define the segment - active users in the last 90 days, cancelled subscribers, a specific plan tier - so your distribution list actually matches your question.

3. What will you measure?

Pick your core metric (NPS, CSAT, a custom rating) before writing questions, so every question earns its place by supporting that metric rather than just sounding interesting.

4. Who owns the results?

Name the person responsible for acting on what comes back - a survey with no owner tends to get read once and forgotten.

5. How will you distribute it, and by when?

Pick a distribution channel and a close date before launch, not after - it shapes how many questions you can realistically ask.

6. How will you report it?

Decide upfront whether this needs a live dashboard, a one-time PDF export, or a recurring email summary - it affects which question types and scales you choose.