How to use Surveys to Improve Execution at Retail

Lots of companies do surveys. Surveying is important, especially at the beginning of key selling periods to drive execution, but most companies do it all wrong and waste the effort they put into the survey.

You have a push to get displays, so you do a survey to check display activity in accounts. You want presence in a well, on a backbar, or a cocktail menu so you survey for that as well. However, most companies don’t maximize their survey efforts. They survey, and forget about it until all the surveys results have been rolled up into a massive spreadsheet (some weeks later) and the volume results for the month are reported to answer the question “how well did we execute this season?” Which is great for analysis… after the fact.

The better reason to survey is to drive the actual execution during the season to get the most out of the selling opportunity. At GreatVines, we believe the survey is an execution tool, not just a measurement tool. Our application enables your company to use Surveys to improve your execution at point of sale.

Key steps to using a survey to drive execution

Create Surveys by Account Segment (or even Chain specific) with “target” answers and “points” awarded for “correct” answers.
Target accounts to survey – don’t let reps and distributors take you to “pet” accounts that really aren’t that important.
Survey accounts using a simple, slick iPad app! That runs on-line or off!
Immediately review survey results and set actionable objectives to achieve in the account… while you are still in the account! Share objectives with your distributor to collaborate on execution follow up.
Create a “journey plan” by adding the accounts with open objectives to your calendar.
Track and measure your results against each objective (“wins”), then re-survey accounts and track the trend in scores.

If you utilize GreatVines to follow this Survey methodology, you are sure to gain incremental sales from increased execution at point of sale.