Know-How Exchange : Research/Metrics

sampathptm -

I agree with you that you don't want to continue to survey your existing customers, not because you already do, but because, in this case, you really need to talk to non-customers. I think you have a few options, all with their positives and drawbacks:

1) You could do a phone survey - you would need to purchase a list, though. This would give you the cleanest and least baised results, but it would also probably be the most expensive option.

2) Try to partner with new home builders - they provide you with lists of people who have visited models, in exchange for a survey that asks them questions relevant to their needs (the home builders) and yours. In return for the names, you foot the bill for the survey design, printing, etc. I don't think this would give you the best results, because I am not sure how quickly people are in the market for furniture purchasers after they invest in a new home. It would, however, be less expensive than option #1.

3) Similar to option #2 - partner with a mortgage company for their refinancing customers. These folks are probably more ready to purchase, assuming they are saving money through refinancing. I think this is probably your best bet.

4) As Michele suggested, participate in an omnibus survey. You would probably be significantly limited in terms of how much you can ask, though.

I would not recommend an online survey, because I think a good proportion of the people you want may not have access yet or use the web that much, particularly for furniture purchasers. If you are willing to live with this bias, though (which could potentially be very significant and therefore distorting) this could be an inexpensive way to go. However, I think you would trade off too much on the reliability of your data.

As Michele noted, all of this depends upon your budget.

Good luck - I hope this helps.

Joy