How do you create a coaching survey?

1 Define your purpose

Before you start designing your survey, it is important to define the purpose of your survey. What do you want to achieve? What kind of information do you want to collect from your clients? How will the data be used to enhance your coaching practice and client outcomes? Your purpose will determine the survey questions, format, and delivery method. For instance, you may need a survey to assess your clients' needs and goals before starting a coaching program, evaluate their satisfaction and results after a coaching session or program, follow up with them after a program, or test their knowledge, skills, or attitudes related to a specific coaching topic or intervention.

2 Choose your survey format

The format of your survey refers to how you present and deliver it to your clients. Depending on your purpose, audience, and resources, you can choose from online surveys, paper surveys, or phone surveys. Online surveys are convenient, flexible, and cost-effective; however, they may have low response rates or privacy concerns. Paper surveys are simple, reliable, and accessible; however, they may have high printing and mailing costs or manual data entry. Phone surveys are personal, interactive, and adaptable; yet they may be time-consuming, intrusive, or biased.

3 Write your survey questions

The questions of your survey are the core of your survey, as they determine the quality and quantity of the feedback you receive from your clients. Therefore, you need to craft your survey questions carefully, clearly, and strategically. When writing effective survey questions, use simple and specific language without jargon or acronyms. Make sure each question serves your survey purpose and provides relevant information. Vary your question types to capture different aspects of your clients' feedback, such as opinions, behaviors, feelings, or preferences. Additionally, avoid leading or biased questions that may influence or distort answers. For example, instead of asking "How much did you enjoy the coaching session?", ask "How would you rate the coaching session?".

4 Test and refine your survey

Before you launch your survey, it's important to test and refine it to make sure that it is valid, reliable, and user-friendly. This involves checking and improving the survey content, design, and functionality. To achieve this, read your survey critically and look for any errors or inconsistencies. Then, send it to a small sample of clients or colleagues and ask them to complete and evaluate the survey. Finally, analyze the data from the pilot survey for any patterns or issues in the responses. Based on this review, make any necessary adjustments to the survey content, design, or functionality.

5 Distribute and promote your survey

The final step of creating a coaching survey is to distribute and promote it to your clients. To do this successfully, you should consider the best timing, method, incentives, and communication to reach and engage your clients. Timing should be determined by the purpose, audience, and context of the survey. The method could be emailing, texting, calling with a link or attachment, handing out in person, or mailing. Incentives could include discounts, bonuses, gifts, recognition for completing the survey, or entering them into a draw or contest. Communication should use a catchy subject line, clear message, friendly tone, and strong call to action.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?