Page 117 - DMGT509_RURAL MARKETING

Rural Marketing

Notes Questionnaires should be carefully developed, tested through a sample test, modified as required
and then used for gathering information.
Questions can, at times, influence the answers. Hence to make them totally objective, they
should be carefully prepared.
Close ended questions, like giving answer choices guide the respondent into the area with
which the researcher is familiar.
Open-ended questions get the respondents to use their own words and individualistic replies
come from such questions. Such questions are useful in exploratory type of MR. However, if
time is an important factor, it is better to ask closed questions, which can be answered in lesser
time.

Open-ended question could be, “What is your opinion about Surf Excel as a detergent powder?”
Or, “What is the first name which comes to your mind when you think of detergents?”
Or, The interviewer shows the respondent, an extra clean used shirt and asks, “What does the
shirt remind you of ?”
Or, The interviewer shows the respondent a picture of Surf Excel and asks, “What can it do for
you?”

Questions should be as simple as possible, direct to the point, and with no possibility of any
ambiguity.
The questions should follow a pattern, and a logical sequence.

It is time that the students prepare a questionnaire for conducting MR for any one of the following
products:
1. A car

2. Cosmetics
3. Readymade garments
The student can select a brand and build the questionnaire around that brand.
Testing the questionnaire needs to be done next. For the purpose a small sample is adequate. It
should be from the market segment for which the product is meant. If any question is found to
be difficult, or objectionable it should be modified or removed. A mix of 20-25 respondents
should be normally sufficient for the test purposes.
A sample questionnaire is given below.
Sir/Madam,

This is a survey of households with respect to TV purchase. We request you to kindly help in
filling the questionnaire giving your ideas, as we attach great value to your judgment in this
regard. We thank you in anticipation of your cooperation.
1. Do you have TV? yes/no.
2. If yes, please tell its model and make.
3. If no, then please go to the last question.

4. Buying the TV, what were you looking for?
5. What is your opinion on the features of TV listed below?

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