Some lawyers have difficulty getting their clients to respond to client surveys. They send out forms, and they get very few responses.

What can you do to get nearly every client to give you the feedback you’re seeking?

Should you send gifts like a Starbucks gift card? Should you offer a discount on the next bill? Should you offer to babysit their kids if they’ll fill out your form?

None of that is necessary.

Here’s what we do—and it works.

We don’t send a form.

We call.

And when we call, we explain that we have just one question and that it will only take a minute to answer the single question.

They all agree to proceed.

We ask the single question, and we let them talk. Usually, they have more than a single answer. They like to elaborate. We get it all down.

The key to getting responses is (1) to call, don’t write, and (2) to keep it short.

Take that simple approach and you’ll get what you need, and you can keep the Starbucks cards for yourself.