4. Give discounts for information you need. Put a short survey on your bills or invoices. Put survey directly under total price, no more than 5 questions. Then offer a discount if they complete survey. This is putting your money where your mouth is letting them know you are going to actually use information.

5. This is a real golden nugget. Read this one twice... Take action on suggestions. If someone says you need better signs to help them find products in your store. Make new signs or explain why you can't.(This does not mean making excuses for not following through..) But nothing turns people off more, than for someone to ask for advice and then ignore it! If you are going to ask for feedback take immediate action and point it out to your client! "Thanks for your suggestion last week Tom...how do you like our new signs?" people will feel a vested interest in your business if you are listening to them. I know of one computer sales man who went to far as to find a few reams of old style printer paper with holes on sides just to satisfy one customer even though he knew there was no demand for product. But he gained one evangelical customer that day and got 5 referrals in next year from that client.

A few other ways of getting info;

contests, raffles, or drawings with entry forms that request information you need.

suggestion boxes

freebies for filling out questionaires

At least 1 follow-up phone call that only asks for feedback, don't mix sales with call. If you make a specific call for feedback it increases appearance of sincerity.

Make comment areas a standard feature for invoices or other forms.

Try not to rely on direct mail postcards for feedback. The return rate is very low and customers see it as junk mail you build more badwill than goodwill. Send your client a greeting card instead and ask them for feedback or referrals but self addressed stamped postcard inside of greeting card.

I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.