You might consider a yellow sticky note as a quick, easy and rather unremarkable way to remind yourself to do something. Yet research conducted at Sam Houston State University discovered that these ubiquitous pieces of paper can also increase response rates for surveys.

During several studies, researchers found that people who received a survey with a cover letter and a handwritten Post-it® Note request ("Please take a few minutes to complete this for us. Thank you!") were much more likely to return the completed survey than people who received the same survey without a sticky note, with the same message handwritten on the cover sheet but without a Post-it®, or with a blank Post-it®. Respondents also returned the material more promptly and more completely when the request included a handwritten sticky note.

For long surveys with open-ended questions, response rates increased when accompanied by a personalized sticky note—one that addresses the recipient by name and is signed with initials. This shows the importance of customizing a message when asking respondents to accomplish more difficult tasks. Researchers believe that people interpret the handwritten sticky note as a request for a personal favor, which provides a compelling reason to comply with the appeal.

The Po!nt: Including a personal message with your request may motivate recipients to do as asked. It may also increase the timeliness and quality of their responses.

Source: "Post-It® Note Persuasion: A Sticky Influence" by Randy Garner. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2005. Click here and then click "Chicago GSB" to obtain a PDF of the full report.

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