I think it’s time we addressed an issue which is a pretty grey area for most people and the title I considered for this piece was “Earnings versus Enjoyment” - what do you think?

How much is survey taking about frantically trying to make money and build up points in a desperate fashion because you have just lost your job, are unemployed or looking a way to fund an increasingly economically-difficult lifestyle in a country which is becoming impossible to afford to live in, and how much is it about doing something you want to do, are willing to take time, effort and energy to do well and thoroughly, and something you really enjoy and take pride in? I wonder if anyone of us can say that the money doesn’t matter? Does the enjoyment matter though?

Well, I suppose most people like money, in some form or another, on a simplistic level it buys happiness….but love of money is the root of all evil, not money itself…I don’t want to turn this into a moral tirade on the joys of aestheticism over materialism, that would be unfair, unkind and not appropriate in this arena, however I do feel that you have to have a little look at the reasons behind why you take surveys, who you do them for…i.e. is it for you, because you enjoy them or is it for the Hydro-Electric board who are demanding money for the latest bill you can’t pay? It does seem unfair that the economic circumstances are such that, these days, often it is the latter. Both are valid reasons for doing surveys however, believe it or not!

I think the compromise I am proposing is that if you can find enjoyment and pride in what you do as well as integrity and honesty, you will find the whole experience a far more enjoyable one all round.

I think I have already mentioned I used to do competitions all the time. I mean, I was unbearable on supermarket shopping trips simply because I used to scour the products for the latest slogan competition, and if you had to buy a product to enter the competition, suddenly there it was in our trolley! I had modest wins, some bigger than others, and a few biggies, but something was missing….the element of chance is one of those things which simply end up frustrating you….why does anyone do the lottery, scratch-cards or any other game of chance, bingo, etc., if not at the prospect of some big wins? But how often are you satisfied in that respect? Rarely.

So surveys are the answer, really. OK, there is still an element of chance involved, but ultimately it satisfies on the level of playing a game, really, and the game is that you can see how many panels you can join, the different levels of involvement, camaraderie, and fun on each, the different ways in which you can increase your earnings, like recommending others, taking part in social activities, little extra prize draws, and of course the surveys themselves… And, s these are targeted based on your demographic information, you quickly discover that the surveys you are being invited to take have a nice personal feel to them, you are being asked to elaborate on your favourite things! Who doesn’t like to talk about themselves? Have you ever read Dale Carnegie’s “How to win friends and influence people?” Do yourself a favour and buy a copy or get it out of the library….there is nothing in there which won’t fix you up for the rest of your life in terms of getting a job, keeping it and having a great lifestyle and lots of friends and it is based on sound psychological tenets…..GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT!!! Don’t survey companies do that for their clients, and don’t they do that indirectly through their panellists too? I think it is time we realized that we don’t just get random rubbish thrown at us by survey panels, but valuable, important and relevant information is being gathered to influence future products, future sales and future generations. Having an influence on the world we live in makes one feel important, and as if we are contributing as a useful member of society and giving something back.

How about honesty and integrity? How many of you have “stretched the truth” in a survey just to get the points? It is tempting, I know, but examine why you are tempted? Is it because of the greater earnings….how often have you then found yourself in a place you can’t get out of….the latest one for me is cloud computing. How many of you know what the heck it is? I have learned a little from work, but we do not have a solution in place, and therefore I am just a babe in arms when it comes to this very new field….how tempting it is for the latest thing to become an expert area where you can earn loads…..but don’t be tempted….it really is not worth it, because then you will find yourself banned from a panel, chucked off, or worse, your earnings to date will be lost.

The other thing to note is that if all you focus on are your earnings, you will become very depressed because it is not a get-rich-quick answer, but a nice, steady way to make a little extra to keep you going. Don’t expect too much, just relax, enjoy yourself and have fun with it!