If you’re sick of nagging people for feedback, juggling spreadsheets, or trying to make sense of a mess of emails, this guide’s for you. We’re going to walk through how to automate stakeholder feedback collection using Valkre. This isn’t a fluffy “best practices” list — it’s a practical, step-by-step approach with some hard truths about what actually works, what’s just noise, and how to avoid common traps.
Why bother automating stakeholder feedback?
Let’s be honest: collecting feedback from stakeholders is almost always painful. People are busy, responses are inconsistent, and chasing folks down gets old fast. Even if you do get responses, the data’s all over the place.
Automation can help, but only if you set it up well. The goal isn’t “more feedback” — it’s better, more useful feedback with less hassle for everyone involved. Valkre gives you the tools, but it doesn’t do the thinking for you. Here’s how to get started — and what to watch out for.
Step 1: Get clear about what feedback you actually need
Before you touch any buttons, figure out what you’re trying to learn. Most feedback projects fail because the questions are too vague or you’re asking the wrong people.
Ask yourself: - What decisions will this feedback inform? - Are you looking for quantitative scores, open-ended input, or both? - Who are your real stakeholders? (Don’t just dump your whole contact list in.)
Pro tip:
Avoid “How are we doing?” or “Any thoughts?” It’s too broad. If you can’t imagine how you’d use the answer, don’t ask the question.
Step 2: Set up your stakeholder lists in Valkre
Valkre has a flexible way to manage stakeholder lists, but don’t overcomplicate this.
Practical steps: 1. Import your stakeholders (CSV works fine, or manual entry if you’re small). 2. Tag or group them based on what matters: role, department, customer segment, etc. 3. Double-check contact info. Bad emails = wasted effort.
What works:
- Small, targeted lists get better response rates.
- Segmenting by relevance saves you time later (“I only want feedback from operations leads”).
What to ignore:
- Fancy hierarchies or endless tags. If you’re spending more than 30 minutes organizing, you’re overthinking it.
Step 3: Design questions that don’t suck
This is the most overlooked step. Automation won’t save you from bad questions. Decide what you need, and keep it simple.
Tips for solid questions: - Be specific: “How easy is our onboarding process?” beats “How satisfied are you?” - Limit the number: 3-5 questions is usually plenty. - Use a mix: a couple of scale/rating questions, one open-ended prompt.
What to avoid: - Leading questions (“How amazing was your experience?”) - Huge surveys. Nobody wants to fill them out. You’ll get junk responses or, worse, silence.
Step 4: Build your automated feedback workflow in Valkre
Here’s where Valkre’s automation features come in. You’ve got options, but don’t get seduced by every bell and whistle.
Basic setup:
1. Create a new feedback campaign.
2. Choose your audience (segments you made earlier).
3. Add your questions.
4. Set the schedule (one-time, recurring, or triggered by an event).
Pro tips:
- Recurring feedback works for ongoing projects, but don’t go overboard. Monthly is usually enough; weekly is overkill unless there’s a real need.
- Use reminders sparingly. One gentle nudge is fine; three is spammy.
What works:
- Triggered feedback after key events (project launch, major delivery) gets the most actionable responses.
- Previews: always send yourself a test before launching to catch mistakes.
What to ignore:
- Over-customizing email templates. Stakeholders want clarity, not branding.
- Complicated branching logic. Unless you have a huge, diverse group, keep it straightforward.
Step 5: Launch and monitor (but don’t micromanage)
You’ve set up the campaign. Now, resist the urge to hover — but do keep an eye on the basics.
What to watch: - Delivery rates: If lots of emails bounce, fix your list. - Open rates: Low opens usually mean your subject lines are boring or the emails are getting flagged as spam. - Response rates: 30-50% is solid for busy stakeholders. Anything less? Revisit your targeting or timing.
If responses are low: - Check if people know why their input matters. Sometimes a quick personal note (not automated) before launching works wonders. - Don’t spam people with reminders. One follow-up is enough.
What to ignore:
- Chasing 100% response. It’s a fantasy. Focus on the quality, not just the quantity.
Step 6: Review and use the feedback (don’t just collect it)
It’s tempting to call it a day once the forms come back, but this is where most teams drop the ball.
How to make feedback useful: - Summarize quickly. Valkre’s dashboards are decent, but don’t just stare at charts — jot down the top 3-5 takeaways. - Share results with stakeholders. Even a quick “Here’s what we heard and what we’re doing” goes a long way. - Close the loop: If you ignore what people told you, expect even fewer responses next time.
What works:
- Publicly acknowledging patterns (“Several people mentioned onboarding issues...”) builds trust.
- Prioritizing: You can’t fix everything. Pick your battles.
What to ignore:
- Chasing down every comment for clarification. If something’s unclear, it probably wasn’t that important.
Step 7: Iterate and make it easier next time
Automation isn’t “set and forget.” Each round teaches you something.
After your first campaign: - Trim questions that didn’t get good answers. - Drop stakeholders who never respond (or at least check in to see if they still care). - Adjust timing based on when you got the fastest responses.
Pro tip:
Keep a simple log (“Last time, too many questions; this time, cut it to three”). You’ll save yourself headaches later.
Honest pros, cons, and what to skip
What automation in Valkre does well: - Removes grunt work from follow-ups and reminders. - Keeps feedback organized and easy to review. - Works for both one-off and ongoing projects.
Where you still need to think: - Writing good questions is still a human job. - Picking the right people to ask — automation can’t fix bad targeting. - Acting on the feedback (the software won’t make decisions for you).
What to ignore: - Chasing every new feature. Most teams only use 30% of what’s offered, and that’s fine. - Over-automating. Sometimes a personal touch (like a phone call) still matters.
Keep it simple (and keep improving)
Automating stakeholder feedback in Valkre can save you a ton of hassle — but only if you focus on the basics: clear questions, the right people, and actually using the feedback. Don’t get lost in the weeds or try to impress anyone with fancy workflows. Start simple, learn from each round, and tweak as you go. That’s really all there is to it.