How to Prepare Your Participants Before a Campaign
Set expectations and build confidence so participants show up ready to engage
The quality of your campaign results depends heavily on how participants show up. Prepared participants give richer, more honest responses. Unprepared participants hesitate, wonder if it's a phishing attempt, or give shallow answers because they don't understand the point. A brief heads-up before the invitation goes out makes a measurable difference.
What to communicate before invitations go out
Send a short message to your participants before the invitation arrives. It doesn't need to be long — a few sentences covering these points:
- What it is: ""You'll receive an invitation to a brief voice conversation with an AI interviewer.""
- Why it matters: ""We're gathering input on [topic]. Your perspective genuinely shapes [outcome].""
- How long: ""Your invitation email will tell you how long to set aside — sessions vary depending on the type of interview.""
- That it's private: ""Your responses are pseudonymized — your name is not attached to what you say.""
- That it's voluntary: ""Participation is optional, but we'd love to hear from you.""
Avoid hype. A simple, straightforward message builds more trust than a formal announcement.
Timing
Send your heads-up message 1–3 days before invitations go out. Too early and people forget; too late and the invitation arrives before they've absorbed the context.
Address concerns proactively
The most common hesitations are: - ""Is this a test?"" — No. There are no right or wrong answers. - ""Will my manager see what I said?"" — Your responses are pseudonymized. Managers see aggregated patterns, not individual statements. - ""Is this legit?"" — Reassure them the invitation is coming from [your organization name] and is a genuine research effort.
Addressing these in your pre-communication dramatically reduces drop-off.
Manager briefing
If you're running a workforce or team-level campaign, brief managers before their reports receive invitations. Ask managers to: - Let their teams know participation is welcomed (or expected, if that's the case) - Avoid framing it as a performance review — it's for aggregate insights - Not ask employees about their responses afterward
Manager buy-in drives participation rates. Manager pressure does the opposite.
Sample pre-invite message
Subject: A brief voice conversation is coming your way
Hi [Name],
In the next few days, you'll receive an invitation to a short AI-facilitated conversation about [topic]. The invitation will tell you how long to set aside — just speak naturally; there are no right or wrong answers.
Your responses are kept confidential. Your name is not attached to what you say, and your individual responses won't be shared with management.
We're doing this to [purpose — e.g., understand how our team is experiencing the new onboarding process], and your honest perspective makes a real difference.
Thanks for taking the time. [Your name]
Feel free to adapt this for your audience and context.