5 Quick Ideas - Gathering Data with a Focus Group

One of the more overlooked opportunities for gathering information by associations is the Focus Group.

Whether you call it a "roundtable" a "discussion" or a "focus group," a small group format of discussing issues is essential to getting more feedback than you can get in many other forums.  The reason is simple - its in person.

A Temperature Taking Survey gives you self selected participants who have an interest.  A poll gives you a random sampling - but with a distance between you and the poll taker.  A focus group puts the respondent in the room, comfortable, and in front of you.  So how do you do it correctly?

PLAN THE CONVERSATION AHEAD - One of the biggest mistakes that people make while doing focus groups is that they don't effectively plan ahead for the conversation.  Sure you've got your questions, but what are the ways that the answers can go?  How can the conversation get derailed? How can you get the group back on track?  And what should you allow exploration of when discussing these issues?  There are lots of opportunities that you can take to make sure you get the best responses necessary.

SEGMENT YOUR GROUPS - Know who the audiences are and try to group them together.  If you want to gauge the reaction of age groups, put them in separate age ranges.  If there are certain market segments you want to test, put them together.  Whatever you are trying to look for, get those people together, the organic discussion grows better together.

PLAN FOR CRAZY - No matter how well you screen, there are things you just can't be totally sure of until you're in the moment.  There will be someone who dominates the conversation - plan how to politely include others.  There will be someone who wont come out of their shell - plan how you are going to engage them.  There will be something that happened to someone in the room that is clouding their thoughts - plan how to get them off of their personal or singular experience and get them back on topic.  Some talk show host will have said something that day that resonates with someone on a level you can't begin to imagine having ANY impact on your issue, but in their mind "it's all related" - plan how you disassociate from their crazy train.

GET MULTIPLE OBSERVATIONS - You will be focused on the conversation, and you may be able to get a good handle on the discussion, but there are things you wont catch.  Have other people there to catch the participant who "bristles" at your suggestion, or the participant who gives non verbal cues as to what they are thinking.  This is more about gauging reaction than getting Quantifiable Data.  Focus groups are what is called Qualitative Data.  You test your quantifiable with the qualitative.  And together you can compare the notes.  However a quick warning - too many people in the room becomes overwhelming.  That's why you see the rooms with the one way mirrors.

CONSIDER A FOLLOW UP SESSION - You may have a few people who are very passionate in their responses.  However their responses may not match what the responses were from a different segment.  Sometimes it is useful to see how the groups work these discussions out.  Often you can refine broader messages by getting the reactions of cross sections of respondents.

These efforts are essential for getting your direction and messages right.  However more often than not, they are under-utilized by organizations seeking clarity on their actions.  Data is the key to making the right moves with the right acceptance levels.  use the research methods available to you to become more successful and you will be glad that you did.

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