Focus groups have been, and still are, the bedrock of qualitative market analysis. The classic method that has adapted to the digital opportunities of our time and consumers’ ability to be present and process stimuli. Focus groups can be conducted at a neutral location if that’s important, on digital platforms that open up to participants from all over the country, at the home of someone who has invited a bunch of friends, or in surroundings that are close to the topic we’re going to touch on. What’s essential is that the location is well thought out and that an atmosphere can be created that is trust-based and pleasant.
Focus groups the right way
It is said that you need to have spent a minimum of 10,000 hours on something to become really good at it. Moderating focus groups is no exception. It’s demanding to do and practice makes perfect. Here are our own tips and experiences:
1. Goal, goal, goal.
Filling the time with enough content in a focus group is rarely a problem. The challenge is to select what is relevant. Need – more than nice to know principle. We have a certain amount of time at our disposal – usually from 90-120 minutes – and it should be used consciously. All successful research projects start with clear objectives. It’s important to be clear from the start what the core need for the insight is. What are the customer’s challenges and what will the insight be used for? Good groundwork here ensures a focused report packed with insights, clear conclusions and good recommendations at the end.
Good groundwork ensures a focused report packed with insights, clear conclusions and good recommendations at the end.
2. Be clear about who you are going to talk to.
Focus groups give us the opportunity to talk to specific and partly targeted audiences. For example, which customer groups do we want to talk to? Are they potential, new, old, active, passive or from a specific catchment area? Not everyone has to be represented in a focus group. At least not at the same time. An assessment must be made of which target groups are relevant and useful to talk to in relation to the insight needs we have.
Consider leaving the recruitment to professionals.
It is important that the participants feel comfortable in such a setting and that they are driven by a desire for the topic we are going to discuss and not just by the gift card they get for participating.
3. The conversation guide is your map and compass.
In Innsikteriet we follow the principle: Plan your work, work your plan. A key tool for any moderator is a structured interview guide that also allows for adjustments and improvisation along the way.
A key tool for any moderator is a structured interview guide that also allows for adjustments and improvisation along the way.
Traditionally, an interview guide often follows a funnel, where we start broadly and narrow down over time.
Structure the interview guide by areas/sections. Time how much time we should spend on each section. This helps us to reach the goal at the agreed time. The order of the questions/sections is sometimes critical. It’s about the extent to which we want to “prime” the participants. When conducting communication tests, for example, we never “prime” the participants.
Make sure that the interview guide is not too long. If the guide is too long, there is a risk that the various topics will be dealt with in a superficial manner. Here it can be useful to consider the number of questions, the time available and the number of participants. If the need for information is extensive, it is often an advantage to conduct extended focus groups.
Be neutral in your question wording – and avoid leading questions. However, semantics are less important in qualitative surveys as the questions are not read out but presented in an oral form. Avoid yes/no questions as they rarely provide deep insight.
However, semantics are less important in qualitative surveys as the questions are not read out but presented in an oral form.
4. Being prepared avoids unnecessary stress.
As a moderator and interviewer, conceptual and practical preparations should not be underestimated. There are a number of techniques and approaches that may be relevant depending on the target audience we are talking to. Whether the target group is young people, business people, residents, patients or consumers will have a certain impact on the tone, jargon and language we use. If the group is to be held off-site or on digital platforms, it’s important to meet earlier, test out the platform and check the technical equipment to make sure everything works.
5. Build trust with participants.
A good host strives to establish an atmosphere that makes participants feel comfortable and relaxed from the start. They are greeted with friendliness and food and drinks are served in physical groups. We set the scene by explaining why we’re together and saying a little about the purpose and topic we’re going to talk about. We tell them why they have been invited and what their background is (are they studying at the same university, do they have the same favorite store/hobby/interest, do they all own a particular car or live in the same housing association). This creates a sense of unity and builds the group. At the same time, we encourage openness and room for different opinions and experiences beyond what they have in common.
We encourage openness and tolerance for different opinions and experiences beyond what the participants have in common.
We have a relatively short time to build trust. And in cases where we need to talk about sensitive and more personal topics, it may be relevant to spend more time or give them some simple preliminary tasks to reassure them and create a relationship before they arrive.
6. Expectation clarification from the start.
As a participant, it’s easy to think that they’re expected to “deliver” and “perform” something. It’s important to convey that they don’t have to have strong opinions about everything and that they don’t have to agree with the others. We are curious about the participants’ opinions, experiences and thoughts, but we don’t have a hard and fast rule on what the right or wrong answers are. We clarify our neutral role as moderator and chairperson. That they shouldn’t take it personally if we interrupt or stop them in a conversation. This is simply because we are equally curious about everyone and try to allocate speaking time along the way. This can mean that we may find ourselves interrupting and stopping to ensure that we have time for all the topics. When this is clarified as a ground rule from the start, it’s much easier to interrupt in a polite way later on, by saying that we’re running out of time or that I’m also curious about what the others think and let’s hear what they have to say.
It's important to convey that participants don't have to have strong opinions about everything and that they don't have to agree with the others.
7. Room for both “the self-proclaimed expert” and “the shy one”.
One of the biggest criticisms of focus groups is that some participants override and influence the rest of the group. Different typologies can emerge, which the moderator does not know in advance but which it is wise to be prepared for.
Whether they’re a self-proclaimed expert on the topic, a chatterbox who loves to tell (long) stories, a dominant person who can quickly passivate the others, someone who loves to interrupt constantly. Or, on the other hand, a more shy type who doesn’t dare to speak up, or one who isn’t present among us at all.
We can neutralize the self-absorbed expert and the dominant one, use eye contact and the name of the shy one when approaching directly with a question and ignore and after some time interrupt the chatty one.
8. Avoid bias and be open
It’s always exciting to meet the participants, and many years of experience have taught us not to make assumptions, but to listen to what they say and ask them to clarify if anything is unclear. If something is unclear, we try to pursue it and get them to clarify to confirm whether our understanding is correct. If not, we must continue to encourage reflection. Here, typical follow-up questions can be: “What do you mean, can you elaborate on this for me, how did you experience it?”. We can also ask for more detailed and precise answers by asking them to exemplify: “Can you tell me more about how you do it?” or “Can you give me some examples of when this has happened to you?”. There are a number of projective techniques and approaches to asking probing questions. The important thing is to remain curious and dare to pursue where your gut tells you to. And at the same time knowing when to stop.
The important thing is to remain curious and dare to pursue where your gut tells you to. And at the same time knowing when to stop.
9. Don’t panic if things don’t go according to plan.
One of the concerns in the early days as moderator was the fear that the group wouldn’t work. That I, as moderator, wouldn’t be able to get them to talk, open up, get them to share more – or even worse, that there would be complete silence. With experience comes confidence that silence is nothing to fear. Quite the opposite, in fact. Not infrequently, it can be precisely after the silence that good golden nuggets come, such as the doorstep threshold at the doctor’s. A participant sits and mulls over something throughout the conversation, but never finds the right time to share, or thinks it’s not important or interesting. It’s important to invite participants to bring up topics that are important to them and always end by asking if there’s anything else they want to share or add, something they feel we haven’t touched on related to the topic.
With experience comes confidence that silence is nothing to fear.
10. Consider an experienced moderator
A good moderator is aware that we have one mouth and two ears for a reason. He or she is well trained to focus on what is happening in the moment. He or she is good at handling strong group dynamics, keeping the whole group engaged and switched on, as well as grasping and elaborating on important insights that come up along the way.