Done right, focus groups can definitely help you to market and grow your business. Focus groups provide a great opportunity for rich feedback in a relatively short period of time. To minimise risk, focus groups are a great method of new product testing.
Here are some do's and don'ts for getting results from a focus group.
BASICS
Focus groups usually consist of 8 to 10 participants selected because of particular characteristics or demographics. They might be frequent travelers earning $65,000 to $75,000 a year or have teenagers at home.
Events generally run 60-90 minutes and are often held in the evening so participants do not worry about work or child care.
A skilled facilitator usually leads the group. The experienced facilitator guides the discussion, drawing out peeves, passions and prejudices without making judgments.
Most of the time, several groups are scheduled so the discussion is repeated among similar participants. After a few rounds, you begin to notice trends, themes and patterns. How many groups are necessary is always a judgment call, depending on budget, location and the issues you're investigating. Ask your consultant at Fit 4 Market for advice.
As the client, you usually watch and listen in an adjacent room.
How to avoid mistakes
When setting up focus groups, concentrate on these steps:
1. Determine your goals and objectives
Analyse what you want from the exercise. Narrow your objectives to a concise written list so the facilitator can "focus" the group whenever they wander off the topic. With help from the facilitator, work on your discussion questions and follow-up points before recruiting. These should be open-ended queries that invite comments.
2. Do rigorous recruiting and screening
Rely on a professional and detailed screener who can gather a truly representative sample of the population you're studying. Allow enough time for recruiting and make sure the budget allows flexibility.
3. Use a trained facilitator
Trained focus-group facilitators are worth the money they charge. They know how to pose questions that elicit responses. They can synthesize the discussion, playing back opinions to tap specifics behind generalizations. They draw out shy or disengaged participants. And lots more! The biggest mistake clients can make is to be their own facilitator.
4. Don't expect hard data
Focus groups are categorised as soft or qualitative market research, in contrast to quantitative research that yields hard numbers or statistics. The point is to create a group dynamic. You're paying to get an intuitive sense of what a sample of your defined customers think and feel. When successful, focus groups uncover motivations for your target's choices and decisions, revealing purchase and decision triggers.
5. Do listen to the "loudmouth"
Invariably, every focus group includes a participant who tends to take over the discussion. This is another reason to have a trained facilitator. Facilitators graciously get him or her to back off, giving other participants a chance. Nevertheless, this particular group dynamic is also valuable. It should be recognized that the same influential patterns occur in the marketplace. You gain helpful insights by observing what the "influencers" in the room do or say.
In summary, for focus groups to be effective you must plan a solid strategy and hone your questions and objectives. Fit 4 Market is always here to help with organizing, facilitating and running your focus groups to achieve the best results.
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