Conducting a focus group allows you to identify. How many respondents should be represented? What tasks is this method suitable for?

The concept of a focus group

Definition 1

Focus group - a type of empirical research in sociology, which is a discussion that takes place in a group, during which the attitude of group members to any product, type of activity, etc. is determined.

For the first time this method was used in 1941 by R. Merton and P. Lazarsfeld in order to determine the effectiveness of the impact of radio transmissions on people. This method is extremely attractive, especially for marketing, because during the discussion, group members get rid of verbal clichés and become extremely free in their answers, expressing their true attitude to the object under discussion.

Characteristics of the focus group as a research method

• The number of members of the group is from 2 to 8 people, does not exceed 10 participants.
• The discussion takes from 1 to 3 hours.
• The leader of the discussion is an experienced sociologist or psychologist.
• Group formation (gender, age, social status, etc.) takes place taking into account the purpose of the study.

Remark 1

To study modern gadgets, it is more logical to invite people of both sexes, but of a certain (up to 35 years old) age. To study the effectiveness of the new electric shaver, it is reasonable to make two homogeneous men's groups - the youth group and the older generation group.

Features of preparing and conducting a focus group

Obviously, the discussion will be more effective if it takes place in favorable and friendly, comfortable conditions, so preparation is extremely important.

It is necessary to write a program (as for any type of research), which will contain the goal, tasks, object and subject, description of the subjects, tools for collecting and analyzing the information received.

At the next stage, a team of professionals (leader or moderator and his assistants) is trained: the goals and objectives of the study are explained to them, roles are assigned (some of the assistants keep order and comfort, someone records what is happening on video, etc. ).

After that, a research plan is drawn up. It prescribes a greeting, an explanation of the rules to the participants, the wording of questions, as well as an indication of the time for discussion and the duration of breaks.

It is important to prepare the room: it should be spacious and comfortable, it should have a large table; it is also necessary to take care of the availability of samples of goods that will be discussed at the focus group.

The process itself consists of the following steps:

• greeting by the moderator of all participants, explanation of the goals and rules of the discussion;
• getting to know each other among the members of the group;
• a discussion that starts with open questions and ends with closed ones: it is a kind of general part, where the moderator addresses the participants with questions and forms an opinion about their habits and preferences, and to the main part, in which the product is tested and actively discussed;
• generalization of everything said by the moderator, thanks to the participants and farewell;
• transcription of the recording and analysis of the resulting transcript.

Advantages and disadvantages of focus groups as a research method

The advantages include:

• synergy, diversity of information received;
• the speed of the received information;
• structuredness, a combination of broad coverage problematic issues with the required level of in-depth study;
• "snowball effect" - the words of one of the members of the discussion can cause sharp emotions in another and push them to a more vivid and sincere expression of their opinion;
• stimulation: discussion stimulates the desire of each member to express their opinion;
• freedom and confidence of respondents in equal rights to speak;
• spontaneity and accuracy of statements.

The disadvantages include:

• misuse of results (focus group - exploratory rather than descriptive research);
• underestimation of the results obtained in comparison with other methods;
• insufficient qualifications of the moderator;
• difficulty in transcribing and transcribing recordings from a focus group;
• disorder;
• non-representativeness due to the fact that the respondents selected for the focus group do not represent the population under study, therefore it is very dangerous to make marketing decisions based on them.

A focus group is a specific group of respondents, which consists of 8-10 people who come together to discuss a specific topic in which each of them is interested in one way or another. The discussion can go on for up to two hours, but often there is a situation where you have to work an order of magnitude longer. It is worth noting that if it is known in advance that you will have to work for a longer time, then in this case the focus group is called extended. The discussions at this meeting are related to technology qualitative analysis, since the information that is obtained as a result of the work of such specialists cannot be called representative of a certain group of people.

Why is she needed?

A focus group is a necessary part of modern marketing, which is actively used in various business areas. This group is created so that its participants in the process of a well-directed discussion can express their own opinion on the topic of discussion, trying to reveal it from an individual point of view. In the process of studying such groups, a fairly wide range of opinions is revealed, for example, this may relate to the level of satisfaction and constancy of customers, the perception of the level of service, the identification of leaders in a particular area, as well as a number of other issues.

The focus group is also a good tool to understand the hidden motivations and motives regarding the level of service. Consumers always have the most miscellaneous information about high and low levels of service, and unlike most other topics, the consumer happily discusses this information with other people. Thus, a focus group is a fairly popular way to penetrate into various aspects of the quality of service for the population, as well as the level of satisfaction and constancy on the part of consumers.

Focus group of competitors - is it real?

While the use of a focus group is often used in the process of studying various problems related to the opinion of buyers in order to explore the problems of the business structure itself, it is much more difficult to use it, especially if the group will be recruited from representatives of companies that operate in a particular area. . In the vast majority of cases, focus groups are rarely of interest to company representatives due to the fear that competitors may receive and subsequently use, in one way or another, non-public information belonging to this company. However, groups still function perfectly if they are recruited from non-competitive companies, and at the same time, the participants themselves can understand that their business has much more more points contact than they might have thought.

What determines the success of such a group?

The success of a focus group depends on how a large number of factors, namely:

• Competent set of participants.
• The right choice of a coordinator or, as it is also called in professional circles, a project moderator.
• The comfort of the environment.
• The relevance of the topic under discussion.

How many respondents should be represented?

As with quantitative research, different kinds focus groups provide, first of all, a competent choice of its composition. It will be necessary to recruit initially a representative sample from the audience that is the main goal of the study. Since in the vast majority of cases, the group is usually recruited by people who work or live permanently in a geographically limited area, it makes sense to collect such groups in different areas, especially if there are some regional characteristics in the perception of the consumer.

What problems can there be?

In addition, it will also be important to calculate the dynamics of the group. For example, how effective would a group be with both men and women? Imagine a situation in which a man would be more interested in impressing the opposite sex instead of seriously discussing a particular company issue. Of course, this format often brings animation to the group, but in fact, other participants may be unhappy with this, and in principle, it very often simply interferes with the normal discussion of the issue.

Difficulties can also arise if the types of focus groups are recruited from participants with mixed ages, as a generation gap may eventually develop. For example, this often happens when discussing issues such as whether to borrow money.

The culture of people is one of the most important points

Differences between cultures must also be taken into account. In certain countries, it is quite difficult to force a respondent to sincerely express any critical remarks about the quality of the goods provided or the services of a certain company, for the reason that there public criticism is one of the main signs of bad manners. It is for this reason that the focus group is a separate topic in psychology, which is given close attention. Among other things, representatives different cultures may consider it absolutely wrong when a man is appointed as a coordinator in a group of female respondents.

moderator

Which focus group method should be used? This is a question of experts, because their main purpose is to facilitate the work of the assembled people as much as possible. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the work of such groups is carried out in the format of a discussion that is built around a topic that is agreed upon in advance. The moderator of the group should have specialized skills to guide the discussion in such a way that each participant has the opportunity to express his own opinion, and at the same time to ensure that any opinion does not dominate the opinions of other people who are present in this group.

The moderator should carefully ensure that each individual topic is discussed over a certain period of time. Among other things, the facilitator should listen very carefully to what and how each member of the assembled group says, at the same time trying to understand his condition. The focus group moderator is a professional specialist who thoroughly understands the conduct of such events. The moderator may need to use certain incentives or some other specialized means in order to develop individual topics. In other words, all this work should be done by a qualified specialist, since the focus group method is an extremely important and responsible event that should be managed not by beginners, but by confident professionals.

room

Often such conditions are created for focus group marketing research to be carried out in a specially equipped room. Today, the group often gathers in a room that originally specialized in sound recording and filming. Often these offices have special rooms that can be completely refurbished in accordance with the goals pursued by this group.

In particular, for example, some companies often create a cozy living room with a sofa, chairs, TV, coffee table and other traditional interior elements. It will also be possible to transform the room into something similar to a meeting room in the event that research is carried out in the field entrepreneurial activity. In any case, the primary task that the moderator, who manages the focus group, sets for himself is the kind of room that should not be stressful for the participants, and also not create any discomfort for them. At the same time, one should not forget that consent to participate in a focus group is a rather extraordinary event in the lives of many people, so many feel various kinds of concerns about this.

What does it give?

If the initial analysis of the focus group is done correctly and everything is well organized, then the company will inform all participants in advance of the various details that relate to the upcoming event. Among other things, food is provided, and some even prefer to take the participants home after the group has finished its work. Often participants are given a certain fee as compensation for spending their own time.

What to discuss?

Another important element is what exactly the focus group participants will discuss, or rather, the thematic index of this event. This includes a specific list of topics to be discussed and will subsequently be used to guide the discussion in a certain direction.

In order to maintain interest on the part of participants in the subject for which the focus group study is being carried out, it is necessary to initially prepare for discussion those issues that are important to all consumers. Initially, the discussion begins with the fact that there is an acquaintance with each individual participant, after which the subject of the conversation is directly discussed, and absolutely everyone participates in this discussion. This is extremely important, since the moderator should involve each participant in the subject of discussion as early as possible.

Still, the very format of holding such an event is a kind of meeting of friends, but these are strangers who have been gathered in an unfamiliar place for them, where they do something that they may never have even done before - they have a productive discussion on the subject which they may not have thought about before.

How does the leader behave?

The leader of the focus group discussion is a responsible specialization, and the person who carries out this work must initially destroy the complexes of each of the participants. And after he succeeds, he must, in accordance with the thematic index, conduct a conversation according to a special scheme: starting from a superficial acquaintance with the topic and ending with the deepest penetration into all its aspects.

Need results now

The immediate presentation of the results after the end of the group work is what any moderator often fears. After a few hours of hard work, the group facilitator is asked to provide instant results on the main issues of the ongoing discussion. This requirement simply prevents the moderator from reflecting on the information he has received, for example, in order to understand how the results differ from those obtained by other groups in the process of researching this topic. At the same time, the client has already managed to draw independent conclusions, and now insists that the moderator post his own, so that he can compare them.

It often happens that the situation is complicated due to the personal characteristics of those people who are involved in the study. Still, a focus group in sociology is far from the same as in marketing, so specialists, each of whom understands his own field, may conflict with each other.

Is it correct?

In fact, it is far from always possible to draw conclusions based on the results of the work of a particular focus group, especially if it concerns some new services or goods. In the vast majority of cases, you have to gather several groups at the same time in order to finally understand why consumers behave one way or another, because a focus group in marketing is a universal tool that should cover everyone.

In addition, it often happens that you have to change the content or the main purpose of the study, if the original results cannot be interpreted normally or only give rise to more questions that will probably need to be added to the questionnaire.

The focus group method (or, as it is also called, focused interview) is essentially group discussion, during which the attitude of participants to a particular type of activity or product of this activity is clarified. For example, you can discuss how participants perceive the housing problem and projects for its solution, evaluate the characteristics of apartments, their cost, mortgage interest rates, etc. The value of the information received lies in the fact that the participants in the discussion, having “cleared themselves” of ideological attitudes (verbal clichés) as much as possible, become free and uninhibited in their answers.

This method began to be applied in the middle of the 20th century. It was first used by American sociologists R. Merton and P. Lazarsfeld in 1941 to study the effectiveness of radio broadcasts on the population. Now this method is widely used in, etc.

The method has the following characteristics:

• groups are usually between 2 and 8 participants and usually do not exceed 10 participants;
• the group is formed taking into account the purpose of the study. For example, if the effectiveness of electric shavers is studied, then two homogeneous groups of men can be formed - "youth" and "older". When studying the effectiveness of TV programs, presenters, commentators, it is advisable to form four groups, where participants of different ages are respectively represented in male (or female) groups;
• the duration of the discussion, depending on the objectives of the study, ranges from 1 to 3 hours;
• The discussion is moderated by an experienced sociologist or psychologist.

Group discussion provides for the creation of favorable conditions for communication for each participant and an atmosphere of goodwill and comfort for the group as a whole.

Training

A focused interview, like any other sociological research, involves:

• writing a program where the problem is formulated and substantiated, the goal, objectives, object, subject of research are determined, as well as the surveyed population, the number and size of focus groups, tools for collecting and processing sociological information. Hypotheses are usually not put forward at this stage, as it is believed that this may predetermine the understanding of some problems;
• team training, which consists of a moderator and assistants. One of the assistants makes an audio or video recording, fixing the features of the statements (for example, emotionality, non-verbal characteristics). Another assistant, if necessary, can provide silence, serve refreshments, etc.;
• set of respondents which may be preceded by a pre-test or interview. Focus group participants can also be selected randomly (for example, from a list of telephone subscribers) or by the "snowball" method, when one respondent names a candidate who meets the given criteria, and this candidate names another candidate, etc. It is impossible to use already established groups, since the system of established relations affects the nature of the discussion;
• writing a guide (organized plan). It consists of a greeting, explanation of the basic rules, formulation of questions, divided into semantic blocks; the guide indicates the time and duration of the breaks. The guide ends with an expression of gratitude to the participants.

Process

Before the discussion, when unfamiliar participants gather, the moderator and his assistants greet the incoming, create a relaxed atmosphere. It is important to ensure the following procedural points:

• the room where the discussion is held should be spacious and comfortable (armchairs, carpet, soft light, etc.);
• there must be a large table where the participants in the discussion could use notes, forms, drawings. At the table(s) during the break or before the discussion, participants are offered coffee, tea, soft drinks, etc.;
• if the question of the quality of a product is discussed, then appropriate samples are provided.

At the beginning of the discussion, the moderator informs the participants of the goals and basic rules of the discussion, while noting for himself some of their personal characteristics. Then the discussion participants get to know each other.

The discussion, as a rule, begins with open-ended questions that reveal the nature of the participants, the diversity of their opinions. Closed questions are usually asked towards the end of the discussion, which allows the answers to be focused on specific aspects of the problem under discussion. During the discussion, the moderator is advised to avoid evaluative remarks both in verbal form (“I agree”, “good”, “wrong”) and in non-verbal form (nodding, shaking the head, gesture of denial, etc.).

During the discussion, the moderator quietly controls the group, using 5-second pauses and “questions” such as: “Can you explain in more detail?”, “Can you give an example?”

At the end of the discussion, he recalls its goals, summarizes what has been said, thanks the participants and says goodbye to them. Subsequently, the recording of the discussion is transcribed and printed. Based on the received transcript, an analysis is carried out and a report is drawn up.

Most people think of market research as focus groups. How often in an election year do you hear, "Our focus groups have shown that the problems lie in the economic situation"? Or, “We did focus groups and it turned out that people really like the new taste”? Or: “Our focus groups said that we really have a product that women like more than men”?

The focus group method is known to everyone and yet misunderstood by everyone. Focus groups are a tool for conducting qualitative research. The word "qualitative" means "intended for observation". "Intended for observation" means:

• gaining insight into existing beliefs;
• getting an idea of ​​the image and perception;
• familiarization with existing preferences and dislikes;
• listening to suggestions and ideas;
• listening to arguments for and against;
• listening to stories of good and bad experiences;
• listening to positive and negative comments.

In observation, no quantification of the degree of importance of one issue over another can be made. You cannot know if a given problem is important for one person or for millions of people. You can't find out anything other than that there is a problem.

How important is it to know that there is a problem? It is important because this is only the first step. Relying entirely on the opinions and ideas expressed in focus groups is marketing and financial suicide. In fact, if you're planning on making a big decision based solely on the results of the focus groups, you probably shouldn't spend money on them at all, just make an educated guess.

How should focus groups be used in this case? They should be used strictly for their intended purpose:

• To describe a situation, a point of reference. Focus groups are just the first step. They constitute an exploratory study and are carried out solely in order to identify possible options solve a problem, understand all the influencing factors and better understand what is going on in the minds of existing and potential customers.
• To clarify your ideas and set goals. Focus group research is designed to clarify ideas about the problem so that the objectives of the research can be precisely established. They help you figure out what you don't already know and what you need to know.
• To identify the right questions. Focus groups help determine the questions to ask consumers and how they should be asked.
• To find existing opportunities. Focus groups demonstrate which methods and approaches can work and which don't. They indicate areas where improvements and changes may be needed, or where there may be unmet desires, needs, aspirations, or passions.
• To test the possibilities. The focus group can be asked the question “what if?..” What if we did more or less of this or that - would this lead to growth in our business? What new ideas would be worth testing to see if they could give us a competitive advantage or increase our likelihood of success?

The value of focus groups is that they allow you to find out what is happening, but do not answer the question of whether something should be done about it.

Determining the objectives of the study by the method

Focus Groups and Discussion Scripting Below are typical objectives of a focus group study, in this case for an Apex Company wallpaper catalog.

The overall goal has two parts: 1) to get an idea of ​​the attitude of customers towards buying wallpaper from catalogs sent by mail; 2) study customer attitudes more deeply in order to improve the catalog and increase the likelihood of using it to make a purchase. Specific tasks include:

• identifying factors that motivate customers to open and view the wallpaper catalog that came into their home;
• determining the attitude of customers to a large 80-page catalog in comparison with a 40-page one;
• identifying strengths and weaknesses catalogs that do not compete in the market;
• identifying aspects that need to be addressed in order to make the Apex catalog a desirable way to purchase wallpaper.

Obviously, in this case, it is not required to determine what is most or least important for consumers when ordering wallpaper from catalogs. The task is to identify the aspects that make up the process of making a purchase decision. This is the correct use of focus groups. The discussion script below is based on the objectives of the study and can be used to guide a focus group.

1. General issue:
   • introductory information;
2. Catalogs:
   • When a wallpaper catalog enters your home, what immediately grabs your attention? What is the basis of your decision to look at some directories and not look at others?
   • Revealing the importance of a well-recognized name in the decision to view the wallpaper catalog once received.
   • Revealing the importance of having new, unique products or products that are different from those found elsewhere.
   • Identification of the importance of prices and a clear description of goods.
   • Revealing the importance of companies having their own credit plans in addition to conventional credit cards.
   • Identification of the importance of being able to track the status of the order by phone or on the Internet.
3. Directory companies:
   • What catalog wallpaper companies do you know? What companies did you buy from? Why exactly these?
   • What companies that sell wallpaper from catalogs do you know, but did not buy wallpaper from them? Why? What makes you buy from some and not buy from others?
   • Compile a list of catalogs that have been purchased / known to members. Compare them according to the following parameters:
     • the quality of goods;
     • ease of purchase;
     • good price offers/sales promotion activities;
     • customer service;
     • reputation;
     • price.
4. Comparison of Apex with competitors:
   • Offer two Apex catalogs and two competitor catalogs. Give respondents 15 minutes to view. Do respondents have comments about what they like and dislike about each catalogue?
   • Ask respondents to rank catalogs according to their attractiveness. Which directory do you find the most attractive? (Choose the most attractive.) Why this one? List your most/least attractive traits.
   • Is it possible to easily make a purchase decision based on the catalog?
   • How can a directory help?
   • Is the catalog easy to read? How is it shown?
   • Is the directory unique/different from others? What is it expressed in?
   • What do you think about the way the products are displayed and described? What do you think about photo quality / color accuracy?
   • What can you say about the proposed product groups / depth and breadth of choice?
   • What can you say about prices?
   • If you wanted to place an order, could you place it without calling customer service? If not, what do you need to know?
   • What additional information do you need to make a decision to buy a catalog item?

Repeat the process for the other three directories. It is clear from the discussion scenario that this focus group study aims to obtain basic information and generating ideas on what can be done to improve the competitiveness of the Apex catalog. Under no circumstances are the objectives of the study, nor the scenario of the discussion, meant to attempt to reach a consensus or identify the most important issues. The results of the focus groups will allow the company to identify aspects that need to be addressed in order to make the catalog more competitive. This list must then be examined by a survey method designed to determine which of the items can provide the greatest competitive advantage.

What should be expected from focus groups?

When you complete a focus group study, you will learn much more about your problems. You will better understand what you need to “focus” on your product, company, marketing or advertising in order to become more successful. Discussing an issue in a focus group will open up potential opportunities that you can explore to help grow your business.

No matter how compelling the conclusions of the focus group results seem, you must resist the temptation to immediately jump into costly interventions. Do not allow yourself to make a decision based on the fact that 30 or 40 people have expressed a certain opinion. Worse, it can only be complacency because focus group respondents agree with your opinion or homegrown theories. Don't assume your research is over. Rather, it is a reason to be confident that you now have a better understanding of the existing problems and their potential solutions and can start looking for those that will allow you to make more money.

Organization of focus groups

When planning focus groups, there are many different factors to consider: the composition of the groups, their number, the most suitable venues, whether a man or a woman is more suitable for the role of moderator.

The question of who should lead the focus group is an interesting one. Many years ago, I had a client in the pharmaceutical industry who was marketing birth control pills. All of his focus groups were conducted among female respondents by female moderators, which seemed to be the most appropriate. The company's managers liked the way I was doing focus groups on her headache medications, and they asked me if I could do a couple of focus groups on contraceptives for women. Just for experiment. The rationale was that, as a man, I could play a completely ignorant person and women would tell me things that they would not consider it necessary to tell a female moderator, because they would consider them obvious. I reluctantly agreed to lead these groups.

Conducting these focus groups proved uncomfortable for me and difficult for the women who participated. I blushed and felt embarrassed when I asked women very personal questions about their intimate life. The women fidgeted in their chairs and gave me only short and sharp answers. At the end of each group, I informed the women that we were conducting an experiment and asked them how they felt in the company of a male moderator. Most of all, I remember the answer of an attractive 25-year-old single woman who said: “Well, of course, you are a professional, but, unfortunately, you don’t understand anything about it. Men don't understand us."

In most cases, however, it doesn't matter at all whether the focus group is conducted by a man or a woman. A competent moderator can effectively guide the discussion towards the goals indicated by any scenario. If the topic is particularly sensitive, you just need to connect the usual common sense when deciding who to prefer as a moderator - a man or a woman, to ask appropriate questions. Consider the following guidelines when organizing focus groups.

Try to select respondents who are homogeneous in composition. Once you have established your research goals, you should identify the target customers, existing or potential, that can provide the greatest opportunity for growth. Do you want to get active consumers to spend even more with you? Turn low-buyers into active consumers? Turn consumers of your competitor's products into consumers of your products?

Set your priorities. Don't try to learn everything you can about everyone at once. When you run groups of like-minded respondents, it's much easier to get a crystal-clear view of a given target segment. When you mix target segments in one group, it is very difficult to determine whether the views of the representatives of one segment influenced the answers of the representatives of the other segment. You may not get a clear view of the problem because your respondents are very diverse in lifestyle and demographics, and this does not allow you to come to any specific conclusions.

There are certain situations where combining different types of respondents in the same group can be productive: for example, mixing older and younger respondents, men and women, active and low-buying consumers. Such groups express a wide range of unrelated views, opinions, attitudes and preferences, which can be best result for specific purposes of conducting a focus group. Just keep in mind that when working with respondents from very different target segments at the same time, it is much more difficult to develop a clear idea about each of them individually.

Always conduct at least two focus groups of the same type

If you decide that you need to better understand the consumer attitudes of both high and low purchasers, run two groups for each type of respondent. If you want to focus on comparing young and older respondents' attitudes towards the product, run two groups for each age category. Remember: it is wiser to have two groups separately for each type of respondent, rather than relying on the opinion of one group.

Even if the respondents have similar characteristics, this does not mean that they show the same attitude towards the product.

In fact, you should be prepared to hear diametrically opposed opinions from the participants in the first and second groups. The challenge, in principle, is to understand why respondents with the same characteristics have such different opinions.

You will also find that the first group will give you a general idea of ​​the problem. This will allow you to get an initial idea of ​​​​the attitude of consumers to the product and how to build a more productive discussion. Then, by having a proper discussion with the second group, you will be able to get much more information. By looking at both groups together, you will develop a deep understanding and a correct perception of the existing problems.

Moderators like to repeat: "Having one group for a specific target segment can be counterproductive." Therefore, it is always necessary to conduct two for each type, to make sure that the first group was not a collection of eccentric and peculiar individuals.

Consider different venues for groups

If you operate your business in multiple geographies, conduct focus groups for at least two geographic regions. Attitudes towards a product and its perception often differ from each other in different geographical areas, so it is advisable to present at least two of them in the study. If it seems to you that consumer assessments vary geographically, then you may need to develop different marketing approaches to match these features.

Focus group services

In almost every major market, there are organizations that offer focus group services from where you can invite a moderator. The sole purpose of these organizations is to support professionals who wish to conduct focus groups. If you need a moderator, most of them will provide you with such a specialist (for a fee, of course) or refer you to a person with whom they have previously worked. These organizations provide a range of services:

• Rental of premises for conducting - focus groups, where the client can observe the groups without getting into the field of view of the respondents.
• Recruiting the right type of respondent for your groups and ensuring they are present at the specified time and location.
• Recruiting specific respondents, such as doctors; business leaders; people with certain medical problems; respondents who are versed in high technologies; children; elderly people; representatives of national minorities, etc.
• Issuing rewards (usually cash) to respondents for participating in groups.
• Provision of dishes for tastings.
• Providing audio recordings, video recordings, and any audio and video equipment you may need.
• Ordering and serving drinks and food.

Working with organizations that provide focus group services is very easy. A member of the organization is assigned to carry out your project, and he first calculates the upcoming costs with you, and then ensures and controls the planned implementation of your research.

Finding such an organization is quite easy. It is worth opening the telephone directory and choosing and calling the most convenient or top-rated local organizations from your point of view. I usually find myself calling organizations that provide a toll free number. The list of organizations conducting focus groups can also be found free of charge on the Internet.

Service cost

Organizations that provide focus group services offer an approximate cost for each service offered. The cost of services consists of the following items:

1. Room rental. You should expect to spend $400-$500 for a typical two-hour focus group. Multiply this amount by the number of focus groups you plan to conduct. The price includes a meeting room, a whiteboard, pens and paper for respondents, and an audio recording of the process. It also includes a 'two-way mirror' observation room that can comfortably accommodate 6-12 people watching the group, as well as an organizer to make sure everything goes as it should.
2. Recruitment of respondents. Variable costs ranging from $70 to $200 per respondent. The average cost is $90. This means that if you recruit 10 people to participate in a group, you simply multiply the cost per respondent by 10. If you are running 4 groups, you should multiply the figure by 4. whether it is easy or difficult for organizers to find the right type of respondent (see the next section on focus group scenarios). Most focus group organizations have a database of people who have expressed a desire to participate in the groups, and most surveys involve respondents selected from this database. The organizers can also recruit respondents from the list you provide. Perhaps you want to conduct a focus group with your clients and have their names, phone numbers, and addresses. Or, depending on your specific needs, organizers can recruit respondents using local telephone directories or by placing ads in local newspapers.
3. Reward. Paying financial incentives to respondents for participating in focus groups is a common practice. Rewards are typically in the same order of magnitude as the cost of recruiting a respondent. If an acquisition costs $70, then a $70 incentive is usually sufficient. If the recruitment is valued at $200 per respondent, their reward will be close to $200. If you recruit 40 respondents for four focus groups and the reward is $70, then the final amount will be $2,800, of course, in when all the respondents actually come to participate in the group. Usually two to four respondents don't show up, and you don't have to pay a fee to those who don't show up. In some situations, other incentives are used (for example, goods, coupons, big discounts on purchases in certain stores, etc.), but this is generally less effective in motivating respondents to participate in the group and ensure their presence.
4. Other costs. There are other variable costs that are included in the estimates provided by the focus group organizers. They include food and drinks ordered by you. Some organizers include free video filming in the total rental amount of the premises, but rarely. In addition, special audio and video equipment (projectors, computers, etc.) is often required and additional charges apply. Many organizations have fully equipped kitchens in case your research requires food preparation.

Questionnaires for the selection of focus group participants (screening)

The questionnaire for the selection of focus group participants (screening) is a short questionnaire provided during the selection of respondents by the moderator of the organization preparing the focus groups. The following is a typical example of such a questionnaire for a digital camera market research conducted by a camera store. Pay attention to the explanations regarding the various sections of the questionnaire.

Screening Questionnaire for Digital Camera Market Research

Hello. My name is ____________________ , I represent the company ______________________, which organizes market research. First of all, I want to assure you that this is not a telephone sale. We are doing research among people who are interested in buying cameras. Do you have a few minutes to answer questions? Good.
First of all, please tell me, are you or any of your family members involved in the production or sale of cameras?

As a general rule, it is desirable to weed out respondents who work in or are associated in some way with the industry in which your research is being conducted. This is done in order to exclude participation in groups of atypical respondents or to prevent a potential competitor from learning about your research.

Have you participated in any focus groups initiated by a camera company in the last six months?
(If the answer is yes, end the survey.)

It is unwise to allow respondents to participate in groups if they have recently taken part in research on a similar topic, as they may become overinformed; they should be considered atypical. However, in some cases, the respondent's familiarity with the topic can be useful and provide valuable information. In such cases, remove this question from the questionnaire. The feasibility of involving such respondents is discussed further.

When it comes to buying a camera for you or your family, is your opinion the most important factor in deciding where to buy?
(If not, ask the person on the phone whose opinion in the family is decisive.)

It is advisable to speak directly with the person you want to see in the group. It makes no sense to select a respondent in a group only to later find out that he does not make decisions regarding your products and services.

Do you have school age children living with you?

Do you have a computer at home?
(If the answer is "no" - complete the survey.)
Do you personally use cell phone, pager, PDA (personal digital assistant) or laptop all the time?
(If the answer is "no" - complete the survey.)
Are you interested in digital cameras and digital photography?

• You are very interested.
• A little interested.
• You are not interested.

(Your task is to attract as many interested people as possible.)

This series of questions aims to select only those respondents who have children and who are technologically literate. As you can guess from the questions that follow, the purpose of this focus group is to explore attitudes towards buying digital cameras. These questions provide getting into the group of respondents from the target segment. Of course, you will have to decide for yourself what questions to ask potential respondents when recruiting them to participate in your research.

In the past 120 days, have you personally visited retail stores to review the range of cameras available or to purchase a camera?
(If the answer is "no" - complete the survey.)

Because the company is retail cameras, it is important to make sure that the respondent in the group has recently become personally acquainted with the assortment of retail stores and made a decision not only on the basis of information from the Internet or catalogs. It is recommended, if appropriate, to include such questions in the screening questionnaire for your focus group.

Which camera retailer do you most often go to to check out what's available?
(Do not read the list. The group is made up of buyers from different stores.)
The store of the company that commissioned the study:
- Walmart;
- Costco;
- other.
(If the answer is "others" - complete the survey.)

In this case, the focus group is conducted among respondents who are loyal to the three listed trading companies. If the research was for Wal-Mart and they wanted to invite targeted customers to the focus group, this question would also be acceptable. The same question can be used to identify and attract respondents who are loyal to any other competitor. The exact same question is used when you want to staff a group with your own clients.

What is the approximate percentage of purchases of equipment for home use, in particular cameras, computers, PDAs or entertainment products, has been made:

• in a retail store; (Requires at least 51%.)
• by catalog, telephone or fax;
• through the Internet.

The study is being conducted to identify attitudes towards buying digital cameras in a retail store. It can be reiterated that the most important thing in this case is to attract buyers whose main point of purchase is retail stores, and not any other channel.

We would like to invite you to participate in a discussion about camera purchases. The focus group is being held on [date/time]. Your participation in it will be paid. Could you visit a retail store near you before the focus group. We would like to ask you to review the products of the Digital Camera Division and fill out a short questionnaire. Again, no one will try to sell you anything as a result of your participation in a focus group. Do you want to take part?

Prior to the focus group, respondents are asked to visit the digital camera section of a retail store. This should freshen up their minds before participating in the discussion so that they can better express their attitudes and opinions regarding digital cameras for sale. As mentioned above, it is sometimes useful to ensure that respondents are more aware of the research topic before they take part in the group. Please familiarize yourself with the range - a good way to achieve this.

I have a few more questions to classify. Your age [preferably different age groups]:

• up to 21;
• from 21 to 34;
• from 35 to 44;
• from 45 to 54;
• 55 and over.

Do you work [preferably a mixed team]:

• full-time;
• part-time;
• don't work.

Your family's pre-tax income is [do not invite more than three people with income over $50,000 to a group]:

• up to 50 thousand dollars
• over 50 thousand dollars

Usually part of the screening questionnaire is a series of demographic questions. Setting demographic quotas ensures sufficient diversity of respondents. In this case, employment and income are important factors in generating such diversity.

Please write down the date and time [repeat]. How can I send you the questionnaire - by fax or mail? If by fax, what number? We'll call you back in a few days to make sure you've received the questionnaire and to remind you of the group's time. If for any reason you are unable to attend, please call us at [number] and let us know. Thank you.
Name.
Address.
Telephone.

It is always a good idea to re-contact respondents to make sure they have received necessary materials, and remind them of the invitation.

Focus group selection questionnaires can be relatively simple and straightforward, or complex. Questionnaires should be accurate enough to attract respondents whose opinions are a cross-section of the opinions of your target segment. It is clear that you would like to avoid spending money on recruiting respondents whose opinions are of no interest to you. The number of questions required to complete this task will determine the length of your screening questionnaire.

Of course, there are situations when, despite your best efforts, the selection questionnaire does not contain sufficiently precise questions to strictly select the right target respondents. In such cases, you will get a few unsuitable personalities in the group, which can nevertheless be a rewarding experience. At the very least, you'll get information that challenges your perceptions of your target market. This will allow you to develop the questions of the selection questionnaire more accurately next time.

How should a moderator act to effectively conduct a focus group

Should you conduct focus groups yourself, or is it better to pay an experienced moderator? This is about the same as asking lawyers if they should represent their own interests in a court hearing in a criminal case. However, many lawyers are able to defend themselves in lawsuits and they do it with great success. If you want to be an effective moderator, you need to start somewhere. And if you have the necessary qualities, it will not take you long to achieve success in this matter. To decide if you are a good fit for a moderator, you need to consider the following.

Exclude your own "I"

A good moderator does not allow his own "I" to be included in the process. He does not think about whether the respondents like something or not. He doesn't try to convince anyone of anything. It has absolutely nothing to do with the subject matter. He is absolutely neutral and recognizes the ideas of any of those present as equally significant. He is here to get information and hear everyone's opinion.

An experienced moderator is absolutely impartial.

This is perhaps the most important aspect of successfully running a focus group. I have seen company presidents, CMOs, brand managers, and marketing research people trying to act as focus group moderators. They were very smart people who knew a lot about their products and services, definitely more than the respondents in their focus groups. But they failed completely as moderators.

The minute the group senses that the moderator has a position on the subject, it becomes lost to exploration. Nothing gets a group off the ground like a leader who can't raise a question without prejudice. If it seems to the respondent that the moderator considers his opinion untenable, because he feels the need to either prove to the respondent that he is wrong, or change his point of view to his own, the respondent will be completely lost to the study, and most likely all other participants along with it groups.

To determine if you can take your ego out of the focus group process, try to be honest with the following questions:

• Can you be absolutely impartial for two hours?
• Can you resist a defensive reaction?
• Can you smile at respondents when your insides are seething because you don't like their words?
• Can you let respondents be experts in what they want to look like, even if they have no idea what they're talking about?
• Can you learn to ask questions in a way that gives respondents the opportunity to change their minds without feeling intimidated or humiliated?
• Can you hide your judgments that respondents are stupid, slow-witted, uninformed, or misinformed?
• Can you equally treat any opinion as significant, whether you like the respondent or not, whether he annoys you or not?
• Can you appear calm and not show concern if you are thrown off track or confused?
• Can you carefully listen to the respondents whom you perceive as lower than yourself in social status?
• Can you not show your personal interest in what the focus group participants are telling you?
• Can you resist being frustrated or bewildered when one group after another tells conflicting stories or presents the picture in completely different ways?

If you answer "no" to any of these questions, you'd better get a professional moderator and learn how it works until you get over your "I" problem. Otherwise, trying to conduct focus groups on your own will turn into a waste of money.

Keep calm

During my first few years as a moderator, I broke out in sweat during focus groups. I was nervous. Worried about every little thing. What does a client watching my group think? Will I be able to cover all the questions written in my script? Are my respondents saying what I think my client wants to hear? Am I asking the right questions, with the right intonation? I was a restless moderator.

The tension itself does not diminish your ability to effectively conduct a focus group. Despite the fact that I got nervous every time I started a new study, I was a good moderator. This did not stop me from turning off my own ego and believing in what I was on. the right way. And I did not lose the ability to listen carefully to the respondents.

As I became more experienced, I learned to relax and enjoy what I was doing. The two-hour groups flew by like an instant. I have honed my ability to maintain a wide range of perspectives when research is about large strategic issues. And when the focus was on narrow, tactical issues, I scrutinized every little detail.

If you can step back from your self and learn how to stay calm during a focus group, you can become a good moderator. Everything else is a matter of practice. Take action!

Understand the essence of what is happening

There are no exactly the same focus groups. If your research requires four focus groups, you can be sure that each one will be different from the previous ones - sometimes a little, sometimes drastically. Many moderators, both novice and experienced, get lost in situations where respondents who, when completing the group, showed the same characteristics, for example, your best clients, subsequently express significantly different opinions from each other. In the first group, the best customers can enthusiastically talk about the quality of products, in the second group they can focus on excellent service and hardly remember the quality of the goods. The third and fourth groups can be a bunch of complainers who are dissatisfied with both quality and service, despite the fact that they are your best customers.

Remember that focus groups are not intended to reach consensus

Just as you begin to discover patterns in what focus group respondents are saying, just as you begin to feel the comfortable assurance of knowing you've dealt with the problem, the situation suddenly reverses. All your theories fall apart. And trust me, you will feel overwhelmed and lost.

It is extremely important to remember that focus group research must be viewed in its entirety and in retrospect. Just as in the process of conducting a focus group you need to step back from your ego, you must also get rid of any judgments about what you hear until all the groups have ended. If the research requires four focus groups, you will have an eight-hour discussion. What happens during the first hour of this discussion is no less and no more significant and important than everything that happens in the last hour. The goal is to observe the full range of opinions and attitudes and only then begin to analyze what is heard.

Don't be discouraged by the lack of consensus.

In fact, the word "consensus" has nothing to do with focus groups. You need to understand what you are dealing with, and this understanding means:

• that all groups must be held before you begin to comprehend what you hear;
• ideas, thoughts and ways of thinking demonstrated in one group should be tested in the next, and if the answers do not agree, then the goal is to understand why;
• finding out why you get negative opinions in one group and positive opinions in another, in fact, is the purpose of conducting focus groups;
• the purpose of focus groups is not to draw conclusions, their purpose is to collect opinions;
• the wider the range of opinions and attitudes you get, the better the moderator's job is done.

Experienced moderators positively perceive a certain lack of coherence in their focus groups. In situations where groups agree on an issue, it is tempting for any moderator to decide that the results are true for everyone, that they can be extrapolated. It is easy to fall into a false sense of certainty.

Remember, only survey research can help you determine whether the various opinions and ideas expressed in focus groups are important or not, and understand which ones can be key to improving your business.

warm up

Respondents in focus groups most likely don't know each other, and they certainly don't know you. Your job as a moderator is to make people feel at ease right away, and to let them know that what they say matters. In order not to spend more than 10-15 minutes on this, try the following techniques for warming up a group:

• Standard method of moderators. Most moderators ask respondents to introduce themselves one by one. It goes something like this: “Hello, my name is Bob. I have been conducting focus groups for many years. I'm an independent moderator and I'm invited to talk to people on a wide variety of topics. I want you to know that there is no right or wrong answer here. I'm only interested in your opinions, no matter what they are. First of all, I want each of you to introduce yourself. Susan, let's start with you. Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you live? Do you have a family? If you work, then who? The moderator then moves on to the next participant, moving around the table, looking at the name cards in front of each respondent, and addressing each by name.
• Attachment method. Using this method, you start by introducing yourself as above. But instead of asking each respondent in turn to introduce themselves, you tell the group, “Now I want to ask you to turn to the person next to you and introduce yourself. I would like you to know a little about him, for example: does he have a family, what does he work with, did he have a good day. Then I will ask you to introduce this person to the rest of the group. So, John, say hello to Susan. Bill, say hello to Jack,” etc. After the respondents are assigned to pairs, the moderator leaves the room for a few minutes while the respondents talk to each other. I like this approach because it allows one respondent to immediately connect with another, forming a connection. This gives respondents the opportunity to feel that they are not alone.

  More importantly, it raises the energy level in the room as everyone is involved in the action at the same time. After giving the audience a few minutes to talk, the moderator returns to the room and asks for everyone's attention. Respondents are asked to speak in turn, as it is difficult for a moderator to follow what one is saying if other voices are heard or people are interrupting the speaker. The moderator then turns to the first couple and says, "John, tell me about Susan."

• immersion method. Often the best way to start a focus group is to announce the topic directly. For example, the moderator might say, “Today we are going to talk about choosing a new car. Please take a pencil and paper and write down what you like and don't like about the process of choosing a new car. After giving respondents a few minutes to take notes, the moderator asks respondents to introduce themselves and then reads their entries. The moderator can also ask the respondents to greet each other, as in the initiation method, and jointly make lists of what they like and dislike in the process of choosing a new car.

The choice of approach often depends on the topic and type of focus group respondents. Groups made up of professionals (doctors, lawyers, and business leaders) are not well-received by the inclusion method. They often feel stupid imagining stranger in similar circumstances. Salespeople and blue-collar workers often feel embarrassed when asked to introduce a person they are seeing for the first time. However, for most other types of respondents, the method of inclusion is acceptable, makes them feel more comfortable and creates a mood for conversation.

Here are some more tips on what to do during the warm-up phase to make people feel comfortable:

• Don't be too serious. Smile. Laugh when appropriate.
• Tell us a little about yourself, if it is not relevant to your opinion about the problem under discussion. Tell respondents, “I know how you feel when kids scream in a restaurant. I know this feeling well."
• Walk around the room as people introduce themselves. This creates an informal atmosphere.
• Dress informally. Respondents respond better to an informally dressed moderator than to a guy who looks prim and formal.

Always address people by name

Some moderators are good at remembering names. If you have such a gift, refrain from using cards with the names of respondents on the meeting table. Simply introduce yourself when respondents enter the room and ask for their names. You will find that respondents like you to remember their names. As a result, they will be more open and willing to comment.

Most moderators do not want to comply hard work on remembering names and prefer to use flashcards. No problem. But whether you remember names or use flashcards, it is important to address respondents by their first names.

In any group, there are necessarily respondents who are more aggressive in expressing their opinions than the rest. The curse of any moderator is the presence in the group of one or two respondents who are too wordy, too confident in their opinion. Such people suppress the group if the moderators allow them to do so.

When a question is addressed to the group as a whole, overly verbose respondents tend to be the first to give their opinion. For example, the moderator might say, “I would like to talk about how it feels to open a new bank account. What are your thoughts on this?" If the moderator continues to ask questions to the group as a whole, the same two, three or four people will begin to answer them. It's better to take a different approach: “I'd like to talk about how it feels to open a new bank account. What do you think of this, John? If a respondent needs to be encouraged to express an opinion, this is no reason to consider his opinion more or less important than the opinion of dominant respondents. As a moderator, you must keep the equal time rule in mind at all times. At the end of the focus group, you should be sure that every respondent has spoken on almost every issue discussed. If you find that you can only remember the opinions of a few people, then you haven't followed the "equal time" rule. You have allowed the minority to dominate.

When you address a question to a particular respondent by addressing him by name, you not only reassure him and make him feel that his opinion is just as important as the opinion of anyone else, but also send a message to overly active respondents, forcing them to be silent. Most importantly, however, it levels the discussion and allows the moderator to understand the individual perspective of each of those present.

Listen carefully

Good moderators have the ability to notice nuance and detail, which makes focus groups extremely productive. Good moderators are able to focus all their attention on the speaking respondent. They are able to ignore other sounds entering their brain.

Moderators are generally very inclined to think about the next question to be asked or the next respondent to be asked while one of the respondents is answering their question. I have to tell you that it is impossible to listen carefully to a person while also thinking about what to do next. If you're too preoccupied with what you should do next, you're unlikely to be able to jump on a thought-provoking comment that can provoke an exceptionally productive line of questions. The ability to listen carefully to the respondent while thinking two questions ahead is also very important for an effective moderator. Some moderators have this natural ability, and some will never be able to learn it. To learn how to listen better, follow these guidelines:

• Rephrase. This means using what one respondent said when referring to another. Susan commented, “I love it when my husband buys me clothes. He understands new fashion trends very well.” The remark implies that Susan likes to dress fashionably, but may not trust her own judgment when choosing new clothes. Paraphrase her thought and turn to Hilary: “Susan said she loves fashionable clothes and trusts her husband in choosing clothes for her. What do you think about it, Hilary? Paraphrasing is one of those methods that makes moderators listen more carefully to the words of the respondents.
• Write it down. While the respondents are expressing their opinions and comments, the moderators can make some written notes for themselves. I prefer to stand near the blackboard and take notes on it right in front of the group. This not only helps me focus on what I'm listening to, but also allows respondents to feel the importance of what they're saying. Other moderators prefer to take notes in a notebook while sitting at the table. The whiteboard and notepad combination also works well. As you write, put innocuous marks (*, !, ^) next to comments that you find interesting and worthy of further probing or paraphrasing. By jotting down respondents' comments from time to time as you lead the group, you'll worry less about remembering to say something important and more about the intonation, form, and substance of what respondents are saying. This will give you the opportunity to focus on the comments at the moment they are spoken.
• Briefly summarize what has been said. Brief repetition is similar in nature to paraphrasing, but can be applied more broadly. Let's say you've just finished asking mothers about parenting problems. You made your notes and took 30 seconds to review them. You can briefly summarize what happened in the following way: “Well, you talked about many problems. In particular, about the problems of education, social problems, as well as problems comprehensive development, hobbies and outdoor activities. After that, you can turn to Emily: “Emily, how would you summarize everything that was said by those present?” Brief repetition gives everyone another chance to express themselves. It forces respondents to retell what they have heard in their own words. In this way, you can find new and unexpected information about the problem.
• Moderator change. In addition, listening carefully to respondents can be helped by replacing the moderator with one of the respondents for one or two questions. Have one or two respondents pose questions to the group. Respondents often have a completely different value orientation regarding the problem. Tell the group, “I asked a lot of questions about what it means to have a clean house. Please write a question about house cleaning that you would ask if you were the moderator of this focus group.” The moderator asks various respondents to ask their questions to the group, and then new or fresh thoughts will arise that can be probed.

These methods not only make the moderator listen better, but also create an active and engaged group. In addition, they give the moderator small pauses, allowing him to think over a plan for moving forward.

sounding

The main quality that distinguishes the best moderators from everyone else is understanding where and when to probe. They know and feel when to dig deeper, as there are many important information. There are hundreds of probing opportunities in every focus group. Once the general questions have been asked and answered, it's time for the most common probing question used by moderators: "Why?"

"Why?" - this is the beginning of what is called the "question ladder". If you ask a respondent "Why?" several times (two, three, four times), you will find a lot of information in their remarks.
Respondent: I like to drive fast.
Moderator: Why?
Respondent: Because it gives me a feeling of freedom.
Moderator: Why?
Respondent: Well, probably because there is no one around to tell me what to do.
Moderator: Why?
Respondent: Because my wife doesn't like it when I drive fast. When she is not with me, I can represent myself as Mario Andretti (American racing driver).

Probing the question "Why?" helps to penetrate deeper levels of feelings and relationships and bring to the surface those ideas that do not arise easily and quickly. In this case, the comment "I like to drive fast" is vague and needs to be probed and clarified. The finale of stair probing brings to the surface a whole system of value orientation towards racing cars, which would never have manifested itself without it.

Another example of probing is to use the respondent's answer as the basis for the next question.

Moderator: Why do you sometimes make coffee at home in the morning and sometimes go to Starbucks?
Respondent: I don't know. Just for variety.
Moderator: What do you mean by diversity?
Respondent: Sometimes in the morning I have a little more time to sit and relax. Even when I brew Starbucks coffee at home, it doesn't feel that way. So I go to the nearest Starbucks.
Moderator: Besides coffee, is there anything else you enjoy about sitting and relaxing at Starbucks?
Respondent: When I leave Starbucks, I am more prepared for the day ahead. And I feel more energetic than when I drink coffee at home. There I get a charge of vivacity.

You may have noticed that the moderator probed each answer given by the respondent, turning it into a new question. Such probing revealed the idea of ​​a boost of energy after visiting Starbucks versus staying at home, which could be interesting as an advertising concept that Starbucks could use in the future.

When probing, it is also acceptable to ask questions on the same topic to several respondents.

John: I like buying clothes at Lands' End because they fit me really well.
Moderator: Norman, what do you think about how the clothes from Lands "End fit?
Norman: She sits in a way that makes you feel spacious and comfortable.
Moderator: Harry, do you feel spacious and comfortable when you wear Lands' End?
Harry: I wouldn't say it's spacious and comfortable. I would describe it as informal, perhaps unpretentious.

Cross-probing of respondents allows you to maintain the participation of all respondents in the conversation. When using this method, care should be taken not to force responses from respondents who feel that the area being probed has little to do with what is important to them.

• When you get the same answer over and over again, chances are your questions are too shallow.
• When the responses you receive prevent you from taking the actions you feel you should take.
• When your instinct tells you there's more to it than what's been said.
• When your experience tells you that what respondents say cannot be used to increase sales.
• When you really know all the nuances of the answers.
• When you are looking for something that can lead to a paradigm shift.
• When you just get bored with the answers you get.
• Sounding is more like an art, and it works best when you are based on your feelings. The more experience a moderator has with a given product category, the greater his ability to identify areas where probing can pay off. If respondents give unusual or extraordinary answers, an experienced moderator will not leave them unattended and use them as an occasion to probe and deepen in search of the true meaning.

Effective sounding skills come with experience.

You can speed up this process by listening to the audio recordings of your groups. And be surprised how often you missed the respondent's remark, the probing of which could add so much to existing knowledge.

Knowing when to move on to the next question

You should always avoid exhausting a topic to the bottom. When questioning or probing a particular issue ceases to be productive, on the one hand, it bothers the respondents, and on the other hand, it becomes a waste of the group's valuable time. Understanding when you reach this point is not easy. You can feel that the moment has come:

• if you have given each respondent a chance to answer the same basic set of questions and feel that you can now summarize their collective opinions and feelings;
• all respondents gave approximately the same answer to the question;
• you tried to probe the topic by paraphrasing and did not get any new information;
• you are able to predict what respondents will say;
• you feel that the respondents become inattentive and lose interest.

Understanding the moment when to move from one issue to another comes from the "sense of the group". Respondents will let you know if they have more to say on the topic. They may shake their heads in agreement or disagreement while another respondent is speaking, or they may try to interrupt him because they are itching to say more. They can react to every comment and start talking before you ask a question.

If these things happen, you will understand that the group is involved and has something to say. In fact, when this happens, the group is doing the real work. The moderator becomes the referee, whose job it is to ensure that everyone present is heard. Another important point when moving on to the next question, it is understanding how much time you have. When developing a discussion scenario, it is taken into account that some issues are always more important than others. Most moderators pre-calculate the amount of time they have to spend on each question and move on to the next one when the time limit is reached. Below is a scripted discussion that you've seen earlier in this chapter (note that italics indicate how the moderator allocated time to each question).

1. General Issues (15 minutes total; complete 15 minutes after the group starts):
   • introductory information;
   • what do customers like / dislike about purchasing wallpaper from catalogs;
   • whether the respondents have recently bought/plan to buy wallpaper;
   • factors that determine the choice between buying from a catalog and going to the nearest retail store.
2. Catalogs (25 minutes total; complete 40 minutes after the group starts):
   • When a wallpaper catalog enters your home, what immediately grabs your attention? What makes you decide to browse some directories and not others?
   • What should be the catalog cover to grab your attention? What about catalogs that make you look through them, and those that you just glance at?
Probe the notion of importance:

• the role of a well-recognized name in the decision to view the wallpaper catalog when received;
• the presence of new, unique goods or goods that differ from those that can be found in other places;
• prices, clear description;
• companies have their own credit plans in addition to regular credit cards;
• the ability to track the status of the order by phone or on the Internet;
• If you are satisfied with a company's catalog, how important is price in making a repeat purchase decision? Will you continue comparative analysis prices?

Repeat the process for the other three directories.

Within each of the above sections, there are many more questions you should ask, time permitting. However, it is clear that the primary task of the group is to probe deeply into the questions posed in section 4. Developing other sections with clarifying or circumstantial questions after major opinions have been received would take time from section 4 and thus jeopardize the goal of the entire focus group. To know when to move on to the next question, it's best to know ahead of time what you want to achieve with your focus group. Resist the temptation to waste time on questions that are not critical to the group's goal. Resist the temptation to waste time asking questions if you know how respondents will answer them.

Following the script of the discussion

The key word here is "scenario". The discussion script is not a questionnaire. The questionnaire is filled in by the respondent according to a predetermined scheme, mechanically. The scenario of the discussion is implemented creatively in the focus group, with an understanding of the goals of the group. When you first look at a road map, you most likely see the entire route leading to your destination. As you progress, you check your roadmap to make sure you haven't taken a wrong turn.

A discussion script is like a roadmap: it also needs to be checked to make sure the group is moving in the right direction.

It is impossible to follow the discussion script exactly as written. Focus group conversations don't work that way. Don't even try. In my experience, despite the importance of the script, I hardly ever look into it when the focus group begins. The scenario defines the areas to be covered and the total time allotted to explore each one. It also serves to fix in my memory the range of questions that need to be asked.

But the script becomes almost superfluous after one or two focus groups in a study that involves four to six focus groups. Therefore, I will be able to better understand the mindset of the respondents if I do not change my questions and the approaches used in the first groups. So I put the script aside and ask questions based on my intuition.

Not all moderators accept this way of working, and it's definitely not the best approach for a beginner moderator. There is a certain convenience in following the script exactly and not taking risks by letting the group move freely. But this is essentially a matter of experience and taste. There is no right or wrong approach here. To wrap up the above, here are my recommendations on how to use the discussion script:

• See Section 1 for how respondents are scheduled to be introduced just before they enter the room. Pay attention to how much time you have and wait until everyone is seated. Each respondent will take approximately 30 seconds to introduce themselves. Plan your time accordingly. See how much time you have for the next section of the script. As the conversation unfolds, the scripted questions will come naturally to you as you observe the conversation. If it doesn't occur to you what question should be next, take a look at the script.
• Take a look at the script before closing the section. If you see attractive questions that you haven't asked yet, ask them. If not, move on.
• Look at the time. Notice the title of the next section, skim through the first questions, and get started. If it doesn't occur to you what question to ask, take a look at the script.
• Don't be afraid to skip a section. If, at the end of Section 2, it seems reasonable to you to skip Section 3 in favor of Section 4, skip ahead. Section 3 can be discussed later.
• If you need the group to complete any tasks or tests, look at the script from time to time to remind yourself of what you have to do (see the next section on focus group exercises).
• Look at the script a few minutes before the group is scheduled to end. You may have covered almost everything that is important. If not, you still have time to fill in the gaps.

Use the results of each focus group when it's time to explore thoughts and ideas about the main topics. Keep in mind that research can come to the same result in different ways. The discussion script should be seen as a tool to help the researcher, nothing more.

Tasks for the group

The use of focus group assignments can be very helpful. By tasks, I mean periods in the process of leading a group, when the moderator asks the respondents to work independently, in pairs or in a team. Such tasks diversify the course of work and are especially useful in situations where the group is stalling.

Group assignments can be either planned or spontaneous. If they are scheduled and are part of a discussion script, the moderator knows exactly when they should be proposed and how long they will take. If they are not scheduled, the facilitator should decide, as appropriate, when to hold them and explain to the group what to do at the appropriate time. Tasks can be useful for:

• searching for new ideas, needs and desires;
• trying to identify activities that you can take to change the behavior of buyers;
• critical evaluation of promotional products, catalogs or other materials used in sales;
• attempts to develop unique features of a product or company;
• trying to identify improvements that should be made to the product.

Group assignments can also be used in situations where moderators are having difficulty or simply need a break to collect their thoughts and understand what the group is talking about. Almost any task can be completed individually, in pairs or as a team.

• Individual tasks are useful to get each respondent to think about the problem and become a more active member of the group.
• Paired tasks usually work better for generating ideas and new approaches. Situations of exchange of opinions are more productive in generating new ideas than individual work.
• Team assignments generate fewer ideas, thoughts, or approaches, but the ones they bring to life tend to be more thoughtful or conceptualized.

There is no right or wrong approach to assignments. Sometimes they bring unexpected results, sometimes they are completely unproductive. The following are typical focus group activities that can be done individually, in pairs or in teams. Each task usually takes 5-10 minutes to complete.

• Write an advertisement for a product or company. Ask individual respondents or a team to present their version of the ad to the group and explain why they offer that option.
• Company personality. Prepare a selection of completely different magazine clippings with photos and pictures. Lay them in the center of the table. Ask individual respondents or a team to select from three to five pictures that they think convey the personality of the company or product being researched. Have the respondents explain why they think the selected pictures represent the identity of the company.
• A look into the future. Ask each respondent to write individually what needs to be done about the company or product in the next five years in order to make them want to buy the products of the company in question. Let them present their ideas.
• Wish List. Ask individual respondents or a team to create and submit a future wish list of how the company or product can make their lives easier.
• Criticism. You can criticize everything: advertising, catalog, product, idea. Criticism tends to deepen when couples or teams act in 'conspiracy'. Have the pairs or teams make a list of criticisms, present it, and make suggestions for correction.

Tasks are given to focus groups, as a rule, not so much to get actionable ideas (although great ideas can sometimes come up), but to look at the problem from different angles. Assignments are most often one of the moderator's best stimulators of thought, and also contribute to the promotion of new ideas and theories, which can then be explored in the same group or in subsequent ones.

Homework before the focus group

Sometimes it can be helpful to ask participants to reflect in advance on the topic of an upcoming focus group. Although the respondents for your group will be selected and represent your target market, do not expect them to be familiar with all the issues that you are going to discuss in the group.

It is often important to get a spontaneous reaction or opinion from the respondents. However, in other situations, preliminary familiarization of respondents with the topic of the group is more productive. Pay attention to the examples.

• You want to know what respondents think about customer service in retail stores where they buy diamonds, expensive electronic equipment, organic products, or the like. In this case, it is extremely useful to ask respondents to visit several of these stores before coming to the group. This will give them a fresh perspective on the current level of customer service. Their comments will be less hypothetical.
• You may be interested in the aspect related to the packaging of competing products. If you sell cosmetics, ask your respondents to visit the beauty department of stores and buy two products in packages they like and two in packages they don't like (you'll have to refund them). When they bring these packages to the group, their task will be to compare and contrast these packages.
• Ask respondents to keep a diary. For example, you are trying to discover unmet needs in the area of ​​kitchen appliances. Instruct your respondents to keep a diary for a week, where they should write down all the difficulties that occur during the cooking process. Usually these are minor things that are quickly forgotten. But they can lead to a breakthrough. Respondent diaries prepared for a group can be very productive.
• Ask respondents to bring press clippings. Let them know the topics to be discussed. Instruct them to browse newspapers, magazines, or Google and collect interesting articles from their point of view related to your topic. Use these materials to stimulate conversation.

Circumstances vary, but often immersing respondents in the topic of the upcoming study before they come to participate in the work of the group turns out to be productive. Remember: they don't think about your problem the way you do. By encouraging them to do so, you will be able to get as much information as possible.

Building a big picture from group to group

Focus group research is a series of dynamic building blocks. Each of the groups will open up new information and new ways of thinking about the problem. As the moderator moves from one group to another, he is keenly aware of the different views and inconsistencies in the opinions of the respondents.

It is always interesting from group to group to develop new theories and seek an answer to the question why respondents with approximately the same characteristics have completely different views and attitudes. In addition, concepts and ideas that are recognized as successful by one group should be explored in subsequent groups. It should always be remembered that the absolutely identical conduct of each group is not the correct principle of the study.

Focus group research involves a process of continuous training for the moderator as he progresses from group to group. If the results of such training require deviating from the scenario of the discussion, or changing the approach to take into account new knowledge, or using different tasks, you should not hesitate to do so.

Recall a respondent

Calling a respondent back simply means that the same respondents are invited to the second and third focus group meetings, and possibly subsequent ones. This technique of conducting focus groups is not popular, which does not reduce its potential effectiveness.

When you invite and interview respondents for the first time, they tell you what spontaneously came to their mind during those two hours. For most focus group studies, this is sufficient. But when it comes to finding unmet needs, desires, aspirations, or passions, you're unlikely to learn much from those first two hours. When shopping, customers usually do not think about your company, product or service. Especially when it comes to inexpensive goods. They may accidentally read your promotional booklet or product label. But in most cases, they buy without hesitation. And they definitely don't think about what improvements you need to make. And if you ask them about it in the two hours that the focus group takes place, they are unlikely to be able to come up with something that goes beyond the obvious.

By revealing a secret to respondents, telling them what you want to achieve, you arouse their interest. Create awareness of your issue. You make them more responsive to the fact that you want to improve your company, product or service for their sake and thereby force them to be more loyal to you.

Think about it this way. If I give you two hours to come up with a great new product that meets a need you didn't even know you had, what do you think you can offer me? Probably not! But if I gave you four, six, or eight hours and told you that you have time to familiarize yourself with the problem and take a closer look at your own needs, do you think your chances of discovering new opportunities would increase?

On many levels, the two-hour focus groups turn out to be only a superficial probe of consumer attitudes and behavior. Try giving one or two groups a diary or homework assignment after the first focus group, and invite them back a week or two later. At this meeting, discuss with them their diaries, homework, and your problems. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much new information you will discover. You'll get ideas and recommendations that those same clients couldn't come up with in the first group because they just didn't think of them when you asked them your questions. Consumers are experts. Each time they make a purchase, they provide their own expertise. Re-inviting you to a focus group brings you closer to understanding their motivations and finding ways to change their attitudes and behaviors. Not taking advantage of this peer review is a serious loss in the quality of research.

Using the results of focus groups

For the sake of re-emphasizing this, let me say that you should not rely on the results of focus group research as a basis for action. They provide a basis for a better understanding of the situation. They allow you to define the scope of the problem. I know many companies that use the results of focus groups to make changes in the field wholesale trade or a radical change in their strategies. The latter included significant changes in advertising approaches, changes in product characteristics, or the allocation of a huge budget to bring a new product to market. Sometimes these solutions work successfully, sometimes turn into a total disaster. If you can afford to make the mistake of acting on the results of the focus groups, then go for it. You might be lucky.

You rely on luck.

The only situation in which I would recommend using the results of focus groups to make big decisions, if otherwise you are going to make a decision without any research at all. I'm willing to admit that whenever the focus groups failed to point in the right direction, I saw the same things being said that were later revealed by subsequent costly research.

In fact, I have always been interested in the fact that when a client did a series of focus group studies and followed up with the results, both my client and I developed a greater understanding of how to use the findings of the focus group results. Making decisions based on these results alone seemed less risky. And it became more obvious when action should not be taken. Until that happens to you, don't take the results of the focus groups too seriously.

The more experience you have with focus groups, the better you can interpret their results. You develop your intuition.

With the necessary experience, you will know when the need for risky action outweighs the need for caution and focus group interviewing. You will begin to understand how the results of the focus groups will hone your decision-making process and help you make wise choices.

However, despite all of the above, market conditions may dictate an urgent need for action when waiting is unacceptable and inaction is worse than holding a few focus groups. There are times when focus groups are the only thing you can do before it's time to act. In this case, I say: lead the groups. Focus groups by themselves will really reduce your risk.

Types of Qualitative Research

When deciding which type of qualitative research is best for your situation, you won't be faced with an overwhelming wealth of choices. By and large, focus groups are the most popular method. The following is a list of different qualitative research methodologies and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Traditional focus groups

Characteristics

• usually lasts 2 hours;
• consist of 8–10 respondents;
• as a rule, consist of homogeneous representatives of target existing or potential customers;
• four groups for a typical study, although six, eight or even more may be needed.

Advantages

• allow for a dynamic interactive exchange of views;
• allow to discuss a wide range of different issues;
• allow you to create an atmosphere of "learning in the process": new ideas and theories are developed, quickly explored, improved or rejected;
• serve as a good tool for obtaining information on general issues and “first impressions” related to the topic under study;
• give pleasure, allow representatives of the company to observe what is happening and provide food for decision-making;
• can be carried out quickly, usually within a month;
• generally much cheaper than surveys.

Flaws

• provoke to hasty conclusions;
• results cannot be extrapolated: decisions based on limited information are always too rash;
• can cause a “groupthink” problem where some respondents are influenced by others;
• may be dominated by respondents who are overconfident or verbose.

Mini focus groups

Characteristics

the same as for focus groups, except that each mini-group consists of 4-6 respondents instead of 8-10.

Advantages

• the same as regular focus groups, but the smaller number of respondents in the group makes them cheaper;
• the lower cost per group allows for the cost-effective addition of additional target segments to the study, which would not be possible with other studies.

Flaws

• a small number of respondents in the group may lead to some decrease in dynamics;
• the information received may be less clear.

Focus groups with repeated involvement of respondents

Characteristics

• the same characteristics as traditional and mini focus groups;
• respondents are invited to participate in two or more group meetings;
• homework assignments are distributed between meetings;
• Respondents are not remunerated until the last group is completed.

Advantages

• respondents get a better idea of ​​the motives of their behavior when making purchases;
• are more effective in uncovering unmet needs, desires, aspirations and addictions that are not obvious;
• there is a greater mutual understanding with the respondents, and it becomes easier for them to express their thoughts and ideas;
• are more effective than traditional focus groups in developing new concepts, products or services.

Flaws

• expectations should not be too high: sometimes groups with repeated recruitment of respondents do not bring anything new or valuable;
• require more time than traditional focus group research.

Personal interviews

Characteristics

• the interview takes place with each respondent separately;
• a typical study usually involves 12 to 48 interviews or more.

Advantages

• easier to conduct research on sensitive or personal topics;
• the lack of pressure from the group provides an atmosphere that allows respondents to express their thoughts honestly and independently;
• allows for deep probing of each respondent.

Flaws

• lack of dynamics in the exchange of opinions: the ideas and theories expressed are not so easy to explore or test;
• takes a lot of time.

Dyads and triads

Characteristics

• interviews with two or three respondents at the same time;
• the interview lasts an hour or less;
• a typical study usually involves 12 to 24 dyads or triads.

Advantages

• can be more dynamic than face-to-face interviews, as the thoughts and ideas of one respondent can be commented on by another;
• the absence of pressure from the traditional group provides a more relaxed atmosphere, allowing respondents to express their thoughts honestly and independently;
• allows for deep probing of each respondent;
• allows for more economical exploration of opinions and attitudes more target segments.

Flaws

• lack of dynamics inherent in traditional focus groups: the ideas and theories expressed are not so easy to explore or test;
• takes a lot of time.

Creative Consumers

There has been a lot of research on creativity. Serious Creativity: Using the Power of Lateral Thing to Create New Ideas by Edward de Bono useful reading. You can also visit the Internet and find everything you want to know about creativity, starting with the pioneers in this field. Suffice it to say that any person can develop Creative skills. Given the right circumstances and preparation, most people generate more new ideas than they ever imagined.

However, some people are naturally more gifted with creative thinking and are more easily involved in the creative process. Finding such creative thinkers among the respondents of the group is not so difficult. About 15-20% of the respondents selected for your focus group will be creative consumers. If you are doing qualitative research to develop a new product, service, in search of new ideas, or just want to gain a deeper understanding of unmet customer needs, you should consider staffing one or more teams of creative respondents.

To achieve your goals, first of all, recruit respondents from your target segment. Then, using the list of statements given in Table. 1, ask respondents to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with each statement.

Creative clients will demonstrate greater talkativeness and the ability to think about a problem. They are more aggressive and self-confident than ordinary respondents. Because of this, keeping a group of creative clients under control is a difficult task for a novice moderator.

However, insights from creative clients often provide exceptional food for thought, especially if those clients are trying to see beyond the obvious. This can be extremely useful in research whose purpose is to identify only emerging trends or to try to identify needs, desires, aspirations, and addictions that can start a new trend.

Tab. 1. Engaging Creative Respondents

The overall result of the respondent: the maximum result - 48 points (12 statements x 4); Respondents with creative thinking should receive 36 points or more.

There are also other qualitative approaches, such as using a panel of focus group participants, observing consumers, and videotaping what is happening, but they are usually more useful for those who have sufficient experience in qualitative research. It is wiser to get on your feet using the basic approaches described above before moving on to more advanced methods.

In summary, qualitative research is a very valuable tool, especially for those just getting started. Qualitative research can uncover many of the issues that can help grow a business without costing too much. It is also important that the focus of such research can be directed to both long-term and short-term problems requiring attention. By doing research, you can get a big boost to growth. But this tool is easy to abuse.

When designing a research program for your company, use qualitative research thoughtfully and sparingly. Be aware of their value and their limitations. Do not console yourself with the thought that if you have done focus groups or other qualitative research, you have already done your duty. All you have done is start the research process. With which I congratulate you. But at the same time, I hope you will not stop your research, but continue your research on this difficult path.

Focus group research consists of the following steps:

1. Determining the goals and objectives of the focus group study

The first thing to do when conducting a study is to set the goal and define the objectives of the focus group study. The clearer and more specific they are formulated, the more accurately you can determine the composition of the groups and make the guide more correctly.

The goals and objectives of marketing research are the result of the joint work of the customer and the director. In other words, it is an intellectual product that combines the specific knowledge of the customer and the researcher.

The process of setting goals involves getting answers to three basic questions:

• 1. What problem does the customer want to solve?
• 2. By what means can he solve it and what alternatives are possible?
• 3. What information does he need to make a decision and take the right steps?

2. Development of working tools

Focus group tools include:

• the number of focus groups and their location;
• composition of respondents and principles of their selection;
• guide for conducting focus groups (or “guidebook”) - a discussion script, usually contains a list of questions for discussion with instructions for the moderator, what should be paid attention to during the discussion;
• if necessary - tested samples of advertising forms, packaging, trademarks, logos of proper quality and in sufficient quantity.

Number of focu s groups is defined as follows: the number of groups should be increased until “the amount of new information received from each subsequent group decreases to such an extent that their further conduct becomes impractical” . As a rule, when studying one homogeneous population, four groups are sufficient, and the fourth is already partly a control, since it basically repeats the opinions expressed in the previous three.

“The first focus group is inevitably aerobatic. Some experts recommend separating the first group into a separate stage, the results of which are discussed with the customer, after which the research program is finalized. Others do not distinguish the first group in independent stage, but indicate that from a substantive point of view, it is rarely effective” .

Number of focus group participants usually ranges from 7 to 10 people. With a smaller number of respondents, the discussion in the group will not be as dynamic as it should be, groups of 10 or more participants are considered too large, which is also unlikely to contribute to a coherent conversation in a natural setting.

Composition of focus group participants depends on the topic under discussion and the specific objectives of the study. All participants must meet certain criteria. The composition of one group should be homogeneous in the sense that the participants have a common ground for discussion and feel free to discuss this topic. For example, if the research topic is the use of shampoos and you are interested in the opinions of both men and women, it is unreasonable to combine them in one group. Women and men have different attitudes to the subject of research and will not feel free to talk about this topic. When it comes to music, it is unwise to combine young and old people in the same group - it will be difficult for them to find mutual language. At the same time, if it is planned to discuss the problem of privatization, it is quite acceptable to combine men and women in one group, since the difference in the attitude of men and women to the problem under discussion is not so great as to separate them into different groups.

Restrictions on participation in focus groups. There are several categories of people who should not take part in focus groups, no matter what the topic of discussion is and what the principles for recruiting participants are. These include persons:

• familiar with the procedure for conducting focus groups;
• familiar with each other or with the moderator;
• professionally familiar with the subject of discussion;
• professional activity who are associated with focus group research, marketing or advertising, as well as professional sociologists and psychologists.

Guide for conducting focus groups. A guide, or scenario for conducting focus group discussions, is a list of topics and questions that should be covered during the discussion, as well as a description of those methods and techniques that will help “talk” people and provide the researcher with the necessary information.

It is an intermediate link between the goal formulated by the customer and the discussion itself. Its main function is to bring the original goal statement into a form suitable for discussion in groups. The implementation of this function includes the following main elements:

• The formulation of any problem begins with an explanation of what is given and what is required to be known. Sometimes this is achieved by relaying directly to the group the main question posed by the customer. However, marketing research is more characterized by an indirect method of introduction to the topic by establishing the contextual framework of the discussion;
• the list of questions for discussion should be written in a language understandable to the respondents. It is known that there is a language barrier between producers and consumers, reflecting not only the difference in erudition, but also different experiences and views that separate professionals from the most erudite respondents;
• A scenario for conducting focus groups is usually built on a two-level principle: enlarged topics and specific questions included in them. This structure is a certain processing by the researcher of those goals and questions that are formulated by the customer. The customer, as a rule, formulates a general goal and at the same time asks a large number of specific questions. These questions should be correlated with the purpose, as well as with the methodological possibilities of group discussions. The researcher, who understands the logic and style of thinking of the consumer better than the customer, often includes additional questions, breaks down, enlarges or reformulates the customer's questions, and also groups them into enlarged headings to ensure smooth transitions from one topic to another;
• the script performs a very important reminder function, because in a tense atmosphere of the discussion, the moderator can easily miss some important issue.

Group discussions may include watching videos, discussing storyboards, tasting food, drinks, listening to audiotapes. All this should also be taken into account in the guide.

3. Compilation of filtering questionnaires for the selection of focus group participants

After a decision has been made on which groups will be held, it is necessary to draw up a filtering questionnaire for the selection of participants, which will contain all the characteristics of the respondents and their quotas.

The most commonly used criteria for selecting focus group respondents are:

• knowledge and consumption of the product. It is logical that in most cases, researchers are interested in hearing the opinions of people who have experience in purchasing and consuming a product. Recruiting respondents according to this principle, it is advisable to ask questions about the consumption rate of the product under study, as well as knowledge of product brands;
• floor. For example, when studying the behavior of buyers of decorative cosmetics, focus groups should be conducted only with women, since they are the ones who purchase products in this category;
• age. Thus, when testing a new youth magazine, focus groups should be conducted with adolescents of the appropriate age, for example, from 12 to 16 years old;
• occupation. When studying the target audience of a new industry magazine, one should invite potential readers of this magazine to a focus group - specialists working in this industry;
• income level. Studying the features of the purchasing behavior of visitors to expensive grocery stores(Azbuka vkusa, Gourmet, etc.), it makes sense to interview respondents with an average and above average income, which can be measured by the respondent's possession of real estate, expensive durables, frequency and place of vacation, etc.;
• place of residence of the respondents. By examining the level of demand for a new fitness service in a given administrative district Moscow, it makes sense to invite to focus group respondents living there;
• marital status and family composition. Studying the factors that form the loyalty of buyers of educational toys for children, focus groups should include women with children under the age of 7 years.

When conducting focus groups with representatives of corporate consumers (Business to Business market, or B2B), other criteria for selecting respondents are used:

• profession, specialty;
• job title;
• participation in the decision-making process on the purchase;
• attitude to a particular consumer, type of consumers (industry, field of activity).

Example 7. Recruiter task to select respondents for a focus group study on testing bank deposit concepts

• 1. All respondents are currently owners of deposit products.
• 2. All respondents are clients of different banks (each group should have no more than two clients of one bank).
• 3. All respondents should have creative thinking, be emotional and expressive, be able to express their thoughts well.
• 4. All participants must not have taken part in group discussions or in-depth interviews within the past 6 months.
• 5. Participants who had previously taken part in group discussions/in-depth interviews were not required to participate in more than one project.
• 6. Participants (as well as their relatives, friends and acquaintances) must not work (or have an education or be involved in any way) in the following fields of activity: journalism, TV or radio broadcasting, public relations, marketing research, sociology, psychology, advertising a business.
• 7. None of the respondents should know each other.

Example 8: Respondent Selection Form for a Focus Group Study Testing Bank Deposit Concepts

Good afternoon! My name is _. We do

study on the development of our bank's business. We would like to ask you a few questions. It will only take a couple of minutes.

We hope you enjoy participating in this study.

• 1. Participant gender:
• 1. Male.
• 2. Female.
• 2. Have you ever taken part in group discussions, in-depth interviews?
• 1. No /GO TO QUESTION #5/.
• 2. Yes.
• 3. How many times have you participated in group discussions, in-depth interviews?
• 1. Once.
• 2. More than once /END INTERVIEW/.
• 4. How long ago was that?
• 1. Less than half a year ago / END

INTERVIEW/.

• 2. More than half a year ago.
• 5. How old are you?
• 1. Less than 35 years old /END INTERVIEW/.
• 2. 35-45 years old.
• 3. 46~55 years old.
• 4. Over 55 years /END INTERVIEW/.
• 6. What is your family's total monthly income? (Add up the income of each family member per month and name the amount).
• 7. Do you or any of your close friends or relatives work in one of the following fields of activity? Do you (any of your close friends, relatives, acquaintances) have education in the following areas:
• 1. Journalism /END INTERVIEW/.
• 2. TV or radio broadcast /END INTERVIEW/.
• 3. Public Relations /END INTERVIEW/.
• 4. Marketing /END INTERVIEW/.
• 5. Marketing research/END INTERVIEW/.
• 6. Sociology /END INTERVIEW/.
• 7. Psychology /END INTERVIEW/.
• 8. Banking /END INTERVIEW/.
• 9. Advertisement /END INTERVIEW/.
• 10. None of the above areas.
• 8. Are you currently a Client of any bank?
• 1. Yes, I am.
• 2. No, I am not /END INTERVIEW/.
• 9. Are your savings deposited with any bank at present?
• 1. Yes.
• 2. No /END INTERVIEW/.

Recruitment of participants

Focus group participants should be recruited by a recruiter - an employee of the company who knows how to make contact with people and build trusting relationships with them. According to certain criteria, the recruiter must find the right people. There are several ways to do this:

• use the “snowball” method (for example, look for respondents through acquaintances of your acquaintances who meet the necessary criteria);
• conduct a survey at points of sale using a screener that includes questions that reveal the presence or absence of signs of selection of respondents in a person (it is advisable to use this approach in researching markets for goods of constant demand - food, household chemicals, personal hygiene products);
• use simple random selection by phone followed by screening by questionnaire (this approach is used for simple recruitment, when there are few and simple signs of respondent selection);
• carry out selection from a pre-compiled database (for example, according to a customer database provided by the customer);
• use banks of addresses and respondents that are in an organization that regularly conducts public opinion polls.
• 5. Conducting focus group discussions

The effective conduct of a focus group largely depends on the professionalism of the moderator. He must be able to create a relaxed atmosphere in the group and convince group members that their statements will not be disclosed and they can speak freely. It is important to explain to the respondents that there are no “right” and “wrong” answers, their every opinion is valuable, and the main thing that is required of them is sincerity. The moderator should ensure that each member of the group has the opportunity to speak and thus contribute to the discussion.

All moderators face such a problem as the leader of the group, who interrupts everyone, speaks alone and often not to the point. The first thing you can try is to take your eyes off him and look at others. If that doesn't work, you should very politely and kindly say something like, "That's very interesting, but let's hear what others think." If this does not help, sometimes it is necessary to switch to sequential interrogation, which, however, in no case should be delayed. People should speak spontaneously, because if they have to wait a long time for their turn, they may change their mind about speaking, they may be influenced by the opinions of other participants. Interviewing people in turn leads to the fact that the very meaning of the focus group is lost - group dynamics, the possibility of obtaining spontaneous and deep reactions of respondents is lost.

Another important task of the moderator is to activate and include taciturn respondents in the conversation. One of the most effective ways to get people to "talk" is to show that the moderator is not well versed in the problem and ask the respondent to explain some question to the moderator. Experience shows that people tend to like to act as "explainers", they like to think that they know something that others do not know.

Another common problem is the participation in the group of the so-called expert - a person who believes that he has special knowledge in the issue under discussion and understands it better than others. Such a person not only gives subjective reactions himself, but also suppresses other participants in the discussion with his authority. In this case, it is necessary to explain to the group that it is the opinion of an ordinary person who does not have any special knowledge in the issue under discussion that is interesting.

Experience shows that many people tend to express some kind of average opinion, an opinion in general, and not their personal point of view. The moderator must convince the respondents that it is their personal position and personal experience that are interesting and most useful.

Sometimes it happens that one point of view absolutely prevails in a discussion, and no one expresses an alternative opinion. The moderator needs to approach the issue from different angles, so sometimes you yourself have to offer a different point of view for discussion, for example: “I heard that some people think this way, how do you feel about this?” or “Other people, on the contrary, told me that...” 6. Transcription of discussions

Groups are transcribed from video or audio tape. It is preferable that the moderator-researcher himself decipher the groups, because he remembers the very course of the discussion and a deeper penetration into the material will help him in compiling the report. Well-done transcripts are the basis for a good research report.

7. Preparation of a report on the results of the study

“Primary data for analysis and reporting are direct impressions of the focus groups, handwritten notes and sometimes drawings made by respondents, audio and video recordings, written transcripts of discussions, exchanges with observers and the customer. The main element of the analyzed data are, of course, the written transcripts of the discussions, on the basis of which the grouping and analytical aggregation of data is carried out” .

A report on the results of a focus group study usually consists of the following sections:

• 1. Goals and objectives of the study.
• 2. Methodology of the study - a description of the number of groups, their composition, a brief description of the discussions, the methods used, the materials that were tested, etc.
• 3. Conclusions and recommendations.
• 4. The main text of the report, divided into sections, where each thesis put forward is confirmed by the corresponding citations.

In addition to the report, other materials are usually provided, such as tape recordings of group discussions, videotapes of group discussions, transcripts - transcripts of group discussions in the form of dialogues indicating the authors of the statements, etc.