I recently had the opportunity to observe a fairly new focus group moderator. The group participants were everyday consumers talking about a financial product that they had purchased. As the group progressed, it was painfully clear that many of the people were having difficulty expressing their ideas and making themselves understood.
The moderator attempted to keep the group moving along by plowing through the discussion guide question-by-question without trying to really understand what the participants were trying to say. Rather, she accepted at face value statements that barely made sense. I felt sorry for the moderator having to go back through the transcript to come to any conclusions based on the conversation.
It’s not unusual for people to have difficulty expressing themselves in a group discussion, particularly about topics they may not have thought through thoroughly. It is the moderator’s job to give participants the time and the guidance to make themselves understood.
One way to help focus group participants express themselves is to use probing questions. We all know how to ask “Why do you say that?” But there are dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to help participants make themselves understood.
Here are a few that focus group moderator could have used to make the conversation a more productive one:
– Tell me what happens when you…
– I want to make sure I understand. Can you give me an example of when…
– Let me pose a problem…
– How would you explain this to, say, your grandmother?
– Don’t stop. Keep going with that idea.
– What goes through your mind when…
– So let me restate this to see if I have it right.
– What is it like when you…
– Tell me about the last time you…