Do you have the information you need to make the important decisions you face? How helpful was your most recent research project with helping you understand the context for your deliberations and evaluating your alternative courses of action with fact-based information? If your answer is “No!” and “It wasn’t helpful at all!” then it’s time…
Why Asking Members What They Want Doesn’t Work “What product or service can the Widget Association provide that would make a significant difference to you and your work?” What a great question, right? Associations want to give members what they want, so let’s just ask them! Unfortunately, the responses to this type of question are rarely, if…
“Probe” is such a weird word. It sounds so…medical. So invasive. Space aliens use probes. But probes are also important in interviews and focus groups. The first response you get from an interview or focus group participant is hardly ever 1) unfiltered and true 2) clear 3) thorough and detailed 4) meaningful. Probes are needed…
I was at one of those massive conferences recently and happened sit down at lunch in the trade show next to a fellow researcher. I didn’t know her so we traded topline credentials and demographic information–location, typical clients, specialties–by way of introduction. Then, as often happens these days, our conversation turned to the economy. So…
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…