Marketing & PR Firms - How to Conduct a Focus Group Interview
Saturday, November 23, 2013
If you are conducting market research, focus group interviews are an indispensable tool in your arsenal. In a focus group, you can interview more than one person at a time, which means the respondents get to hear each other's answers and comment on things that wouldn't have occurred to them in a one on one interview. However, it is harder to conduct a focus group interview than a regular interview, because there is much more going on in the former than in the latter.
1
Introduce yourself to the members of the group. State your name, your position within the company, and your professional background. Also talk about your hobbies and interests, because doing so will set the tone for a personable and easygoing interview.
2
Explain the purpose of the interview. State the interview topic, and tell the respondent's why your company (or your company's client) is interested in this topic.
3
Explain the tools you are using to record the interview. If the respondent's need to speak into a microphone, tell them to do so. If you are recording the respondent's on video, tell them they are being recorded. If any of the respondents ask why they are being recorded, tell them it is so that the quality assurance team can verify their answers. If there is another reason they are being recorded, tell them that.
4
Word every question carefully. Do not simply read the questions off a question list verbatim; give examples to illustrate the meaning of the questions. For example, if a question on your list asks whether a product is better or worse than its competitors, add information about which brands are in competition with the product in question.
5
Call on all respondents to participate evenly. If one or two participants are monopolizing the conversation, actively solicit answers from the others. Make sure every respondent has been given a chance to answer every question.
6
Conclude the session. Thank every respondent for their time, and tell them that the report will be given to them after it is published.
Tags:
Marketing, Marketing amp; PR Firms
1
Introduce yourself to the members of the group. State your name, your position within the company, and your professional background. Also talk about your hobbies and interests, because doing so will set the tone for a personable and easygoing interview.
2
Explain the purpose of the interview. State the interview topic, and tell the respondent's why your company (or your company's client) is interested in this topic.
3
Explain the tools you are using to record the interview. If the respondent's need to speak into a microphone, tell them to do so. If you are recording the respondent's on video, tell them they are being recorded. If any of the respondents ask why they are being recorded, tell them it is so that the quality assurance team can verify their answers. If there is another reason they are being recorded, tell them that.
4
Word every question carefully. Do not simply read the questions off a question list verbatim; give examples to illustrate the meaning of the questions. For example, if a question on your list asks whether a product is better or worse than its competitors, add information about which brands are in competition with the product in question.
5
Call on all respondents to participate evenly. If one or two participants are monopolizing the conversation, actively solicit answers from the others. Make sure every respondent has been given a chance to answer every question.
6
Conclude the session. Thank every respondent for their time, and tell them that the report will be given to them after it is published.
