The voice at the head of the table

Editor’s note: Mary Reynolds is senior research analyst at SRA Research Group Inc., Jupiter, Fla.

I sat down recently for a late-afternoon chat with my employer, long-time focus group moderator Barbara Allan. Our conversation delved into her perceptions of what facets go into making a superior focus group moderator and what needs to be present to produce quality focus groups.

Q: Is moderating skill something you are born with or something you learn?

Of course, Allan says, it is both. Yet, truly great moderators have an inborn sense of how to read a group, the questions to use to get to the core of an issue and an uncanny ability to sum up in three or four sentences what the group said.

Certainly, moderation is a skill that can be learned, but it is best when done by a person who has a talent for getting the most out of a group of people.

The real question is: what qualities separate a good moderator from a really great moderator? And more importantly, why do they matter? Allan believes that the following are must-haves for anyone who wants to become a moderator.

  • Natural curiosity. Phrases like “I don’t know,” “I guess so” and “I’m not sure” create great opportunities to any true moderator. No accomplished moderator will allow any of these responses to be the final word - they need to know more, they need to understand the whys, and they have the skill to help respondents comfortably articulate their thoughts.
  • Ease in interacting with people. Wallflowers need not apply for the job of moderating. Nor, for that matter, should someone who has to be the center of attention enter the ring. Neither is well qualified to sit at the head of the table.
  • Ability to remain impartial, open, and unbiased. Check your opinions at the door. More important, perhaps, than being able to interact with people is not letting your biases show. Regardless of the topic or what respondents say, the moderator acts only as a sounding board.
  • Flexibility. No matter how well-prepared the discussion guide is, or how familiar the moderator is with the topic, revelations coming from respondents create the need for additional or different question areas. Frequently, it is these bolts of brilliance that turn an ordinary group into an extraordinary group. However, it is up to the moderator to handle what pops up and work with it.
  • Strong verbal skills. Moderators should use language that is direct without being confrontational, and clear without being biased. However, less attention is given to the importance of being able to speak the language of everyday consumers who frequently use jargon, colloquialisms and figures of speech to convey their points. Being familiar with the latest catchphrases is especially helpful, but familiarity does have a caveat. It can sometimes be useful to pretend not to know what a phrase means, thereby forcing respondents to put their own spin on it, thus providing even greater insight.
  • Excited about the process of discovery. The immediacy of focus groups makes them particularly satisfying for market researchers who like being close to their subjects. For moderators who are hooked on the process, there are few things more exciting than beginning a focus group with a group of respondents and walking away with knowledge to influence a client’s success.
  • Creating comfort and trust. When respondents feel comfortable, signs that a group is working are their body language, interest, involvement, and the number of times they laugh. Laughter can also be a sign of nervousness, something a skilled moderator learns to listen for.

Q: What makes an ideal focus group client?

Having an interest in conducting focus groups is a good first step to being a good focus group client, but it is not enough, Allan says. What she looks for in clients who come to her to do focus groups are the following:

  • Willingness to listen and learn. Ideal clients are curious about the process and interested in knowing how to best use this research technique. Clients who are unwilling to listen to the pluses and minuses of this type of research are not good candidates.
  • Understand that focus groups have limitations. Clients who believe that a focus group can include a wide range of topics are bound to be disappointed.
  • Has clearly articulated goals. Focus groups that function as fishing expeditions are not going to satisfy anyone. If the client does not know what they want going in, it is best to step back and wait until their goals are well defined. Poorly-defined goals lead to unsatisfactory groups.

There are also qualities that signal that someone will not be a good client. Clients whose expectations of focus groups include either of the following should be steered to another type of research:

  • Statistical data. Focus groups are ideal for quickly learning the acceptance of a concept or an idea. However, they are not statistically reliable and should not be used to determine such things as pricing.
  • Selling opportunity. A group of potential customers sitting around a table is irresistible to some clients. There are clients who would like to start pitching these respondents or using their image/words afterwards.

Another type of client to steer clear of is someone who fancies themselves as a moderator, Allan says. Typically they have experience with focus groups and believe that there is nothing much to sitting around a table and asking eight to 10 people a series of questions.

Allan clearly remembers one client she wishes she had not agreed to work with. The warning signs were all there but were not heeded. The most telling sign of all was knowing that the client had hired and fired a long list of well-qualified moderators. None of these moderators, according to the client, understood her business or knew how to ask the right questions.

Allan felt confident that by working closely with the client and thoroughly reviewing the discussion guide, she would be able to succeed where others had failed. She was wrong, and after conducting the first of what should have been six focus groups, she too was relieved of her responsibilities.

What could have been done to avoid this situation? Allan says she should have listened to her inner voice. She should have asked more probing questions of the client about why the other moderators didn’t work out, and she should have refused to take on the project.

Q: How do you create extraordinary groups?

Clearly, it is the moderator’s job to bring strangers together to talk about what are sometimes very personal issues. Being able to get people to open up and feel comfortable is first on the list of a moderator’s tasks.

That is sometimes easier said than done, Allan says. Some groups take more effort than others. Good moderators have to be able to read respondent body language and understand that crossed arms, a lack of eye contact, and one-word answers are strong indicators that a group will require more skill. She says she can tell within seconds of respondents entering a room what their group dynamics are.

Projective techniques that create room for respondents to have some fun while expressing themselves work well, as do the following:

  • An energized moderator who lets all respondents know their opinions matter.
  • Inviting respondents to agree/disagree with each other.
  • Using fun or even a few silly questions.
  • Breaking the group into teams to discuss issues.

Q: How would you describe the perfect focus group?

There is no question that some focus group gatherings stand out. Following are some characteristics of great groups, according to Allan.

  • The dynamics are strong - eye contact, relaxed bodies, alert.
  • They listen to what others say and respond.
  • Their eyes are wide open and they move toward the table.
  • No one attempts to dominate the group.
  • Everyone has something to offer.
  • They laugh often.
  • They are creative.
  • They are having fun.
  • No one looks at their watch.

Q: What is the best advice you have ever been given about doing focus groups?

After more than 20 years and thousands of focus groups, Allan says the best advice about doing focus groups is not about how to get people to open up or how to write a discussion guide. It relates to how to start a project. For her, the best advice she was ever given was: “Get to know your client, their expectations of the research and have a clear understanding of the two, three or four things that must come out of the research.”

A winning formula for quality focus group research is to understand the “pain” that is creating the need for clients to do the research and have a totally open mind in terms of design.

At the end of the day, there is great satisfaction in delivering tools/insights that benefit the client, while also stretching as a moderator by improving your skills, Allan says.