Editor's note: Carla Collis is vice president of qualitative services at Elrick and Lavidge, an Atlanta marketing research company.

I must confess that I was once a telephone focus group skeptic. As a moderator, my first reaction to conducting a telephone focus group was not one of open-mindedness: "Did I hear you right? You want me to try focus groups . . . on the phone? What about . . . don't you know that this could compromise the quality of the research?"

But I have changed my mind. After conducting telephone focus groups, it became apparent that my fears were largely unfounded. While there are times when it is inappropriate to conduct telephone sessions (e.g., taste tests, long groups, sessions among young children), telephone focus groups can be successfully used for most any project -- provided you know how to handle the unique issues that this environment presents.

Here are the initial questions that I raised as a moderator and what I have learned since then. These helpful hints should prove valuable in making your telephone focus groups a success.

  •  How can you "read" the group without seeing their facial expression/body language? The trick is to listen for any verbal reactions - sighs, groans, laughter - and follow up on what you hear. Some companies who provide the networks for telephone focus groups offer software to allow you to see who is making sound by showing an asterisk by his/her name on the computer screen.
  • Since people can't see one another, won't chaos ensue as everyone talks at once? Ask each person to use his/her name whenever speaking. This allows you to ensure that no one dominates the discussion and that everyone participates.
  • I use my hands so much to control the group. How can I maintain order on the phone? Maintain order by asking people to speak one at a time and calming them down when they become unruly - just as you would do in a face-to-face session. (Many people are accustomed to being a part of multi-person calls and they already know the etiquette involved.)
  • If the group is conducted via phone, won't it make it easy for people not to show up? To maximize show rates, make several contacts with each respondent - a phone call to schedule the appointment, a confirmation letter with a detailed description about the upcoming session and a call just prior to the group to thank them in advance for their participation. (Holding sessions via phone actually enhances show rates, as people are not required to drive to a facility, park and check in.)
  • How do you keep people's attention when they can't see you? They may be making dinner or watching TV when their attention should be on participating in the focus group. Encourage participants to stay focused on the topic at hand by actively calling on them to speak. In addition, software can be used that permits the moderator to poll respondents/ask them for numerical ratings by pressing the keys on their telephone.

Interestingly, because they can't see one another and "size each other up," respondents in these sessions often open up more and seem more engaged in discussion. The anonymity seems to encourage them to more freely participate.

  • What if there are items respondents need to see, like advertising, concepts, etc.? Send any materials respondents will need to see during the session ahead of time, in an envelope marked "do not open until your scheduled session." Participants often look forward to the group simply so they can open the "mystery" package!
  • Will my clients ever go for it? They love to sit behind that mirror to watch the respondents. Point out to clients that the telephone focus group method allows them to participate by listening in on the sessions and sending notes via a call coordinator. They may also send notes via fax, if they so desire. Given that there is no need to travel to focus group sites, a greater number of clients can be involved as well.
    All in all, telephone focus groups can be a viable alternative to traditional face-to-face focus groups and even offer some advantages - like geographical representation in a single group and savings in travel cost and time. The telephone can also be a useful way to study hard-to-reach samples, such as doctors, lawyers, the home-bound, etc. Far from compromising the quality of research, telephone focus groups can greatly enhance it, if conducted correctly and with sensitivity to the factors that make them a unique approach to qualitative research.