Sharpen Your Focus

4 keys to conducting valuable focus groups

Focus groups are great for soliciting in-person feedback about your brand, your business strategy, even possible new products or services. And you can better understand the beliefs and behaviors, wants and desires, of your customer or prospect base. Here are four keys to getting the most out of a focus group:

1. Know when to hold a focus group. Conducting a focus group can be time-consuming and expensive, so you need to hold one for the right reasons. To incorporate a wide range of customer opinions into the strategic operation of your business, you should consider conducting one of these engaging sessions. You'll learn about an untapped market, or you can screen concepts that your business is considering. For example, if you run a plastics manufacturing company, you might hold a focus group with current customers to get immediate feedback about the design and functionality of a proposed new product line — in person, you can ask participants to test a prototype of the new item. If, however, your sole purpose is to measure the appeal of current products or services, conduct a simple written survey instead.
2. Invite the right participants. To determine the right participants, you first have to set some strategic goals for your focus group outcome — are you trying to gauge how current customers view your business or potential products/services? Or are you looking to tap into the thinking of prospects about how your organization stacks up with the competition? Whatever your goals, your recruitment questionnaire should lead you to people who fit your desired profile. For example, if you run a hotel business, you might want to conduct a focus group with non-customers to assess how prospects perceive your marketplace position, to help hone your brand identity messaging.
3. Use a non-direct approach. If you're only looking for yes and no answers, send out a survey rather than conduct a focus group. Focus groups should ask lots of non-direct questions that inspire the participants to talk freely about the suggested topic. Make inquiries such as: "What does this remind you of?" or "Tell me how this makes you feel," rather than, "Do you like this product?"
4. Foster open discussion. A focus group is not meant to tell you what percentage of participants like your product. Instead, use a focus group to foster discussion about your company. Every comment made in a focus group setting is important. For example, Arm & Hammer's marketing strategy of suggesting that customers place a box of baking soda in their refrigerator came from just one comment from a participant in just one focus group. And a nutrition newsletter publisher used a comment from just one person in a focus group who wanted a "best foods" booklet to create a powerful subscription premium that has netted them millions of dollars.