Q. Why can’t we just do this Focus Group in our conference room??

A. I have conducted groups all over — including at a kitchen table in a farmhouse outside of Chattanooga, school libraries in several Minnesota towns, a hospital doctors’ lounge and a barbecue restaurant in North Carolina.

But all of these were necessities. Given the opportunity to use a professional facility, I will go with it every time. Some of the reasons:

• Keeps the client confidential and respondents less biased — You can’t do this if it is in your conference room. And even if we were going to tell them in the group who the client is, the fact that they are actually on client premises may affect response.
• Provides less intrusive viewing opportunity — Unless your conference room has a two-way mirrored wall, it is hard to match this.
• Is less distracting to respondents — Focus Group facilities are designed to be neutral (wall colors, furniture, lighting, etc.). Your office probably is not.
• They do this every day — Professional Focus Group facilities are prepared for groups. They know how to greet them, keep them separate from clients and others, discreetly dismiss unqualified (“my wife couldn’t come so I came for her”) and non-sober (it happens more than you would think) respondents. They have audio and video equipment already set up and tested. They have those great mirrored walls…

Focus Groups done correctly look easy. Not until you decide to set them up on your own do you learn to appreciate what really goes into them at all levels.

Do you have a comment or research-related question? Send it to me for future FAQs!