One of the most valuable lessons I learned on effectively communicating market research results came by carefully observing and mimicking the conversational practices of top flight qualitative moderators.
It is a truism in moderation to rarely, if ever, ask respondents “why” they feel what they feel. The general consensus is that asking “why” drives respondents into a defensive posture, moving away from their feelings and perceptions straight into the rational mind which needs to postulate an acceptable, rational, “good-sounding” justification for their behavior, thought or perception.
I had heard this often, not only in market research circles, but in psychology and motivational training.
Unfortunately, I fell into a trap of believing that asking why was perfectly acceptable in a rational business environment where managers were highly educated and focused primarily on what was best for the company we were all working for. It took me a long time to break out of this thought pattern.
This slow awakening came as I took more and more interest in closly studying why the focus group and in-depth interview moderators I worked with in various corporate positions were so successful at ferreting out the underlying emotions and motivations beneath the surface of the discussions they were leading. Moreover, they employed the same conversational styles (appropriately modified) in dealing both with me, my clients and my senior management.
Now, it’s not true that they never asked “why.” But they did so rarely, and I came to see, quite deliberately. The “why” question would be posed very quickly, almost as a surprise. And often it was very effective at eliciting the emotional response being sought.
More to follow.
Comments and discussion welcome.
Dr. Bob
