Reference no: EM132308255
FIVE focuses us on "Finding and Solving Customer Problems." Makes sense. If we don't know what are the customer's problems, we can't very well position our solution as a remedy. And... if the customer doesn't have a problem, they certainly won't need a solution, which means they won't need what we offer for a product.
As I may have shared before, most products fail because the "wants and needs of the target market... and the characteristics of the product being offered... don't match."
Focus groups are being used frequently by many companies to gain consumer insights. Hosted by an experienced moderator whose role is to "milk" participants to gain answers to pre-determined questions and to engage the participants (usually no more than 8-10) in a discussion where something one person says might elicit an additional comment by another. A good moderator listens keenly to what is being said and probes more deeply, e.g., "Tell me more about that..." "What happened then..." "What problem might that then solve..."
Challenges with managing a focus group CAN be similar to that when brainstorming, e.g., some one or two individuals tend to be highly opinionated, thus making it more difficult for "quieter" focus group members to participate. Again, the moderator's role is to ensure that ALL are heard.
What do you suppose happens after the focus group is over? Yes, the comments are analyzed (the focus group is usually recorded; the participants are made aware of this, of course). A "snowball" often then occurs.
A "snowball"? What is that... and why would it be important to TRULY understanding the consumer's thinking?