Getting the most from your Market Research participants

A very pivotal challenge that you can be faced with as a market researcher is not only that you have a participant that meets all the criteria for featuring in a study but how they react and respond to your questions. Whilst you can make your questions succinct, clear and concise for comprehension purposes, various characteristics of your participants can significantly impact on how you use their insight. Here we review certain types of characters and give our advice for how to get the best from these participants.

As researchers in the medical device space, it is normal for us to have to design detailed recruitment screeners to ensure that participants fully align with the study objectives. For example, our screeners typically include questions around conditions with which patients have been formally diagnosed, length of time living with a condition, therapies and devices utilised, brands of those devices and more. Such a thorough screening process helps to lay the foundation for a successful interview.

However, something that we don’t know prior to an interview but something which is also fundamental to conducting insightful research is the personality of the participants and the way in which they will respond to the interview scenario. This variable, which is only revealed at the very moment of starting an interview, is both intrinsic to the excitement that comes with qualitative research, and yet can represent a notable challenge for researchers to contend with.

With that in mind, we have reflected upon our recent studies and identified just a few market research participant segments of our own.  So, what are the classifications, how do they present themselves during an interview and how do we, as researchers, get the best out of them?

Enter: The Star Student, The Closed Book, The Storyteller and The Antagonist

1. The Star Student

Attitude and behaviour

  • Enthused by the opportunity to contribute to a study relating to their condition or specialism
  • Offer considered and articulate responses
  • Spontaneously offer the ‘why’ behind their opinion
  • Critical thinkers, able to reflect in detail on any stimulus material
  • Will ask their own questions or clarify their understanding of a question
  • Highly attuned to the discussion often pre-empting the moderator’s next question

Language 

Verbal:

“My reason for this is…” or “this is because…”

“It’s been a really interesting discussion.”

Non-verbal:

Open body language and showing signs of active listening

Moderator Considerations:

This participant type makes the interview process easy and fluid, allowing the moderator to give all of their attention to the discussion and to maximise opportunities to probe and uncover deeper insight. However, given the fluidity of the conversation, the moderator may need check that none of the key questions or probes have been missed along the way.

2. The Closed Book

Attitude and behaviour

  • Typically respond with short or one-word answers; however, (sometimes short and sweet is sufficient)
  • Do not spontaneously offer the rationale behind their views
  • May not understand a question but are unlikely to ask for clarification
  • Tendency to only engage with stimulus at a high-level
  • Take time to warm up to the conversation, but eventually come round

Language 

Verbal:

“Yes” or “No”

“The first one is better.”

“I don’t know.”

Non-verbal:

Often have a blank expression; can be hard to read

Moderator Considerations:

This respondent type requires guiding and nurturing so that they know they have permission to give and understand the value of more comprehensive responses.

  • Probe often and do so from early on in the interview to set expectations for the remainder of the discussion
  • If useful, demonstrate the level of detail you're looking for, by offering examples of the 'why' that may justify their response
  • If required, be politely explicit about the need for more information and how it would be helpful

3. The Storyteller

Attitude and behaviour

  • Talkative in nature and typically provide verbose responses
  • Struggle to decide on suitable level of detail to give; err on the side of ‘tell them everything!’
  • Answer questions through anecdotal storytelling, thereby indirectly answering a question
  • Often go off on a tangent with their story
  • Are engaged and have a strong desire to be insightful and helpful

Language 

Verbal:

“What was your question again, sorry?”

“… if that makes sense.”

“Sorry, I’m probably talking too much.”

Verbal:

  • Engaged and also showing signs of active listening
  • Often animated, using lots of hand gestures

Moderator Considerations:

It’s always best to hear the opinion from the horse’s mouth rather than to leave things as insinuated. In the case of The Storyteller, the underlying opinion needs to be extrapolated from the anecdote to ensure understanding. The Storytellers also need frequent cues to help them focus their responses.

  • Summarise your understanding of the meaning within their anecdote and ask them for validation; this also helps to set expectations for forthcoming responses
  • Periodically reference the time and let them know what proportion of the questions still remain, reminding them of the need to remain focused on the question at hand
  • Encourage shorter answers through verbal cues; “just briefly, can you tell me?” or “In just one sentence, how would you summarise…?”

4. The Antagonist

Attitude and behaviour

  • Often display a sense of impatience with the interview process, even from early on
  • Tend to dislike being asked for the rationale behind their answers
  • Repeat their views in response to several questions that have been framed very differently
  • Readily offer critical, even negative views about potential products or concepts

Language 

Verbal:

“Like I’ve already said…”

“I can’t tell you why, that’s just what I think.”

“I don’t see the point in them doing these [ads/concepts].”

Non-verbal:

  • Shaking their head
  • Shrugging their shoulders
  • Huffing
  • Looking at their watch

Moderator Considerations

  • Ensure that the purposes of the discussion and any activities are clearly framed and defined, and that they are given occasional reminders of this
  • Consider limiting any introductory questions that serve a ‘warm-up’ purpose and get straight to the heart of the discussion
  • Questions may need asking in a more direct manner, emphasising the exact intention behind the question
  • Manage their expectations, by giving one or two indications of how much of the interview remains
  • Mimic their tone and maintain a transactional approach; save the jokes for another day
  • If required, politely tell the participant that they are not providing enough detail and reiterate why it is helpful for them to do so

These are just a handful of participant types that we’ve come across during our interviews. Every typology is unique, however, each holds value in the context of research. As moderators it is important for us to remain mindful of the different personalities that exist when we begin an interview, in order to maximise the insight that can be drawn from that individual. Such an awareness, alongside skill, tact and experience will always heighten the chances of a successful discussion, no matter the typology we are faced with.