What skills should a focus group moderator have?

The skills of a focus group moderator are extremely important to getting valuable, unbiased data from your existing and potential customers.

There is much more to moderating a focus group than simply asking questions here are the skills that we feel an effective moderator should possess, in order to get the most out of your research.

Here are our top skills:

1. Effective Listening Skills – They must be able to asserting themselves, but also know the importance of letting the group express their opinions and feelings. Their role is to guide the group through the questions.
2. Flexibility – The nature of a focus group means that members will often deviate from the main question or topic, often providing further insight. It is therefore important for the moderator to have a flexible attitude.
3. Include a Variety of Exercises –Maintaining interest and enthusiastic engagement among the participants is key to a successful focus group. You could use: role-playing, word association and ratings.
4. Pause and Probe – The group moderator will be skilled in asking clear questions and pausing to give the group members opportunity to open up.
5. Have Knowledge of the Topic– basic information on the subject helps in probing areas for more in-depth discussion; demonstrate a degree of naïveté.
6. Be Enthusiastic and Attentive– have a high energy level; pay attention to participants- recognise group dynamics.
7. Understands Group Dynamics – The moderator needs to understand how groups work, is relatable and know how to help groups of people to fully interact, they can get the group to  feel like they are educating them.
8. A little more conversation – A good group moderator will create conversation, adapting the flow of the conversation depending on where it takes them.  A moderator’s job is to encourage discussion.

The role of a focus group moderator can be a challenge, after all you are dealing with many different characters, but it is also a rewarding one as you are contributing to the development of a business or product.

For more information on the focus group services we offer here at Fingertips Typing email: info@www.fingertipstyping.co.uk