Invited to participate in a focus group by one of the top market research companies? Feeling nervous? Questions about acing the discussion as a participant, both for your image and for the rewards, might be lingering in your head. Even if you’re a seasoned participant associated with an expert market research consultancy, a quick revision of dos and don’ts won’t hurt.

In this blog post, we share some tips on participating in focus group surveys and making the best use of your time and effort.

5 Tips to Make Your Focus Group Meeting A Success

1.     Be Prepared and Aware

If you get an invitation to participate in a focus group, it means you are aware of the topic, or so says your panel profile. Yet, try to familiarize yourself with the panel, the survey topic, its context, and the brand. Knowing the terms and conditions for participating in the group discussions would be a good idea.

For instance, the panel might have shared an advert video about the product in advance. They might ask questions and seek your input for the marketing team. So, take a keen look at the video before joining the meeting.

Also, be aware of who your coordinator and co-participants are if the information is available.

2.     Be Punctual and Tidy

Whether the group survey is conducted online or offline, be punctual. Going late to the meeting might hurt your reward points. Being too late might also mean a ban from the survey panel.

Punctuality tells great things about a human. So, join on time and be disciplined.

If you’re attending offline, look professional and presentable so that people appreciate your efforts. When attending online, attend the meeting from a peaceful set-up and avoid loud noises.

A dirty bed littered with clothes behind your back would leave a poor impression.

3.     Participate with Elan and Respect

Where there is a group, there is a chance of minor tiffs between two members. Conflicts based on disparate opinions are bound to surface. Someone might not follow the group participation policies. Someone might get offended at the drop of a hat.

To avoid such minor differences, you must always participate with grace and listen to what others are saying. Opinions may differ, but they aren’t wrong or right. They’re just varied. And that’s the purpose of collecting feedback from members coming from diverse backgrounds.

Respect your group members and listen to them carefully. Be aware that most survey panels are diverse and support inclusivity. So should you.

Learn why product-designing brands must include diversity in market research.

4. Answer Honestly and Eloquently

A survey, whether online or a group discussion, is meant to collect honest feedback from the users. So, as a panel member, it’s your onus to share genuine feedback for the brand or the product.

If you try to please the meeting coordinator, who might be the market research consultant for the brand, know that you’re not helping them. Your answers might please the product company momentarily but won’t level the product design to user expectations.

Remember, you could be the one who’d use the product in the future.

Also, be crisp with your answers. Although a focus group discussion is meant for in-depth reviews, you must stick to the point. Don’t ramble about what’s not asked. Don’t stretch your answers and add irrelevant points to impress the group or the expert market research teams.

Here are some tips to answer survey questions.

5. Stay Ethical

Not all surveys are meant to be discussed outside the community of the market research company. Some surveys are meant for internal use by the company. A few surveys, like social causes, gender-based research, anything on caste and ethnicity, or geo-political, might carry sensitive information.

Even research related to product design might leak information to rival companies. So, don’t discuss the focus group meeting before or after.

You carry an ethical (and sometimes legal) responsibility to not discuss the product or brand as a panel member. Just like you don’t want your data to be shared or misused, the company expects the same.

Learn some unpopular facts about market research processes you should care about.

Bonus: Learn, Have Fun, and Earn Rewards

While participating in the focus group meeting, have fun with your learning and discussion. As a novice, don’t worry too much about your knowledge and fidgeting emotions. Every meeting you participate in will teach you something.

With time, you’ll be able to express yourself better. And as you learn more and perform better, your chances of earning rewards multiply.

How Opinionest Can Help With Focus Group Participation

Opinionest, the panel partner with one of the top market research companies, maintains a strength of 4.8M members globally. We offer free registration to users so that they can express their concerns and appreciate the brands via surveys. Join us today and become eligible to participate in focus groups.