Maximise your market research output with our highly trained moderators and facilitators. Moderation and facilitation services for conducting group discussions.
Moderation and facilitation services for market research
A moderator or a facilitator is a trained research professional. Moderators and facilitators are often neutral participant’s in a debate or discussion but at the same time they keep the participants in a focus group from straying off topic. Moderators and facilitators are also used for in-depth interviews, telephone depth interviews and shop along campaigns.
Moderators and facilitators are used in qualitative research.
The job of a moderator or a facilitator is also to introduce and explain the topic to respondents participating in a focus group. Among focus groups, a moderator or a facilitator manages group process and dynamics. It is their responsibility that the objectives of the client are addressed. Whether a moderator simply moderates and facilitates a group discussion or also acts as a researcher who gathers data systematically, depends on the role assigned to them.
In research marketing moderation and facilitation are often interchanged but there are small differences.
For example, whereas a moderator supervises a focus group or conducts an in-depth interview, a facilitator may accompany a group of shoppers, or even individual shoppers while they shop in a retail store.
A facilitator may also accompany visitors (selected respondents for market research) while they experience services of a hospital, a restaurant, an entertainment centre, a spa or any other facility where the business needs to find how visitors interact and consume various services and what is their level of experience. A facilitator can play a crucial role for an event or a network community activity.
A focus group facilitator may also take on a larger role sometimes, for example arranging the facilities, organising the groups and creating schedules for interviewers and interviewees.
Often, the role of the moderator lasts for as long as a group discussion is going on, but the role of the facilitator may extend for a longer time frame, from establishing contacts with various stakeholders, making sure that they are available at the time of the interaction, arranging the right moderator or even pitching in as a moderator, ensuring that the right data is gathered and then the data is delivered to the right people. They may also act as an information manager sometimes.
Why use moderation and facilitation for market research?
Moderators and facilitators are experienced in group dynamics.
In market research projects such as focus groups and shop along campaigns it is very important to have someone who doesn’t just understand the needs of the client (who is getting the market research done) but is also in sync with the aspirations of the participants and the issues faced by them while interacting with various products and services of the client.
The same goes with in-depth interviews whether they are conducted face-to-face or via telephone. These interviews last for a long time. The job of the moderator or the facilitator is to keep the interviewee focused on the main topic, ask the right questions and then ensure that right answers are obtained.
An effective moderator of a focus group or a group discussion should be able to
- Make the participants feel comfortable and help them open up.
- Introduce the topic and brief the participants as clearly as possible.
- Possess adequate knowledge about the topic, the issue or the product around which the discussion is to take place.
- Be minimally intrusive.
- Show authentic curiosity towards the topics being discussed and the feedback being obtained.
- Show respect for the wisdom and knowledge of the participants or the people they are accompanying and observing.
- Observe cues and body language to gather data on unsaid and unexpressed points of views.
- Be aware of different data gathering formats.
- Be comfortable with various market research technologies needed.
- Exercise self-discipline and emotional detachment from comments and opinions of participants
- Have a pleasing demeanour and the ability to show sensitivity.
- Completely gel with the group or within the targeted demography.
- Exude the needed energy and enthusiasm to keep the group of the participants engaged and excited.
Get an edge with our moderation and facilitation services
At FG Connect we have a strong team of researchers, moderators and facilitators who can help you with various market research projects. Whether you are looking for moderators and facilitators for your in-house research projects or you want to hire our market research services, our moderators and facilitators can provide impeccable support and guidance.
For every project, we ensure that our moderators and facilitators are well prepared, can completely identify the goals of the research project, can empathise with the participants, and are perceptive enough to pick up every bit of information to deliver you impeccable intelligence and insight.
