Written summaries, including key findings and conclusions, are also prepared in most instances. In too many cases, marketers form conclusive opinions based on the feedback from a couple of groups, failing to recognize that definitive assumptions and judgments cannot be gleaned from the dialog of just a handful of consumers. Such judgments should be reserved for quantitative research, which is based on statistically valid survey technique. If a facilitator doesn't maintain control of the proceedings, dominant personalities will attempt to control the group and sway opinion. Worse still, the timid will clam up.
Participants also lie, sometimes willfully, but most often inadvertently.
Most of these problems, while common, can normally be managed by a skillful facilitator, who must be a catalyst for group discussion without dominating or leading it unfairly. They will be around for years to come. Researchers at the cutting edge are now experimenting with new protocols that involve sorting and iterative exercises. Visual elements can include magazine advertisements depicting lifestyles, celebrities and automobiles. Enlist the services of a respectable research firm or focus group facility.