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Focus Groups are for Lipstick, not Technology

Focus Groups are for Lipstick, not Technology

You're launching a new product, so of course you test your messages with customers. After all, you want to make sure your customers' mouths water (and their wallets open) when they hear your story. More than that, you want to get to know your target market; learn to think like them, speak like them, understand how they react to your story.

So you decide to run a focus group. That's what everyone does, right? Wrong.

In my humble experience the high technology market does not lend itself to focus groups.

Unless you want a stilted result. In that case you can go ahead and put 10 - 20 people in a room and ask them all the same questions at the same time - and watch the group dynamics replace the customer truth.

But if you want an honest, accurate customer moment - you have to do it 1:1. Mano-a-mano.

Focus groups work great for markets that are trendy - where buyer behavior follows a herd mentality. Which is mostly in the consumer space.

Take lipstick for example. Back in my grad school days, I worked as a gopher for a hot ad exec in the Chicago area. We ran focus groups all the time - for everything from Soul Train programming to haircare products to McDonald's ads to - yes, lipstick and cosmetics. As part of my gopher role I had the chance to sit 'behind the mirror' and listen to the dynamics on both sides of that piece of glass.

What did I learn?

  • Groups have Alphas and Others. Even strangers who met each other five minutes ago will follow group dynamics quickly - and Alphas and Others will appear.
  • Alphas will lead, Others will follow.
  • Alphas will suppress Others' ideas or opinions that differ from theirs.
  • Others will stifle or change their own stated ideas to be 'accepted' by their Alphas.

But these were focus groups with consumers. So what does that have to do with technology?

Everything.

Group dynamics are group dynamics. And those are exactly the dynamics that can give you great insight for popular trends like lipstick colors, car body designs and more. Trendy is great when you can leverage it to compel or attract the masses from specific demographic targets. High technology products focused on consumers can certainly use group dynamics to create compelling market dynamics. Phones, games, laptops and PDAs can fall into this category at a consumer level.

But IT and business executives don't make decisions based on the trendiest thing. Sure, you may think they do. They get excited about the latest whizfloppy, right? But they don't spend budget dollars based on trends. They really don't. Ask yourself: When is the last time a CXO called you and placed a $400K order because 'everyone else is buying it'? Wouldn't that make it easy:)

The best way to find your customer truth is to talk to your customers about their specific situation. In an environment where they can share their truth - uninterrupted and with ease.

One-on-one, up close and personal.





Focus Groups are for Lipstick not Technology - To learn more about this author, visit Rebel Brown's Website.

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John Alexander
John has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center.
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Anne Barr
Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

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Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website

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John Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website


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Rebel Brown
(Visit Rebel's Website) For over 25 years, I've created strategies and then launched companies and products within the information technology arena. I've personally launched over 75 products and/or companies as a consultant. I specialize in companies with great value who are seeking to reinvent and/or optimize themselves at the start-up, expansion or turn-around stages. I also work with leading Venture Capital firms to support their portfolio and investment operations. I write a strategy and marketing blog, Phoenix Rising, and am also called upon by leading industry executives, publications and investors for insights and contributions. I'm lucky enough to have been named one of the Top 100 Women in Computing. For more strategy and positioning tips: Read my blog, Phoenix Rising: http://blog.PeopleWhoKnow.biz Go to my website: www.PeopleWhoKnow.biz

Rebel Brown is a Platinum author on EvanCarmichael.com
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