FOCUS GROUPS BOOK

2. Pick a price: A good place to start is minimum wage or higher per hour for your
parJcipants. For instance, if minimum wage in your state is $15 per hour, paying $60 for
a 4-hour focus group would accomplish that.
3. Pick your par5cipants. The number of parJcipants will depend on the type of focus
group you are presenJng. Generally, you want to split the categories into two: a regular
3-4 hour focus group or a full day adversarial focus group. The more experienced you
are, the easier it is to manage a larger group. To start, 6-8 parJcipants is a good
manageable target for a regular several hour focus group, while 10-14 would be a good
target for an adversarial mock trial.
4. Create a ques5onnaire. The Appendix contains a sample quesJonnaire to send to
parJcipants prior to the beginning of the focus group. You can send this quesJonnaire in
tandem with number 5 and 6 below.
5. Get back confiden5ality agreements. The Appendix contains a sample confidenJality
agreement to send parJcipants prior to the beginning of the focus group. 3 The
confidenJality agreement ensures that any of the facts, names, and circumstances the
parJcipants hear during the presentaJons will not be shared a]er it is over.
6. Confirm in wri5ng. When sending the wri7en confirmaJon via email, a7ach both the
confidenJality form, as well as the quesJonnaire to be returned back to you before the
start of the focus group. Also confirming how the parJcipants want to be paid is helpful
to acquire beforehand their address or applicaJon handles to accomplish payment when
the presentaJon is finished.
7. Confirm again via phone. One to two days prior to the focus group date, confirm again
via telephone. This way, you have 24-48 hours should you lose any of your parJcipants.
8. Test audio & video. In the telephone confirmaJon, this is where you inform your
parJcipants that they may need both a computer or tablet to parJcipate in the focus
group on, as well as another smart device, such as a cell phone, to do research on should
that be part of your focus group. In this test call, you can also test the internet
connecJon, video quality, lighJng and sound quality of the parJcipant’s computer.
9. Make sea5ng chart. Prior to the start of the focus group, be sure to have the parJcipant
names and demographics readily accessible with names to ensure your focus is on the
presentaJon and responses you are receiving, not trying to remember someone’s name
or occupaJon. In addiJon, having idenJfying demographics in front of you can help with
prompJng quesJons based on responses, such as employment, educaJon or age. For
example, a]er a quesJon is answered, you can check your demographic sheet and ask
3
See Appendix 6 – Sample ConfidenJality Form