Why Your Research Isn’t Always Reality (or, When You Begin to Believe the Lies)

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Ideas you can use.

Research results are only half the story and should not be taken as law-like truth. There’s a significant difference between how someone thinks and how they actually behave — the old story of focus-group participants praising new boom-box colors, then nearly all choosing black when offered a free one, makes the point.

Four areas hold the potential for error. The People: opinions should come from those most likely to use the innovation. The Question: asking point-blank about a product and its value fails; take an anthropologic approach and let interviewees tell you about an experience, then extract what you need. The Framework: surveying only customers returns their feelings about your product, your salesperson and your support — survey the largest component of the market, your prospects. The Expectations: research designed without a specific objective answers nothing adequately; a better question is which area of the market is underserved in the buyer’s mind. When it’s over: summarize the data, tell a logical story, and make prescriptive recommendations — briefly.