Getting People to Attend Focus Groups
Some of our first experiences with focus groups were disastrous because so few people showed up. We invited people the same way that we had invited people to other types of meetings, seminars, or workshops. As we analyzed what was wrong, we compared our strategy with the strategies used by market researchers. We discovered our flaws: We were asking people to take a leap of faith and commit time to a topic that seemed insignificant, our invitations weren't personalized, we had no follow-up, we ignored the seasonal time demands on some audiences, we didn't build on existing social and organizational relationships, and we didn't offer incentives. It is surprising that anyone showed up.
Before beginning recruitment, be clear about how you want to describe the study, who is sponsoring the study, and why the study is important. You might want to test this explanation by practicing on colleagues or neighbors or relatives. How does the explanation sound? Honest? Straightforward? Intriguing? Complete enough to make me feel comfortable? Market research firms traditionally don't tell participants who is sponsoring the study. They will describe it as a type or category of product, such as soft drinks, farm pesticides, or automobiles. They avoid naming the specific product so participants will not come with presuppositions. Often the clients want to find out how their product, service, or organization is positioned in relation to the competition. If the participants know the sponsor of the study, they may be biased in their rankings. Market researchers anticipate that people will ask about who is sponsoring the study, and they have a generic response that provides an answer without influencing later responses. At the end of the focus group session, the participants might be provided more specific information on the sponsorship and purpose of the study.
Although it might be acceptable for a private corporation to be coy about sponsorship or purpose, this approach can backfire in the public environment. The public does not respond favorably when a public agency is evasive or appears to be deceptive. In most situations, complete openness is preferred.
Why is this study in the public interest? Who will benefit? What might be done with the results? These are the topics that recruiters need to discuss easily when recruiting participants for public-sector focus groups.
Invitations should be personalized. Each participant should feel that he or she is personally needed and wanted at the interview. Staff members who make telephone invitations should receive special training and practice to extend warm and sincere requests for participants. Invitations that sound like they are being read aren't sincere. The invitation should stress that the potential participant has special experiences or insights that would be of value in the study. Form letters prepared on copy machines are not personal. Individual letters on letterhead stationery that are signed by the moderator should replace them.
Systematic recruitment procedures should be used to provide the necessary follow-up. This involves a series of sequential activities, including the following.
1. Set the Meeting Dates, Times, Locations
The first step is to select meeting dates and times for the group interviews that don't conflict with popular activities or functions. Think about what would be easiest for the participants. Some people have schedules that change on a predictable basis. Farmers, tax consultants, certain small businessmen in rural communities, and teachers are a few examples. Focus groups are best conducted during their slack or off-season. For example, we avoid conducting focus groups with Midwest farmers from mid-April to early August and again from early September to late October. We also avoid dates that conflict with popular sporting events (local or college teams, the World Series, Monday Night Football, etc.); national events (political conventions, elections, etc.); or periods of high television viewing (rating weeks, beginning of fall network shows, etc.).

Give careful thought to the location of your focus group. As we make decisions, we begin by thinking about the participants. We talk to our research colleagues as well as to local experts, influentials, and potential participants. We ask questions, such as the following: Where will participants be comfortable? What is convenient for them? In what types of environments do they normally gather and talk? Does the location present any barriers to communication, such as buildings or rooms that evoke negative reactions or where discussion is inhibited?
Envision the ideal environment from the perspective of the participants. Normally, in real life, where would this conversation take place? Would it be in someone's home? A public place in the community? A local restaurant? In a meeting room at the work site? Around a campfire?
Select a location that is easy to find, safe, and with adequate transportation and parking.
Then consider the research requirements. You will want a location free from visual or audible distractions. Stay away from noisy places. A table is optional but convenient if participants are asked to take notes or make lists. The table is also useful for holding the microphone. Do you need another room for child care? Do you want to use a special room with a one-way mirror to allow for observation? Professional focus group rooms are available in many cities, and the researcher can purchase recruiting services, refreshments, audio or video recording, and a receptionist in addition to the actual room rental. This will severely restrict the possible locations and will increase the costs.
2. Make Personal Contacts With Potential Participants
Once you have set the meeting times, contact potential participants. It is important that this contact be direct and personalized. Usually this first contact is two weeks before the, focus group session. If you are contacting professionals or others with busy schedules, you may need to make this contact a month or more in advance.
People are leery of cold calls these days. It helps if you can make a personal connection with the potential participant early in the call, such as the following: "Robert Johnson of Neighborhood Connections said you might be interested in helping us" or "I got your name from Martha Sanford. She is helping us with this project."
People are more likely to take time to attend a focus group interview if they believe the study is important. The sense of importance is conveyed in several ways. One is by building a convincing case that the study has benefit or value to certain parties. Tell how the results will be used.
TIP
Make Attending Easy and Attractive
Start by making attendance easy, comfortable, and attractive. Remove barriers that might inhibit participation-child care, transportation, starting time, distance, and so on. What would make it tough for people to participate? What factors would prevent people from attending? Get rid of these. Think about how you can make this easy and attractive.

Another way to convey importance is through actions. Give thought to who extends the invitation to the focus groups. In the nonprofit and public environment, there is a tendency to have staff or volunteers make the first contact. Too often, these people have a limited understanding of the study, incomplete knowledge of the organization, or little passion for the project. Instead, first, perfect the recruiting strategy yourself and then coach the people who will take on the responsibility. Give them a few talking points. Let them know what should be covered. Don't give them a script to read. You want it to sound conversational, not like the person who calls to sell you siding. Second, avoid the temptation to delegate to the new intern or volunteer and instead seek a "volunteer" from high up in the organization. Look for a person who is recognized, trusted, and respected. If appropriate, ask the chief executive, the block leader, or the head nurse to make initial contacts. You don't want potential participants to feel coerced-like they can't say "no" to this person. But often people feel this study must be really important if this person is taking time to invite them to do this. We have had people tell us it was an honor to be invited by a certain person. Also, participants are more likely to show up if they have said yes to this person they trust and respect. Some people have a gift for getting people to say yes and feeling good about it. Get them to recruit participants.
If the topic or incentive is lackluster or if our past experience with this type of participant dictates it, we sometimes slightly overrecruit, inviting one or two people more than we actually want. Overrecruiting is usually not necessary if the participants see the group as nonthreatening and incentives to participate are good, or if the groups are with employees who will be released from work responsibilities to attend the focus groups.
3. Send a Personalized Follow-Up Letter
Just after the participant agrees to be in the focus group, follow up with a personalized letter. For many groups, this is sent one week before the session. The letter is sent on official letterhead with, a personal salutation, an inside address, and a, signature of someone related to the study (e.g., the moderator, the head of the unit sponsoring the study, the head of the agency sponsoring the study). It provides additional details about the session, location, and topic of discussion. An example of the letter is included in Practice Hint 4.2.

4. Make a Reminder Phone Contact
Phone participants the day before the focus group to remind them of the session and confirm their intention to attend. This "dentist"-style phone call serves two purposes. It reinforces the importance of the group ("This must be an important session because you've invited me three times!"), and it reminds participants who might have forgotten about the session. This phone call can be as simple as saying, "Just wanted to remind you that we are looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the library to talk about neighborhood recycling."