Focus Group is an effective way of extracting the most reliable feedbacks as long as it is done the right way. The guidelines below should tell you the common mistakes to avoid in dealing with Focus Groups:

- Unclear objectives – Research objectives are oftentimes being left undefined which will lead to inefficient returns on the invested amount of resources and time. Clear and defined objectives will aid you to concentrate your efforts on the relevant activities.
- Undefined screening criteria – Screening criteria will have to be clearly crafted to ensure quality recruits otherwise you will deal with the risk of recruiting the most unlikely participants. Another risk is you might recruit people who have no single hint about what to do and will have no significant insight to contribute. Well-defined criteria will also ensure that the types of participants are chosen without bias so as to hear equal amount of praise and criticism for a balanced evaluation.
- Extremely diverse groups – Diversity is necessary in order to extract an honest and balanced opinion, but if it goes towards extremity it will only do more harm than good. It will set too much variable that will make it hard for the research team to arrive a quantifiable result.
- Undeveloped discussion guide – Moderating a discussion group is difficult enough, how much more if it is roughly handled without the aid of a discussion guide. You leave yourself to the risk of getting things way out of hand or going to the direction that is irrelevant to the original objective. Enough time should be given in developing a discussion guide as it will be the key in ensuring that quality insights are extracted within the specified time frame. The client should make it clear to the moderator its defined objectives so that its principles will be incorporated to the entire structure of the discussion guide. The moderator as well must put forth an effort of refining the guide, so that even if changes are made spontaneously during the actual interview, the discussion will not be far from its original path.
- Inappropriate application of stimuli – Stimuli are necessary to encapsulate the needed reactions from the focus groups. Inadequate and too much application of it will be detrimental to the overall expected result. This is what will happen if not enough effort and time is afforded in developing the relevant stimuli.
- Unnecessary participation of the clients during the actual interview – This is very unproductive as it will disrupt the natural flow of the conversation. The participants may get edgy with the on-going discussion and note-passing between the clients and the moderator. The moderator as well may become unproductive, that he forgets the proper structure of the discussion in his intention to please the clients. The clients should stay back and never join nor disrupt the on-going discussion. They must wait for the proper avenue for which they may voice their opinion.
- Inexperienced moderator – moderators with no relevant experience must never be allowed to moderate Focus Groups with so much at stake. A company’s corporate decision about their products and services are partially based on the extracted insights coming from the focus groups, and an inexperienced moderator might extract misleading information instead of the relevant details. And this will certainly be a disaster that might cause so much loss.