Watching the World Go By

Getting started in research

Last week I was asked to facilitate a workshop for marketing and communication professionals to empower them to build their understanding of consumers through their own investigations.  The workshop covered some of the key psychological insights, but focused on practical ways to help them observe, listen and ask questions in a more structured way.  The session was great fun, and over the next two articles I can share some of the practical tips I gave them.  Today I will focus on observation, which should always come before asking and listening.

The first principle is that even in conversations with customers, the majority of communication is non-verbal, and words typically count for less than 10% of the content of communication.  We can learn a great deal about someone’s real feelings, by checking the spontaneity of their responses, their body language (more on this shortly), their pauses and the length (or shortness) of their responses, the naturalness of their language and behaviour and the level of emotional engagement they show (which can become especially evident in the telling of personal stories).

The full picture

There are other signs too.  Watch the mouth for signs of yawning, tightened lips, lifelessness, stuttering and hesitation which can all be signs of disinterestedness or insincerity, whilst pauses can indicate thoughtful responses or rationalisation of non-conscious behaviour depending on context.  Fingers raised clenching or tapping are all signs of disinterest so treat verbal responses with caution.  Posture can also be revealing, as when someone sits forward and turns towards you they are becoming engaged, whereas if they turn away, sit back, slouch or stiffen they are less interested.

Tone of voice is a good indicator of engagement, as is the speed of response and talking, and the use of stories.  When responds expel air or rub their noses these are (sometimes) signs of disinterest (or dissimulation), and of course blushing is a sign of embarrassment.  Finally, the eyes often provide the clearest picture of true feelings.  Is a participant maintaining eye contact or looking away?  Vacant looks, lowering eyes, time (or door) watching and staring to space are all signs of disengagement and also watch the rate with which the eyes blink.

Observation checklist

When observing behaviour in situ there are a number of things to watch out for (and record):

1. What is the context and the physical environment?
2. What is the profile of the participant(s) you are observing?
3. What are their lifestyles, habits and customs?
4. What are the key behaviours (including details) that you have observed?  What ‘job’ are they doing?
5. Did you notice any problems or frustrations in getting the job done?
6. Does this point to any key triggers and barriers to specific behaviours?
7. Did you identify any unmet needs or opportunities for improving the customer experience?
8. Are there any other key insights?

Although we naturally look for the new and different in our day-to-day lives, human observation should always focus on the ordinary and expected (as well as surprises too).  Much of the power of observation is in seeing others do the things that we do every day, but are unaware of because they are engrained habits.  So for that reason always keep an open mind and very open eyes!

Most importantly always watch for the context of the behaviour.  For example, in observing shopping behaviour, watch for the following which can all reveal the purpose of the shopping trip:

• the time spent in the outlet and the speed with which the shopper moves through the store
• the route they follow and where they stop, look and interact with displays and products
• what else is in their basket and who they are with

Dos and don’ts

Here’s a checklist of what to do and what to do when observing behaviour:

DO

• Be an observer first
• Keep an open mind
• Be objective
• Respect local customs
• Be as unobtrusive as possible
• Look for the ordinary
• Watch for big picture as well as details
• Build rapport and comfort before getting to detail
• Move from the general to the specific
• Use everything as evidence (look, listen and ask)
• Ask questions fairly (use open ended questions)
• Be positive
• Take good notes

DON’T

• Change what you’re watching
• Make any assumptions
• Make judgments

Observation made easy

Observation is not rocket science, and we are all good observers of life every day of our lives.  Observation in research simply requires a little more structure and attention to detail and there are many useful tools to help you with this (most of them now available either pre-loaded or downloadable on your phone).

Good observation can be summarised in three simple principles:

1. Look first and ask later
2. Be open minded
3. Look for the ordinary

REFERENCES

Ethnography for marketers: A guide to consumer immersion by Hy Mariampolski (2006)

Qualitative research: Good decision making through understanding people, cultures and markets by Sheila Keegan (2009)