Quality Research Perspectives: What makes a moderator great?

There Are Good Moderators. And Then There Are Great Moderators.

In the second installment of our Perspectives series on defining what defines quality research, we’re exploring attributes of a great (vs. simply good) moderator. For that insight, we turn to our very own moderators Bonnie Dibling (Lead Researcher), John Dibling (Technology/Finance Lead), and Kip Brown (Brand and Advertising Lead).

The Question

What makes a moderator great?

Consensus:

Great moderators distinguish themselves by being able to make authentic human connections that give respondents the level of comfort they need to open up and share honestly. Moderators who can have peer-to-peer conversations with respondents are better equipped to build the trust that leads to deeper truths and insight.

Lead Researcher Perspective

“There are innate skills that make for a great moderator that can’t be taught. The ability to make human connections. A great moderator leads with love. They value, respect, and accept people for who they are.”— Bonnie Dibling, CEO and Lead Researcher

When it comes to moderators, there are good, better, and best. If your research study is straightforward, a good moderator is fine. But for more complex studies like the types we do in technology and healthcare, you need a great moderator in order to get to the truly valuable and difference-making insights.

That means finding a moderator who’s not only great at, say, ethnographies, but who can talk comfortably and confidently about molecular biology with a doctor or ASICs with a computer engineer. And that’s not always an easy person to find.

Great moderators will obviously be experienced and well trained. They should know basic principles of psychology and sociology, be good communicators and strategic thinkers who can connect the dots. But there are innate skills that make for a great moderator that can’t be taught.

The ability to make human connections, for instance. And an external-facing lens. With the best moderators, it’s all about the respondents: what they’re feeling and thinking, how they’re responding and reacting, and why. A great moderator also leads with love. They value, respect, and accept each respondent for who they are. They’re compassionate and empathetic. They don’t judge, scorn, or interrogate.

You know who’s ultimately the best judge of the moderator? The respondent. People can just tell when someone is genuinely interested in what they have to say and think, who genuinely cares about their views, opinions, and experiences. And when a respondent senses those qualities in a moderator, they open right up and tell them their life story.

Technology/Finance Lead Perspective

“A great moderator will know when to get out of the way, giving just a gentle nudge to course correct without disrupting the organic flow of thought that leads to the really meaningful insight.”— John Dibling, COO and Technology/Finance Lead

A great moderator doesn’t just get answers to questions. They’re able to extract profound insight by having peer-led conversations person-to-person. A great moderator leads respondents to a place where they’re using their brains and thinking, not just providing surface-level answers to prompts. And a great moderator will know when to get out of the way, giving just a gentle nudge to course correct here and there without disrupting that organic flow of thought. It’s in this state of flow where you get to the really meaningful and useable insight.

It also helps tremendously when the moderator can speak the respondents’ language — especially when you’re having those conversations with highly specialized technologists or clinicians. If you’re not having to stop to ask what some terminology or concept means, then you’re able to keep that conversational flow — and the flow of insights — going unimpeded. The result is by far better, deeper, richer insight that directly impacts the clients’ decision making.

Brand and Advertising Lead Perspective

“A great moderator isn’t just moderating, they’re having a conversation. You’re talking peer-to-peer, and that’s when the difference happens.”— Kip Brown, Brand and Advertising Lead

I think one of the most important things a great moderator can do is build a sense trust with your respondents — particularly in B2B when you’re speaking with C-level executives and the stakes are much higher than your preference in peanut butter brands. These execs are often very reticent to tell you a damn thing, and their B.S.-ometer is fine-tuned. If you don’t know what you’re talking about and try to fake it, they can smell it right away and will shut down.

But when you can show them that you bring expertise and proficiency in their line of business, they’ll open up. And they’re some of the most honest and direct respondents you can talk to. They’ll share things they wouldn’t tell anyone else — not their bosses or spouses or therapists. That’s where you get to the core truths, that place of unbridled honesty.

To build that trust, you also need to make a connection with them. So a great moderator isn’t just moderating, they’re having a conversation. You’re talking peer-to-peer, and that’s when the difference happens. To be great moderator, you also have to be a great listener. By listening to what your respondent is really saying — or not saying — you know which follow-up questions to ask and when to go off-script to unwind an interesting and relevant thread that leads to unexpected and rewarding insight.