If you only listen to those already in the room, you’re missing the voices who never made it through the door. Or walked right past. Or couldn’t find it. Or wouldn’t think to look.

The baked-in-bias* of Netflix’s ‘most liked’ rating is an analogy for the way I see some teams engage with their customers – tending toward the most convenient, accessible, and most invested. Like a museum audience insight team I met this year who typically only interviewed museum visitors – recruited as walk-ins, through their membership programme or social channels. At the museum.

This blinkered view is a selection and survivor bias sandwich. And a missed opportunity**…

Get out of your echo chamber to:
+ Understand their world and where you might fit in,
+ Learn from adjacent or emerging audiences,
+ Find out who your competitors are,
+ Discover perceptual obstacles and barriers to entry,
+ Understand needs you’re not meeting,
+ Learn why people churn,
+ Discover what might bring them (back) to your door.

The another risk from conducting research on your organisation’s physical turf is the lack of neutrality and the power imbalance which can come with it. Think of how many times you’ve told a politely enquiring waiter the food’s fine, when you’ve already decided you won’t be dining there again.

Thumbs up to that? 👍

*My pick: Netflix ‘most liked’ is more a signal for social proof, an engagement mechanism and a way to reduce decision fatigue … rather than any kind of rigorous research tool.

**On the other hand… Engaging with those under your nose, on your turf and terms can allow a broader group of stakeholders to participate in research.