Use These Strategies to Access Deeper Insights in Remote Consultations

Even if you’ve been conducting remote consultations since before the Pandemic, it’s important to check in on your processes regularly to ensure that you’re employing best practices. Virtual capabilities are rapidly evolving, and researchers must stay ahead of these changes. There are many ways to access deeper insights through your remote consultations, but these 4 strategies are foundational to successful research. 

New and improved technology.

The research technology that is available today far surpasses what we could have imagined even just a few years ago. From virtual whiteboards that actually work well, to eye-tracking technology that allows you to pull insights that the participant isn’t even aware they’re sharing — the options are endless. Even if you don’t have a large budget for tech, using free and available tools such as the live transcription feature on Zoom, virtual Post-It boards on Miro or Mural, and simple sharing through Slack or other messaging platforms can elevate remote research.. 

Seamless stimuli presentation.

When you need to showcase stimuli, integrate digital tools in order to do so seamlessly and improve the participant experience and resulting insights. During in-person consultations, too many researchers spend time fiddling with screens or devices which can lead to agitated or impatient participants, and bias the conversations and elongate the session. . In some cases, for example, in a web design study, there are platforms that even allow participants to self-direct the consultation and record their movements enabling more detailed analysis. 

Live client communication.

Pay no attention to that client behind the curtain! Remote consultations allow the moderator to conduct live behind-the-scenes communications with their client without the participant’s awareness. This is a significant benefit for researchers and clients alike as they can collaborate in real time to ensure that the right insights are being captured and that any new avenues of interest can be fully explored. Take advantage of this opportunity to work closely with your clients and provide them with a highly-tailored set of insights. 

More pleasant recruitment experience.

When recruiting for online consultations, the ability to offer a higher level of flexibility and smoother scheduling functionality can create a much more positive experience for participants. Happier participants offer better insights, are more likely to work with you again, and can help contribute to growing your database of similar individuals. Use cloud-based scheduling programs to make recruitment easy and efficient.. Implement reminder and follow up protocols which include all the necessary details to enhance the user experience. 

While there will always be a time and a place for in-person consultations, there is no getting around the fact that remote is here to stay.