A presentation by Kevin McLean,
Wardle McLean, UK Conversations .. .. a New Model for Qualitative Research www.wardlemclean.co.uk www.theartofconversation.net

Introduction <ul><li>We are part of
something bigger than we realise </li></ul><ul><li>Reframe qualitative research </li></ul><ul><li>Recognise our skills , raise our status </li></ul><ul><li> via ‘conversations’ </li></ul>

Introduction <ul><li>Focus groups </li></ul>Fist fights
Poems Brainwaves Hunger pangs Meetings Brands Prayer Indecision Trust Frowning Racing Democracy Climate change Blogs .. are all ‘conversations’ Kissing Arguing Colonialism

Introduction <ul><li>What would you call
</li></ul><ul><li>a good conversation ? </li></ul>

Structure <ul><li>1. A short history
of conversations </li></ul><ul><li>2. Communication and attitudes </li></ul><ul><li>3. Brands and marketing </li></ul>

1. A short history of
conversations

In the (very) beginning <ul><li>The
very first conversation was ...? </li></ul>‘ John, how’d you do that fire thing, again’ ?

In the (very) beginning <ul><li>Voiced
utterance, plus gestures </li></ul><ul><li>Physical , social context (grooming) </li></ul>

In the (very) beginning The
birth of jazz © Larson Origin Usage

Therefore... <ul><li>Conversations are what make
us human </li></ul><ul><li>Conversations are not only verbal </li></ul><ul><li>We are essentially social beings </li></ul>

Therefore... <ul><li>We learn through imitation
… </li></ul><ul><li>… interacting with others </li></ul>

Learning through conversation <ul><li>Socrates (469
- 399 BC) </li></ul><ul><li>Dialogues: </li></ul><ul><li>‘ extended conversations ... aimed at understanding ... through a dialectical method’ </li></ul><ul><li>Still relevant today: </li></ul><ul><li>- democracy / free market </li></ul><ul><li>- debate choices </li></ul><ul><li>- question producers and politicians </li></ul>

Learning through conversation Socrates, the
first QRC? going further for less

Learning through conversation <ul><li>Beware the
barrenness of a busy life </li></ul><ul><li>We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is a habit </li></ul><ul><li>Wisdom begins in wonder </li></ul><ul><li>(Socrates) </li></ul>

Conversations that changed history <ul><li>The
Earth is flat </li></ul><ul><li>The universe revolves around the Earth </li></ul><ul><li>Europe / USA rules the world </li></ul>

Conversations that changed history <ul><li>Crick
and Watson discovered DNA via conversations </li></ul><ul><li>Linus Pauling tried to figure it all out </li></ul>‘ Because Pauling was so smart, he didn’t feel the need to talk to anyone’ (Watson)

Conversations that changed history <ul><li>‘
(Crick) asked naïve questions .. in order to understand things. Conversations yielded new insights’ Theodore Zeldin </li></ul>

2. Communication and attitudes <ul><li>Three
kinds of language: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>representational </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>structural </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>immediate </li></ul></ul>

Communication <ul><li>Representational </li></ul><ul><li>dominant </li></ul><ul><li>over-reliant </li></ul><ul><li>misleading
</li></ul>

Communication <ul><li>Structural </li></ul><ul><li>body-to-body </li></ul><ul><li>comes first
</li></ul><ul><li>under-estimated </li></ul>

Communication <ul><li>Immediate </li></ul><ul><li>basic/powerful </li></ul><ul><li>pure emotion/feeling
</li></ul>

Communication <ul><li>“ 93% of all
communication is non-verbal” </li></ul><ul><li>AGREE / DISAGREE? </li></ul><ul><li>It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it </li></ul>

Attitudes <ul><li>‘ What is your
attitude to ..?’ </li></ul><ul><li>Attitudes as: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>inside us </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>observable </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>measurable </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>immutable </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>‘ ours’ </li></ul></ul>

Attitudes <ul><li>Do you have attitudes
.. </li></ul><ul><li>.. or do attitudes have you ? </li></ul>

Attitudes <ul><li>Attitudes as: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>made up,
made to order </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>adapted/adopted </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>having a life of their own </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>part of a conversation </li></ul></ul>

Conclusion <ul><li>Three kinds of language...
</li></ul><ul><ul><li>representational </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>structural </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>immediate </li></ul></ul><ul><li>… are connected, all part of our conversation </li></ul>

Conclusion <ul><li>We know ourselves, our
beliefs, through conversation </li></ul><ul><li>‘ Quallies’ are trained in the art of conversation </li></ul><ul><ul><li>we can truly get to know people </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>if we practise good conversation </li></ul></ul>

Part 3. Brands and marketing
<ul><li>Welcome to the revolution! </li></ul>1950s today

Markets are conversations

<ul><li>Before : </li></ul><ul><li>Brands </li></ul><ul><li>Consumers </li></ul>

Now : People Brands

‘ Commercial conversations’ Market research
… has traditionally been about figuring out how to get customers to buy what businesses want to make, rather than helping businesses to make what customers want to buy. Commerce is going to increasingly shift away from older forms of communication … towards something that resembles a real conversation. James Surowiecki, author, ‘Wisdom of the Crowds’

About brands <ul><li>Brands are not
things </li></ul><ul><li>They are constructed from two kinds of networks </li></ul><ul><ul><li>internal network </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>external network </li></ul></ul>

<ul><li>Brands on the internal network
</li></ul>

one neuron LOTS of neurons

A challenge to us all?
<ul><li>‘ Neuromarketing’ </li></ul><ul><ul><li>brain scans are the answer </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Professor Zaltman </li></ul><ul><ul><li>my way or the highway </li></ul></ul>

A professor speaks <ul><li>‘ How
Customers Think : Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market’ </li></ul><ul><ul><li>‘ Technology is revolutionizing our ability to understand customers. Insights about the workings of the cognitive unconscious ... and the neurobiology of figurative thinking, for instance, have already outdated most thinking and current practices’ </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>ie focus groups are redundant / do not work </li></ul></ul>

Au contraire , professor <ul><li>‘
Herd - how to change mass behaviour by harnessing our true nature’ </li></ul><ul><ul><li>by Mark Earls (pub. Wiley, Feb 07) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>behaviour NOT reducible to brains / our unconscious but is socially determined </li></ul></ul>

not just brains, our nervous
system

1 2 3 4

EXTERNAL (SOCIAL) NETWORK IN ACTION

The point is <ul><li>Conversations are
</li></ul><ul><ul><li>within us and between us </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>mental / physical, personal / social </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Qualitative research can tap into them </li></ul><ul><ul><li>when it is done well </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>inside and (especially) outside the studio </li></ul></ul>

And.. <ul><li>We know that what
people say differs from what they do </li></ul><ul><ul><li>there are no guarantees </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>good conversations take us all forward </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>not just verbal (physical, emotional) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>not just in studios (out there) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>not just Questions and Answers </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Too often we have done average work, which holds us back </li></ul>

Grand conclusions <ul><li>Conversations </li></ul><ul><li>Open </li></ul><ul><li>Map
on to networks </li></ul><ul><li>Build rapport </li></ul><ul><li>Between equals </li></ul><ul><li>Liberating </li></ul><ul><li>Q & A </li></ul><ul><li>Close </li></ul><ul><li>Impose a structure </li></ul><ul><li>Hinder, alienate </li></ul><ul><li>Power relations </li></ul><ul><li>Disempowering </li></ul>Q & A Close Impose a structure Hinder, alienate Power relations Disempowering

Grand conclusions <ul><li>Conversations </li></ul><ul><li>Rich, rewarding
</li></ul><ul><li>Space, freedom </li></ul><ul><li>Lead somewhere </li></ul><ul><li>Yield truths </li></ul><ul><li>Q & A </li></ul><ul><li>Confined, frustrating </li></ul><ul><li>Forced, feel trapped </li></ul><ul><li>Start and finish </li></ul><ul><li>Encourage lies </li></ul>

By Kevin McLean [email_address] www.wardlemclean.co.uk
www.theartofconversation.net TO GOOD CONVERSATIONS!