POV Paper
TELL ME OR SHOW ME?
Sorting the Options and Advantages
of Qualitative Methods
by Miriam Alexander
Y
ears ago, legendary executive and public
television evangelist Herb Schmertz
described his efforts to sell Masterpiece
Theater by acknowledging that ‘if you ask
people on the street they’ll tell you they
watch Masterpiece Theater, but they go
home and watch Laverne and Shirley.’ This
telling comment, showcasing the difference
between what people want you to believe
and what they actually do underscores
a Qualitative Paradigm, illustrating so
perfectly the dynamic of “Tell Me” versus
“Show Me.” Both are meaningful in the right
situations, and the difference between
the two of them can often be particularly
revelatory.
But how do you know what method to
choose? What are the advantages of each
and for what kind of challenge or question?
The best way to start is by understanding the
continuum itself, and it is a continuum, one
in which each method can embody elements
of both “Tell Me’ and “Show Me.” Some of
you may think about this from another
perspective – in field or in facility – but that
distinction masks the fundamental nature of
each method.
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Tell Me Or Show Me
TELL ME
This most traditional of research
approaches, characterized largely by
methods such as Focus Groups and InDepth-Interviews, “Tell Me” relies on
conversation to generate insights. We ask
people, either directly or indirectly, about
topics, listen to what they say and probe
thoughtfully to deepen our understanding.
Researchers and stakeholders often dismiss
these as less desirable, assuming that people
will tell us either what they think we want to
hear, or provide superficial answers because
they are unable to connect to deep seated
thoughts and opinions.
Skilful moderation combined with the right
techniques like projective exercises and
laddering can mitigate these concerns, but
the fact remains that these approaches rely
primarily on explicit conversation.
SHOW ME
At the other end of the spectrum are
observational approaches such as Market
Research Ethnographies including inhome visits and shopalongs. Rooted in
anthropological inquiry and adapted for
commercial purposes, these approaches
Watching what people do and
‘connecting the dots’ between what
consumers do and why yields a
resonant understanding of the issue
at hand.
share the philosophy that watching what
people do and ‘connecting the dots’ between
what consumers do and why yields a
resonant understanding of the issue at hand.
Even these methods generally include
‘Tell Me’ elements – asking participants to
explicate their activity for example – but
they are largely about observation and
context.
HOW DO I DECIDE...
Let’s start by acknowledging that, as with
much of life, there is no hard and fast rule
that will tell you what to do in any given
situation. In fact, that’s what makes life so
interesting. However, there are probably
some general guidelines that will help you
decide in which direction to concentrate.
1. Tactical vs. Strategic
Tactical issues lend themselves most
readily to an emphasis on “Tell Me”,
particularly in the case of advertising
or other marketing communication. In
contrast, large strategic or foundational
questions benefit from an approach
reliant on observation.
2. Process vs. Endpoint
Process practically screams “Show
Me” – we want to see and understand
what happens at each step along the
way, and a flat description of process
loses subtlety. Different steps may be
attitudinally or experientially different
from one another. Endpoint, on the
other hand, with its focus on one specific
moment in time, suggests the proverbial
‘deep dive’ via a largely “Tell Me”
approach.
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Tell Me Or Show Me
3. Potential for Unconscious or
Reflexive Behavior
As a corollary to process vs. endpoint,
there are often many things that
we don’t recall doing – those simple
reflexive steps that occur without
thinking. Examples might include specific
search behavior after Showrooming
merchandise, laundry sorting that is so
habitual that steps aren’t remembered
or even choosing a DVD at your local
store. These sorts of things, seemingly
simple, are ideally addressed via
a “Show Me” approach so that we
don’t inadvertently miss key steps
simply because consumers do them
automatically.
Are these the only scenarios that require a
choice? Absolutely not. But, one hopes, the
kinds of questions and issues we consider
will help you make your own decisions
about which approach to emphasize
when confronting business and research
questions.
And finally, let’s come full circle for a minute,
back to Herb Schmertz and his public
television problem, to take a look at how the
difference between what people say and
what they actually do can in and of itself be
helpful.
was to sell sponsorships for Masterpiece
Theater – and the reflexive corporate
reaction would likely be, ‘nobody watches it,
there’s nothing in it for me as a sponsor.’ But
how about a pitch that says…
ƒƒ Regardless of whether or not people
watch the program, they feel they
should or they wouldn’t lie about
their behavior. Viewers feel they
should watch because it is good,
quality, dare I say even classy,
television.
ƒƒ Sponsor the program, and, more
importantly, make sure people
know you are a sponsor of the PBS
network (since they’re not actually
watching it) and you will become
good and classy by association.
Would we have known this just through
the “Show Me” approach of knowing that
people are watching Laverne and Shirley?
No. And conversely, “Tell Me” wouldn’t have
done much for us in this situation either.
Instead, the juxtaposition of the two helps
us reach a level of understanding that is both
meaningful and actionable.
What does this particular discrepancy tell
us about the situation, and more important,
what does it tell us we might do to have
impact? In this particular instance, the goal
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