We’ve all been in that uncomfortable situation that comes up periodically during qualitative research – DEAD SILENCE.

The conversation just stalls, and you have no idea what to ask next. So, what to do?  Here are a few solutions that will help to break the ice and get things jump-started.

First, Don’t Panic. This is an opportunity to reset the conversation and steer things in a new, perhaps unexpected, direction. If you don’t want to do that, go to the next topic. Unless you’ve covered every topic in your guide – including those ‘time-permitting ones’ – there should be more to discuss. So just move on.

Don’t Fear the Pause. This is hard, but silence can often be beneficial. Participants may feel a need to say something, and that could lead to an unexpected insight.

Take The Pause Head-On.  Say something like … “uh-oh – why has the room just gone quiet?”

Make The Topic of Conversation the Conversation Itself.  It’s okay to encourage a bit of introspection to get things rolling again.  You can ask:

“How is this conversation making you feel?”

“Has anything said in this conversation surprised you?”

“Have your thoughts and feelings about this topic changed in the course of this conversation?”

“Is there something we’re not talking about here that we should?”

“Is there something unsaid lurking beneath the surface of this conversation?”

Have A Few ‘Back Pocket’ Questions. Be prepared for that sudden lull. It’s a good idea to have some ‘questions for all occasions’ to ask if you’re stuck. I recently heard Stephen Colbert call this the – ‘In case of emergency, break glass, remove question’ question. Here are mine:

“What do I not seem to understand about this topic?”

“What don’t people understand about this topic?”

“Who do you think this product/brand/category is for?”

“You used the term ______ a minute ago.  What did you mean by that?”

So, don’t fear awkward silence.  It happens naturally during many conversations. Use it to your advantage and possibly to gain insights you never anticipated. Awkward silence can be your friend – if you’ll let it.

My thanks to master moderators Michelle Ogren Jeffrys and Pam Goldfarb Liss for their input on this topic.