Sample

A business normally questions a sample rather than every potential customer. The sample should reflect the target market: the particular group of customers the business aims to sell to. For example, a business selling school bags would need views from relevant buyers and users, rather than an unrelated group of adults.

A sample is the group included in the research. Businesses often question a sample rather than every potential customer because this saves time and money. They then use the findings to draw conclusions about the wider market.

For each method, the business also needs to think about its sample: the smaller group involved in the research. Information is more useful when those people reflect the intended customers. Detailed answers from the wrong group may still lead to a poor business decision.