You ask them. You talk to them about beer – about why they like it, what they want from it and what they don’t want from it.

Ginger & Gayle Goschie of Goschie (Hops) Farms are glad to talk about beer

Hold a focus group – WEB does them a lot to make sure information is current and to give an opportunity to get a group together to talk about all things beer.

They key for a successful focus group is be prepared. Have a short list of specific questions you want them to answer, between 12 and 20 is a good number. WEB just had a focus group in Portland OR and the 12 women who showed up were all directed to and back to these questions.

It’s easy to get sidetracked and to let one or two members of the FG dominate the group. You need the leader of the focus group to stay on track. Use diplomacy – introduce the group the format, tell them how it’s going to unfold including that you may guide them back on track if it gets too far off topic.

Encourage them. If they want to talk about other things, the pub or brewery where you are meeting would most likely be glad to have them stay afterwards and talk it out over a beer.

Be focused and we all come out ahead, women & men & beer alike.

Talking to people comes naturally to me. And for the most part I’m glad to strike up a conversation with another person when opportunity seems ripe.

Take Tara and Aud for example.

I met Tara when I sat down at the Chili’s bar in the Dallas Fort Worth airport a few months back. She was friendly (should be as a tender) and seemed relaxed and glad to be there (she told me she was). She answered my questions (hadn’t had Shiner, why wasn’t the local beer on tap, did she like her work) and made my experience pleasant. Late plane – not a big deal when I can have a beer while waiting.

Aud – met her at the same place. She’s from California – where I was headed – and was relaxed and seemed fine with our informal conversation. Smart, engaged, loves her work, beer enthusiast (likes the Pales).

Information – like great people – is everywhere. You gather it formally or informally. It’s all relevant, all telling, all interesting.

Message today = Good real women exist everywhere and they want good beer.

Who have you talked to lately?

Photo courtesy of Flickr by Jimmy – Lin