MKT.3:4.5 - Observe the attempt without merging different answers
Before the attempt, decide which observations can answer the live question. Keep the following distinctions even when a single conversation supplies several observations:
| Observation | What it can support | What it does not establish by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery or display | The material reached an address or surface under the recorded conditions. | That the intended person noticed it. |
| Notice or attention | A specified person attended to some material. | That they understood the contribution and its limits. |
| Account of meaning | The person can describe the relevant proposal or distinguish its consequences. | That they prefer it, can acquire it or will benefit. |
| Reply, request or refusal | A particular response occurred, with its stated grounds when available. | The unstated reason for everyone else’s silence. |
| Later action | The named appointment, acquisition or use occurred. | That the message caused it or the promised benefit followed. |
Observe meaning by asking a fitting recipient to explain what would be supplied and what they would need to do, or by using another suitable direct task. Do not teach the missing explanation during the probe and then credit the original message with the repaired understanding. A friendly colleague familiar with the product can help with drafting but may not expose the intended audience’s inference.
Retain the unit, denominator, period and selection conditions of any count. Distinguish ten replies from ten suitable recipients, and unique people from repeated exposures. If two routes reach different populations at different times, their response rates do not isolate the effect of the route. Use MKT.12 for a missing evidence question and MKT.10 when a causal contribution or cost comparison is needed. A bounded communication attempt does not automatically require either inquiry.