Customer Lecture slides - Your Customers

Savvy global

1. Week 1
Your Customer

2. Determine your target customer using standard demographics like age,
gender, annual income, plus deep demographics like where they hang
out, how they speak, what do they like, where do they spend money,
what do they drive, where did they go to school, etc.
What are three unique identifiers of your target customer?
What challenges or pain points do your targets have?
What type of questions are they asking you?
Select 5 to 10 keywords and key phrases that your targets use in their
vernacular and what they search online.
WHO IS YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER?

3. WHAT PROBLEM DO YOU WANT TO
SOLVE FOR YOUR CUSTOMER?
1. Identify the problem.
This is critical. You must try to solve the right problem. Don't try to solve a
problem the customer sees as low priority or unimportant. Identify the right
problem by asking the right questions and observing. You cannot identify the
customer's problems by presenting your solution. What’s leading the
customer to feel there is a problem? Is it something specific or is it an intuitive
sense that things aren't as they should be? Can the customer define the
problem?

4. 2. Analyze the problem.
How often does the problem occur? How severe is it? Are there any special
circumstances that are present when it occurs? What might be the causes of
the problem? Can you rule out any causes? How long has it been going on?
Has it gotten worse? How is the problem affecting other processes or people?
WHAT PROBLEM DO YOU WANT TO
SOLVE FOR YOUR CUSTOMER?

5. 1. Starting with existing data.
You most likely have existing data at your fingertips. Review past surveys,
and customer interviews. There’s no point in funding an extensive and
expensive research campaign if the data you need is already collected, and
available for free.
WHEN DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR
AND WHY IT IS URGENT?

6. 2. Interviewing stakeholders.
Why not begin with the data you don’t have to pay for: the collective
knowledge stakeholders have. They know the industry, the problems
experienced, and your target customer.
WHEN DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR
AND WHY IT IS URGENT?

7. 3. Mapping the customer process.
If you know your customer’s process, map it out. For example, before Uber, to
get a ride you called a taxi company, waited to reach a dispatcher, waited for
a car to be dispatched, hoped the driver would find you, and hoped you had
enough cash when you reached your destination. With Uber, you open your
smartphone and summon the nearest car with one tap; you already know
how far away the car is because you can see it in real-time on a map. The
driver also sees your location so he or she can come right to you.
WHEN DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR
AND WHY IT IS URGENT?

8. 4. Interviewing customers.
Go right to the source: Ask your target customers what problems they have
and what solutions they want. Even when customers can’t articulate their
needs clearly, you can often gain insights that lead to successful innovations.
WHEN DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR
AND WHY IT IS URGENT?

9. 5. Conducting surveys.
Use surveys to collect data from your target customers about the problems
they experience and their expectations of an ideal solution. Use a mix of
open- and closed-ended questions to see what produces the most useful
data. Although customers aren’t necessarily good at identifying their needs,
this type of survey often yields data from which you can discern customer
goals, challenges, pain-points, problems, attitudes, and expectations, and
then can design a solution from your conclusion.
WHEN DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR
AND WHY IT IS URGENT?

10. 6. Analyzing existing players.
Do some research on the existing players in the industry where the problem
you've identified exists. These players may become your competition if you
decide to enter the industry. Consider using the SWOT rule to identify their
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
WHEN DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR
AND WHY IT IS URGENT?

11. 7. Analyzing the cause of the problem.
No one will disagree that it’s usually good to think positively, but sometimes,
negative thinking can solve problems more effectively. Through observations,
surveys, and other data sources, you may find that the problem you've
identified is actually just a symptom of another root cause problem.
WHEN DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR
AND WHY IT IS URGENT?

12. 1. Be an active listener.
Pay attention. Listen to your target customer. By listening intently to what
your customers are saying, you understand the problem they're experiencing
much better. No one knows the problem better than them, because they are
the ones unhappy with the situation. So, listen to every word they have to
say, and ask yourself, "What will make them happy?"
WHAT WOULD MAKE THE LIFE OF
YOUR CUSTOMER EASIER?

13. 2. Demonstrate how the current solution isn't good.
Some people are used to a less-than-ideal solution because they have been
using it for a very long time, and even if it's less-than-ideal, it has grown to
become their new normal. Demonstrate to such a person how the current
hack is ineffective, inaccurate, time-consuming, energy-draining, expensive,
inconvenient, or inefficient. Show them the qualities of an ideal solution, and
how exactly an ideal solution will better their lives.
WHAT WOULD MAKE THE LIFE OF
YOUR CUSTOMER EASIER?

14. Congratulations!
See you soon
/savvyfellows