Why is it important to understand the people

Why is it important to understand the people for whom you are solving problems?

Definition: Customer persona A fictional character who represents the essential traits of your customers.

Gathering customer information Primary research Secondary research How: • Talk directly with your customers How: • Locate and interpret existing data (Stats. Can, IDC, etc. ) Benefits: • Great for understanding values and pain points Benefits: • Great for understanding broad trends (e. g. , 60% of schools struggle with…) Limitations: • Time consuming • Small sample size Limitations: • Limited insight into individual needs

Building multiple customer personas There will be different “customer segments” who engage with your product. So let’s create multiple customer personas.

Customer persona template Name: _____________ Customer segment: ___________ Who are they? Purchasing decisions? Picture Sample quotation Goals & pain points

Philip Exampleton Name: _____________ Classroom teacher Customer segment: ___________ Who are they? • 28 years old • Has been teaching grades 7 & 8 for 3 years • Works at a medium-sized public school in a lower socio-economic neighbourhood Purchasing decisions? Goals & pain points “I really want to make a difference at my school, and I want my superintendent to help me make a difference in other schools as well. ” Highly artistic and creative, Philip wants his students to try new things, but is often frustrated by the lack of time and money to do so. • Tries new resources based on colleague recommendations • Highly active on Twitter: #edchat, #gafe • Can request small amounts of money for resources, but has no control over budgets

Monica Profiletti Name: _____________ Superintendent Customer segment: ___________ Who are they? • 49 years old • Oversees 7 elementary and 4 secondary schools • Was principal of an elementary school for 4 years before moving to her current position Purchasing decisions? Goals & pain points “I want my schools to take full advantage of new technologies that increase learning, but the costs have to make sense. ” Monica wants to help her teachers with innovative new classroom resources, but is often frustrated by slow adoption rates. • Attends 4 to 5 educational conferences per year to learn about new resources • Has a budget specific to educational technologies • Bulk purchases must be approved by a committee • Prefers to work with official vendors

Who are you solving problems for? Name: ____________ Customer segment: ___________ Who are they? Purchasing decisions? Picture Sample quotation Goals & pain points