Lessons

Lesson Info

Chart the Course for your Customer

Before we get started and hand it back over to terra I just want to remind you guys if you are loving what you have been learning in the first segment that terror has a newsletter that we highly recommend that you go sign up for and when you do she has a bonus material that you will get just by enrolling for free for her newsletter you want to go to terra gentili dot com slash map and terry can you tell us about the customer perspective map that people will get yeah so the the perspective math is actually part of this next segment that we're going to be working on today but the idea of it is really being able to create a framework for yourself for how your customers think what they say what they do how they feel and then using that to create the little connections and inspirations that you need thio improve your blogging improve your product development improve your marketing it's the go to tool that I use with all of my clients and with myself all the time so anytime I'm thinking abou...

t a new product and you serve us the new block post I used the perspective map to make sure that it really resonates with my customers and gets attention so again terra gentilly dot com slash map and uh thanks for signing up yeah thank you all right over to you all right sweet so today second segment is called coming and going and the goal for this segment is to understand how your customers evolve over the lifetime that they'll spend with your business so I kind of understand understanding the customer life life cycle excuse me but from their perspective from understanding when they're ready to buy your product when there even when they even start getting interested in the idea of buying your product and then what they're trying to accomplish as their vision for how they're going to feel look be diff different because of the problems that you've helped them solve and because of the desires that you've helped them phil and again this is from their perspective it can be very tempting to sit around thinking that our customers lives revolve around their credit cards and our products but this isn't the case and so throughout this segment today I want you to be thinking about your problem your customers from their point of view from the point of view of their problems or there desires instead of from the point of view of even how you're serving them because that's it's kind of a biased perspective so speaking of that I'm going to start off today with one of my favorite quotations from all of business book kind and that is simply three words markets our conversations and that's from a book called the clue train manifesto which came out about ten twelve years ago they recently re revamped it, but this book really was documenting the beginning of the social era, the beginning of the social web and how business was changing based on this new social nous that was worked into every aspect of our lives both digital digitally and in the analog world. And so the book starts off with ninety five species. This is the first one markets are conversations, and it goes on to say that markets are our that those conversations, those markets, those conversations happened in human voices, they sound like real people sound they express needs that really people have their conversations that sound like anything you would hear at the coffee shop at the bar at the playground in the school pickup line. Real people have real conversations and they use words that real people use on dh quite simply again thinking back to our experts perspective, we don't often have conversations that sound like real people way have conversations about different weights of gold and different sizes of stones and different types of wood and laser cutting. When was the last time the average person said laser cutting? You never know, but you know when we talk about our materials when we talk about our process, when we talk about what inspires us, these air often things that the average person doesn't talk about in a normal day and that's fine and it's even good and we also need to understand the conversation that our customers are already having that lead them to buying our products so markets are conversations if you've thought about target markets in the past I invite you to slash that idea from your brain and start thinking about target conversations target conversations are happening in again coffee shops, wine bars, school pickup lines but they're also happening on blog's there happening in news media. They're happening all all over online on facebook on twitter on pinterest on instagram. Conversations are happening everywhere that is the nature of social media and so if you can figure out which one of those conversations or perhaps there's multiple conversations your business is targeting you khun start participating in that conversation in a way that puts your products in front of the right people in a way that has even mohr value to them than the typical advertisement for marketing message. In fact, advertisements rarely have value to our customers right when we participate in the conversations when we answer those questions that our customers are asking naturally, we're actually providing value to our customers before they even consider buying our product that's huge that's huge that's the goal of all this content marketing that we're doing all this blogging all this pinning all this instagramming is to provide value is to participate in a conversation do you know what conversation you want to be participating in so we're going to chart the course of this conversation. We're going to chart the course of our customer's life cycle because that's a nice, easy way to think about it. Now, I have represented this linear early here. We know conversations, life cycles are not really linear things. So bear with me and use your imagination thiss line could go all sorts of different fun places. It could be squiggly. It could be circling a it could be a, you know, many different things were going to think about it in a line in terms of a life cycle. This first dot over here, this is where customers enter the conversation your business is participating in, they come into that question with, or they come into that conversation with questions. It's, you know, these are the questions that people stay up late at night googling, right? Where was the last time you had a question that you just had to know the answer to? And these are the things that you're putting into google late at night, right? All right, so they they enter these conversations with questions. They also enter these conversations with desires I talked earlier about, you know, the kind of part of one conversation that I was involved in and the weeks leading up to this workshop was what am I gonna wear but beyond that question there was a desire there is a desire to look good to look professional to look hip to look cool toe look unique and so I had this desire that I used as part of the conversation that I was participating in and then their circumstances stuff happens stuff happens in our lives we have a baby we get married did we get divorced we have all this crazy stuff happened in our life and that catapults us into new conversations it helps us come up with new questions it helps us come up with new desires and so kind of questions desires circumstances all those things that start making you talk about something new that's at the beginning of this journey and then at the end is a vision and you know a lot of times our customers never really reached that end point it's sort of like an imaginary goal at the end but we all have we have a vision for what we're trying to accomplish we when we're participating in a conversation we have a goal for that conversation we know what we're trying to get we know what we want um sometimes those things take the form of new beliefs I want to believe different things about myself I want to believe different things about my family I want to believe different things about my community sometimes those conversations take the form of new behaviours I want to act differently. I want I just want to I want to behave differently in lots of different situation. It's sometimes they take the form of a new identity. I want to perceive myself differently. Um, I want teo think of myself not just as, you know, stay at home blogger, but I want to think of myself as someone who gets on stage, gets in front of the camera and looks good doing it simple, right, but really important to understanding what your customers air tryingto accomplish remember that from segment one really important for understanding how you're customers using your products, and therefore really important in understanding how our customers need us to talk about our products actually helped them to create more value in their lives. So in your workbooks, which remember you can get if you are enrolled in the workshop this weekend way wantto figure out what when our customer is ready for our product, when our customer is ready for this conversation that our business is participating in, and we also want to understand the vision that they're working toward. So I've got a couple questions about each of these things. First of all, what kind of things do your customers say when they're ready for this conversation? What are they putting in? Google late at night what questions were they asking their friends what questions are they asking their spouse what questions are they asking perhaps a boss or a mentor or a colleague? What else did they say? I want to do this I want to do that um so those air desires what desires are they expressing that tell you they're really ready for your product or that there really ready for this conversation that you're participating in um so let's get some let's get some answers going here sasha I know you've thought a lot about this when our customers kind of or how do you know when your customers are ready to start talking about being ah quirkyalone for instance um well there's a group of people who have gone through a break up and maybe they were korcula in before but then they lost their quirky spark in the relationship and then they're recovering and they're like how do I get that back? And I feel like myself again and enjoy life so that is definitely a group and then there are people who have been single for a long time and they want to be in a relationship and then they realized that they have all these limiting beliefs about relationships like they can't be themselves in a relationship so that's another group for another class that's like how do I take everything that I like about being single and believe can still have that in a relationship so those people have been like maybe they've been in therapy or they're just really frustrated and you get search results for things that sound like that so it's been interesting when people tell me like what they did a google search on and um can I be happy? Single can I be happy alone? Er once I've written about self marriage so one woman was searching about that and landed on my site yeah, so it's quirky yeah, and those very those were the real things that people are really saying, right? Yeah, I mean it's like who knew? You know, I had no idea until I started having real people that I was working with to find out how they would find me bingo individuals valued customers yeah, yeah, and I can imagine too that it you would have heard that maybe when you did start off on the particular journey of both writing and marketing your first book that you may have used different words that you would have asked slightly different questions and that in talking and having these conversations with people you were able to hone in on the ways that people are actually talking about this conversation and then kind of alter your conversation a little bit, alter your questions so that you were creating a greater alignment between the customers that that you're bringing in and the ideas that you're putting out so that more people are talking about it so that they're spreading the message, right? Yeah. It's absolutely a revelation to find out what I asked people in a survey. How did you get here? And sometimes they say, the google search they made and it's like, oh my god, you know, I have no idea. Fantastic. Meghan, do you have something about how you know your customers are ready, stay for the embroidery club or even just to buy a print? The print on was actually harder have been sitting here trying to think about it because it always seems so spontaneous when I'm at a show and they just pick it up. Oh, I need it. Um, the embroidery club it's actually, people searching for, like, anti grandma broader patterns, because the embroider patterns, now that you're getting a craft store, are exactly the same as they were forty or fifty years ago, I looked, I found the exact same ones I did of my grandmother and it's, the people realizing that they don't want to sew these. Kind of ugly day of the week tea towels anymore and it's google searching for like new quirky embroidery patterns and they find me that way great yes we've got some major quirkiness going on it's not the answer I think which is excellent great and so just a reminder to that, you know, with those impulse purchases those prints and I know there's probably a lot of people out there thinking the same thing people just stop by the craft show booth and they pick it up because they have to have it so that I would think why why do they have to have it? What is it that's going on in their lives? What is it? What are they talking about or you know, these conversations it's not always talking sometimes it's doing or feeling or thinking right but what's going on in their lives that made that impulse purchase so easy? What is it that made that possible? Because they probably walked past thirty other booze and they did not make that purchase right? But when they came on your booth and they picked up that print, there was something already going on in their head that made that a no brainer purchase. And so understanding where our customers come into the conversation our businesses in helps us make helps us help them make maur no brainer purchases and wouldn't we all like to have more no brainer purchases yeah, exactly. So that's that's the whole point of understanding that readiness piece, we have anything from the interwebs we do, and I think this goes back. Teo, you know, when you're when you're out and about and there's another woman around and she seeks advice from you, maybe she sees that you're like her so here's something that dead said, she says one of my customers was looking for products that worked well, but that caters to those with allergies are conversation began while dead was sitting in the chair, getting her hair cut, talking about different products she uses and how happy or not happy she wass and then asking deb if she knew of any products and, you know, what's in it what's it like, how much does it cost? You know, we have these conversations all the time. Yeah, but this is such a perfect example, so thank you. This is the conversation here really is about allergies in living with allergies. It's so simple, it's just it's this really high level conversation and your business is participating in that high level conversation about what it means to be a person living with allergies and the difficulties that come along with that, and you know, the things that you want to do, you want the fancy products, you I want the smell good stuff you want to be able to do this with your hair that with your clothing but you know what about the allergies and so understanding that your product fits into that conversation is part of that conversation is what people are looking for when they're googling late at night or when they're in the salon or when you know whatever then they're looking for this stuff that's key to understanding where you can go and find your customers and how you could talk to them so that they understand why they need your product, which is what we really want to be doing right now. Anything else? Yes, I have a question um how do you do it without a lot of the times? Like I discover things about my parallel? Oh yeah, it is it is that and that's really needs it, but then I don't want to be like, hey, check out my website or hey, let me talk about my art because, like, it feels like because I'm actually literally having like, a regular conversation, not like I'm trying to sell something, but ah lot of the times in the end of the conversation, whatever I do give people my car and I'm like, oh, I have my number in there to like, you know, it's easier than giving you, you know, my you know my phone number like number hey, by the way check my website out tell me what you think you know what I like? I don't know howto like work it in without because when people do it to me I feel like up sale sale pitch you know, like and I don't so to be a yes so the way to reframe this for yourself is to remember that you're not offering them a sales pitch you're answering the question that they're asking that you are providing value in the form of that answer and it doesn't have to be well, you really should buy something for me that's a sales pitch, but but when instead you when they're asking you, you know, do you know of anything that meets this requirement or this requirement or looks like this and and you offer up actually that's what I design and I can show you you know how to put it together or, you know, it would look great with that outfit that you're wearing right now like I could imagine that scarf around your neck and it would really make that outfit pop that's not a sales pitch that's value because you've now not only answered their questions, but you've taken it to a new level you've taken that conversation and used it in a way that not that doesn't just answer their questions but gives them something maur and oftentimes the natural reaction to that is, well, where can I buy it or how much does that cost and that, again, that doesn't I mean, that you've given them a sales pitch, it means that the natural reaction to you providing value to them is them wanting what you create, what you make, the kind of the source of that value that you just gave give to them, does that make sense? Yeah, yeah, and I think that that's just such a common thing for people, you know, I hear that all the time. Well, I want to sell more, but I don't want to sales or I know I want to reach more people, but I hate market egg well, that's, that's, the whole point of this is understanding where you can create value four people based on the things that they're already doing, based on the things they're already saying based on the questions they're already asking. And so if you, khun, always remember that in that situation and I think that's a very common situation, especially because many of our friends and family and the people around us do look up to us as leaders, trendsetters, influencers if you can remember that it's, not a sales pitch when you create value for someone when you add value to their lives, but it is a way to talk about what you do and getting used to talking about what you d'oh what you create is a very important part of being in business and so for all those people you mentioned that are in that kind of start up phase, this is a big problem it's a big concern and it's something you need to practice always practice being in those conversations where you can be adding value on offering, offering something in addition to the sales pitch to the people that you're talking teo yeah, so you're right on about that we have a lot of people that are struggling with the same issue so very, very well in a society here a great all right, okay, so the other question that goes along with this readiness piece um are about mindsets what mindsets or beliefs dear customers currently have so think about the needs that they have to think about the desires that they have. The name might be a simple as I need a necklace or I need a pillow for this couch, but think about the beliefs that they have about that one belief might be where do you go for a pillow for this couch you go to target another might be that you know something that's really unique or individual eyes too expensive, but there's all sorts of beliefs that go on there another belief us keeping with the pillow analogy is that, you know, I like things that are a little out there that are really crazy and unique, but I don't know how to put them all together. I believe I can make this work in my home. And so that's that's a negative belief in this case that your customers might have about the product or about in the conversation that they're having right now, so beliefs and mindset that your customers have. Lenny, what mindsets do you find people coming to jewelry with? Well, accessorizing, obviously. And, I mean, I get a lot of people that say they love my jewelry, but then sometimes they think maybe it's too modern for them. Oh, interesting. Yeah, but they're still totally intrigued by so and then maybe, like, durability or something like that. Um, so those I think those air probably like the the biggest things. I mean, any other question I was saying, like, people usually buy things for events, my work, and so, like the customization as well there really, because I like to make things match for people or what? I mean, so then, um, they can do that, too great, awesome, and what mindsets do you find people have about children's or baby's clothing eso actually I find that a lot of my answers are the same between the last question and this one sure that's okay but like the things that I keep like especially at the show that I do which is where I get to interact with the people the most is the three things are mainly like this is the most ridiculous bodysuit garment whatever that I've ever seen like these really strong adjective beyond just like cute or adorable there this's in sanely ridiculous not to me is like such a great compliment you know I also hear like just something on timing like oh so once I was expecting a baby this is perfect I'm so glad I encountered you at this time and we're having this is perfect and then I hear oh my god you make all these yourself so it's kind of like there's that like impression factor and so I think that that really ties into the mindsets and beliefs like like that we put a personal touch into everything that we infuse our personality and the quirkiness of it and yeah and that that we use really like kind and responsible materials to do so love yeah I love your point about people getting most excited and using those big words are using those like really detailed words like crazy ridiculous bodysuit andi I think that you know, there could be hesitation to keep product's safe or to keep things expected and that that perhaps a belief that your customers are coming to your products with is I believe babies close khun look different khun b different can be, you know really out there and they doesn't have to be the same thing you see everywhere else and by creating those products you're attracting the people with those beliefs and making them feel really good about those beliefs being true yeah, they're like thanks for not just making all the girl ones in pink and purple thank you for using like black and it's really nice to kind of pick up on those things that they're respecting for what I'm doing and kind of staying true to that as well. Awesome fantastic all right, so the second piece of this is vision we have to understand what our customers are moving toward where are they going? Who are they trying to become? We're going to talk more about that tomorrow after afternoon but we have to we have to start with it today what our customers trying to accomplish and so this is on the next page of your workbook the first question here is healthier customer going to describe herself when she reaches your shared vision? So vision is something that both comes from your customer and something that you can help them understand because a lot of times our customers actually have kind of limited visions about themselves they don't realize what all is possible you know, before I really got kind of obsessed with megan's jewelry I, um often you know, I didn't think of myself as a stylish person I didn't think of myself as a hip person and I would have never imagined that people could be complimenting me on my outfit or complimenting me on my jewelry because that's just not me and so I knew I could look better on my own vision was to look better more put together, but megan's vision for me and megan's vision for all her customers is for them to walk out of the house every day feeling like they're making a statement with what they're wearing top to bottom and so that's part of her vision and it's pulled me into a place where I'm actually I have far surpassed the vision I originally had for myself and I'm much closer to their on I believe that all makers, artists, designers can help their customers do the same thing they can help them achieve mohr than what they actually thought was possible. So the first question here is how will your customer described herself when she's reached her vision when she's reached your shared vision and I like to think of this in terms of adjective noun pears sorry for the technicality here but I think I think it helps to really narrow this down into something very specific so today I'm feeling like a confident speaker um on another day I might feel like a hip business owner how do your customers feel? How do your customers see themselves what's their new identity because of the product that they've purchased her potentially the many products that they've purchased from you? What is it that they're moving toward meghan do have any ideas for this one? Um in terms of artwork, I want my people to become emotional collectors and that is buying work that it doesn't just you know you don't have to buy a kun's because it's a kun's you could buy what you like and so I want them to buy what they like and listen to their emotions. Yeah, and I think probably a lot of people share that vision for themselves with you this isn't something you're tryingto hoist onto somebody it's something that they're there maybe and this is even part of the conversation can I be someone who collects what they like? Is it ok to collect our just cause? I like it and not because it's got a big name attached to it. So there you're pointing to some questions you're pointing to some desires and you're pointing to an end point where people are feeling really good about what they've accomplished with their collection that sasha um I think it's similar it's like being in touch with yourself and being confident whether you're single or in a relationship and something that came up for me was like when I talk to people about this, eh? I make it clear to them that, like, I don't expect that you're going to reach nirvana and that you're always going to be confident that when I worked with people it's like, well, we're going to build these tools so that you can more reliably comeback to that confident place. So there's part of this that I resist because I don't think it's really it's like, well, I'm not always confident, I mean, right, I have my own everyone has struggles, but I guess what you're saying is to just put a flag in the ground anyway. Yeah, I mean, I think being realistic is important, and I completely agree that, you know, that end goal isn't necessarily something that's hard and fast or that something that will always be true when our customers reach the end of it, but ideally, our customers may never really thie end of it, too, and they may be our customers for a lifetime because they're constantly getting closer and closer to that goal and our business. What we create has become a partner in that evolution for them, I'm not going to stop buying megan almond jewelry anytime soon, right? So I'm always working toward that goal as well and knowing that there are times when what what I accomplished through that or what I've tried to accomplish through that doesn't always stick with me to have any internet uh offers on this one we do we have lots of internet offers I know where I came up with that word no it's cool actually I just wanted to make a comment before we read a few that I loved how you said the adjective noun pear and to put feeling into the adjective not just you know to say you know something without that emotional connection because it makes a difference don't you think yeah, I totally agree that's a great point awesome. So we have emily abby who is our medal our jewelry and she is saying her two things are confidently loved mom and honored wife nice so I'm assuming then that her product she's seeing as gift items probably yeah great let us know huh? Awesome. Anything else? Uh yeah. Kate taylor pastel says creative byers is that right or that to general hi yeah, I think we could do better there. Yeah, alright do better. I mean, well in that case so buyers a really interesting word because, like, see how that that would could be an identity that you'd want to have I'm someone who consumes things with bias products that are creative that are unique that our individual in that case for business purposes I actually love the word collector better because collector has kind of ah kind of clout with it that could be very good for business and thinking of your business and the products that you create as something that is collected khun b huge for the way you structure your business the way you talk about your products in the way you price thing, so we're actually kind of iterating here, you know what they said? Wass okay, colt creative buyers changed into cultured individual and now you said cultured collector that is at the back way asked again, everybody, when you're giving us your idea that's awesome toa let us know what your business is, what your product is. And so kate taylor pest ily does ink and watercolor designs paperwork people who like to buy creatively so collect creative exactly and beautiful and just, um, feedback again that emily abby definitely sees her mettle art jewelry as gifts perfect that definitely read it resonated with her and I like this one from wendy brett. Wendy, let us know what your product is. Who says artistic homeowner? Oh, yes, very good. Very, very good. Yeah, because immediately I get a vision of that in my mind, right then I'm sure you guys do too, and so just talking application quickly, you know, thinking about pinterest thinking about instagram if this you know vision that you've just written down in your workbook is something that immediately gives you a picture in your mind that's something that should be you should be the things you should be pinning those air the things you should be instagramming and reinforced sing that vision constantly because that's going to give your customers something to really aspire to something that they're going to want to align with on that that's really huge great thank you oh and wendy makes artisan glass cabinet knobs sculptured in the flame of a torch that's her artistic homeowners piece right thank you sweet all right so the next question here is describe how your customers are going to feel on a daily basis and I think that we've probably covered this probably already really well you did in that first answer but you know in the first segment I asked how is your customer trying to feel today I want them to feel how do you want your customers to feel one they when they put your product on when they've made that your product part of their everyday lives whether it's in their homes or on their person or you know is part of just the way they think about things in a new way how do you want your customers to feel on a daily basis when they've reached that vision and then the last question kind of goes back to the readiness piece which is what new beliefs or what new mindsets. Do you want your customer tohave as part of the vision that she that he or she is reaching through your products or services? So what new beliefs or mindsets? I believe I look good. I believe I look stylish. I believe that my home is inviting and artistic and creative. I believe that when people come to my house, they feel excited to be there. These are the kind of beliefs or mindsets that your customers might be working toward. Uh, I want them. Wait. So I want them to be the ultimate gift. Er and I want them to believe that the whole world can feel their love. Love, it's awesome that's. Great. I don't even have a lot to say about that because I like it so much. Uh, meghan, how do you, uh, what new beliefs do you want your customers? Tohave? Um, at the end, I want them to believe that they can engage with their own creativity on a daily basis because of what is surrounding them. Beautiful love it. You guys were so good.