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FreePreview: Gather your Virtual Focus Group

So without further ado let's talk about products and services so most of you who are sitting here most of you who are watching online, create physical goods or create virtual goods in in terms of products and I think there's this unfortunate distinction that happens between product based businesses and service space businesses in that you know, marketing a product based business and marketing a service based business are two different things or that sales processes for these two different types of businesses are two different things on dh I don't think that that's accurate and in fact I think again in today's new economy products and services have never been closer together uh and just to illustrate this I love this quote from dave gray who wrote the book the connected company he says products come with knowledge and services embedded within them products aren't just things their servants and so if you want an example of this think of a blender, what do you do in a blender? You blend t...

hings. And so dave great makes the point that if it products are often times you know, the verbs that we use these these products are doing something for us they're creating a change they're accomplishing a task they're making us feel a certain way and so when cannon summary mentioned feeling like a million bucks today I thought about my jewelry my jewelry is my million dollars feeling right right there I'm sure you guys feel the same way this is my sort of armor that I use when I had out the door every single day but definitely for something like this where I put on a little extra so my jewelry is made by my best friend megan omine megan almond dot com and she knows she knows that's how women use her jewelry it's not a matter of just, you know, finding something that you like at the boutique or finding something that you like it the craft show she knows that her customers are actually using her jewelry to feel better about themselves to feel more confident on a daily basis to feel more to feel powerful in meetings or in presentations and so she uses that in her marketing in her sales in the way she displays her jewelry to really make an impact on her customers. So ah blender this jewellery and a service it's really no different they're all about making changes, creating feelings and helping people accomplish what they need to accomplish. So when we understand that we can make the decisions in our business that allow us to leverage that so speaking of this the key to more sales to more effective marketing and toe happier customers because I could tell you I'm a happy customer is to understand how your customers are actually using your product and what your customers are trying to accomplish when you understand how your customers air using your product and what your customers are trying to accomplish, you can create this marketing messages that spread easily and rapidly you can create those marketing messages that don't just reach one person at a time but reached thousands of people at a time you can reframe your marketing, your sales, your product descriptions instead of from your perspective from your customer's perspective and so we're going to spend the rest of today understanding are figuring out how our customers are actually using our products, why they're using them what particular things they're trying to accomplish on a daily, weekly monthly basis with the things they're buying from us and to do that we need to gather our virtual focus group are virtual focus group is made up of the people that are our customers that we would like tio this's the metaphor I generally is that we would like to say take this customer, put him on a xerox machine and make about a thousand copies all right there the people that you wouldn't mind you know, just a thousand of them on your email list a thousand of them walking by your craft show booth these are the people who do the most for our business on dh that we enjoy serving the most and so I call the people in your virtual focus group your most valued customers your most valued customers are the people who get the most value from your business and create the most value for your business because transactions are exchanges, yes, our customers get products and that's the value that they get well, that actually change the feeling, the thing that they're accomplishing through that product, that's the value that they get, and then we just think we take their money, right? But that money, of course, is the value part of our transaction, and we also get a lot more from them. A lot of times we get a word of mouth referral, we get a review, we get feedback that makes our business better, and so there's all this value that changes sides on both sides on both sides of the equation and your most valued customer is way that sort of equation is optimized for your most valued customer. You are giving them the most value because they're able to use the product best to get the most out of it, and this customer is creating the most value for your business because they are the ones that are going to spread the word they're the ones that are going to retweet your sale, they're the ones that are gonna instagram, the fact that they just opened the box that you sent them and they're so excited, so that's your most valued customer, and I'm going to help you think through creating a group of them and this is gonna be the first exercise that's in your workbook but before we do that I want teo talk a little bit about why we focus on individual most valued customers instead of trying to create a generalization for an ideal customer or an ideal client or a target market these air probably words you've heard bandied about before and I try not to use them all though you'll hear me say them from time to time because I'm not perfect but I like reprogramming my clients and the people that work with me to think of their most valued customers so we start with something specific because generalisations are difficult generalizations lied to us why? Because we make assumptions we make assumptions about what our customers want we make assumptions about how they feel about our brand or our product we make assumptions about how much money they'll spend or how much money they won't spend we make assumptions about all sorts of different things and those assumptions work our way work their way into our generalizations and then those generalizations over time kind of where away at our ability to do business to create products that people want to create marketing messages that actually attract customers and so we're gonna sweep away the generalizations today and focus on individual customers so this gather your virtual focus group exercise is really centered around identifying this individual most value customers then next we're going to start analyzing the social information so everybody I want you to think about the last time you were out with a girlfriend with a friend with your spouse with your sister with your brother think about that last kind of social interaction that you had that purely social interaction maybe you were at a coffee shop wine bar maybe you're just out for a drive and you're having a conversation think about that conversation what it involved, what the environment was like how the the you know how you traded the conversation back and forth did you think about it a lot? Did you have to stop and analyze and and you really put your left brain into it or did you relax and did you know that from someone's tone of voice from the words that they used from the body language that they had exactly where to go next in the conversation exactly what to present to them next exactly how to answer their question for most of us we feel and you know I'm the first I've got lots of social anxiety right? But I'm the first but it's still easy for me to carry on a conversation one toe one without overthinking things but when we comes to understanding our customers we start to overthink we start to analyze much more than relying on that social information that on a daily basis we're using all the time and so once we've identified individual most most valued customers we can start to analyze and then unlock so that it's easy for us that social information that our customers are giving out so that we can use it to create better business systems once we start doing that, once we unlock that social information we can start working on discovering our customers needs their desire ares and the meaning that our products have in their life that then leads us to create value for them. We create solutions, we create ideas, we create pretty things that make people feel really good, and once we've created that value, when you know how to talk about it in a way that allows us to offer our products at scale, we can reach more people much more easily, much more quickly. So that's why we're starting with finding individual most valued customers so let's do that. Where do we find our virtual focus group? Where do we find these people? Will the first place to find them is in your customer base. So if you've been in business for a month for a year for five years, you've got customers who have purchased from you and hopefully you've got some really good customers who put purchased multiple times for you or who wrote that email that you keep kind of in a little file because it makes you feel so happy so first place to look for your virtual focus group is in your past customers take a second now and think about those customers that you have just loved working with in one capacity or another another place we can find most valued customers and this is especially good if you're just starting off in business and you don't know it exactly you know who you're serving yet who is most excited about your product think about social media you've probably already been having conversations with other business owners with other random people that you didn't know before you got started on social media um so think about them who in that group do you think could be a most valued customer as your business growth and then finally I like to think about friends of friends because he had something with friends we again we kind of make assumptions about our friend we know them a little too well same thing with family family doesn't work from for most valued customers they won't work for your virtual focus group so instead think about friends of friends or friends of family and maybe if you're so moved at the end of today if you don't know these people well enough ask for some introductions maybe you know of your sister's best friend but you don't know her real well on you'd like to get to know her better because you really I think she might be your most valued customer see if your sister has set up a coffee date get to know this person ah little bit better and you could do that over and over and over again with friends of friends and friends of family and that allows you to kind of hone in on that that group that you're still looking to find they also want to say at this point to that especially with this particular exercise this is something that you'll do over and over again you're always kind of re calibrating your most valued customer, especially as your business grows and evolves. You'll need to sit down and think and my I'm basing my business decisions on, you know, on customers that have that aren't really right for me anymore my or I you know, yeah, I am I clinging on to this group that that doesn't really fit anymore and do I need to move on and so give yourself a pass on this exercise? It does not have to be perfect today just do do well with what you've got. All right, so in your workbook, which again a cz kind of mentioned you can get the workbook if you enroll in the class it's a free download esso in your workbook, I'm gonna lead you through a series of questions and these questions are sort of prompts to get you thinking about individual people in your life and in your life, specifically of your business and these prompts, you want to fill them out with just names, really? This exercise could not be easier. First names are fine and studio audience I'm going to ask you to help me out a little bit with this and maybe, well, probably like go down the line and get some different ideas and you don't have to say individual names now, but just tell me about some different people who match each of these props as we go. Okay, so for that from the people online. Yeah, exactly. So the first question that I want you to consider in terms of your virtual focus group is who is most ready to use what you're business creates, who is most ready and ready is the key word here. So many times customers buy things, and they sit on a shelf somewhere, you know, that outfit that you buy, you're like, I've got to have that, but I don't know where I'm going to wear it, so I stick it in the closet, and three years later, it's still got the plastic on it from the department store. Yeah, you weren't ready to buy that, but that's fine, well, we don't want to, we don't want to get rid of purchases like that but we do want to focus on customers who are the most ready the people who can't who don't even want the box they don't want the bag, they just want to put it on right or they're going to take that pillow out of the bag as soon as they get home from the craft show on stick it on the couch because they knew it exactly where it was going to go or you know, if you create more virtual goods, the people who are most ready to use your products are the people who take that e book downloaded immediately put it on the you know, send it to the printer, get it off the printer and start filling that bad boy out, right? So who are the customers who have been most ready to use what you're business creates megan, can I start with you? Can I put you on the spot? Okay, so meghan tell me I know you've got the embroidery, the embroidery of the month club going on right now can you tell me maybe about one or two customers in that club who have, you know, gotten that months pattern and maybe downloaded it and done the pattern right away? Yeah, I get they get it the first of the month and I get emails with instagram pictures of people who have completed it the next day, and it took me days to sew that thing on there so much faster than me. It's insane. Uh, but it happens every month, and they share with all their friends. It was a market. I had no idea that they are extremely energetic about embroidery. Awesome, but I'm sure at the same time, there's probably people who keep spending the money on the embroidery club of the rotary club every month and don't make the patterns or maybe they keep them for the summer. They keep them for the winter and kind of stash them up. Yeah, a lot of people wait, they'll do it like movie night or something, and they will tell me that, too, you know, I downloaded it, but I'm just waiting for the right person to send it. Tio got product? Gotcha. Gotcha. So, yeah, I would say that first group of people who are instagramming those finished products right away, those air people that definitely answer this question, who is most ready to use what you're business creates. Anybody else want to share a most ready to use customer story? Well, I mean, women, usually, but I find that online, most of my sales are actually amends things like I make a lot of men's, tie clips and cuff links, and kind of honed my marketing to be for five year anniversary gifts, but so it seems to appeal to a lot of women. Gotcha. Yeah, and then my other a customer, I make stud earrings, teo, and that ends up being a larger portion of my business than I would like it to be. But people love those and they buy multiples. Yeah, yeah, those air. Very yeah, probably the same thing taken that hearing, and as soon as the package in the mail sticking interiors, I know that way. Yeah, I think I think it's really funny because I am that customer. Okay, well, tell me what what specifically are you that kind of customer for? Because I think we're all that kind of customer for some things, but then for other things, like, think about that stuff that you're like, I can't believe people spend that much money on something like that, or I would never use that in a meal million years to tell me like, what? One product or one type of product that you are always ready to use always so excited about I make a little books come wearing oh, you mean so for yourself? Yeah, gotcha. So, like I would make in your design like I would wear it before I would even like tryingto whatever that's straight. So actually, and that brings me to a to a great point, eyes that a lot of people get really stopped up on the fact that their ideal client generalization tends to look a lot like them were tends to be like them times do feel like them tends to like the same things that they like andi it's fine to think about yourself and use yourself as a jumping off point but I want to challenge you to think outside of yourself, especially when it comes to this virtual focus group. Think about other people because those people have distinct differences from you that make them your customer as opposed to a maker themselves or a maker of what you are making. Okay, so let's move on to the next question. No place thie internet some folks are answering your questions so it's a it's ah is saying I have hipsters, old ladies with money and children that want my creations so that's quite quite arranged their way on. So I would challenge that watch earlystart participant to really think about the individual people in those groups who bought their their items. And so even if you have to go back through, you know customer e mails, go back through your orders and come up with the names and maybe find out a little bit about those people individually, you need to know what motive that motivated them to purchase that day so what what is it about the hipster that makes them want to buy the grandmother wants to buy and the kid that makes them want to buy on dh that's that's a great starting off point so but yes definitely hone in on individual people names there's actually another cool comment here amber kane says a particular name of a person pat buckley moss who walked up to me bought the scarf off my shoulders put it on and then went out to dinner fantastic that's really a good lincoln that's my customer yes yeah yeah amen I amber I know amber uh alright second question is who has taken your product and done the most good with it who's taken your product and done the most good with it so you can think of this in terms of themselves are in terms of your individual customers how have they made their lives better what good have they done in their own lives through your product so to go back to my perennial example of megan's jewelry megan's I use megan's jewelry to make me feel good about doing things like this where you know I do need that extra extra little push both psychologically and in term of my ensemble to feel good on stage and so I can put her jewelry on and then go do good for myself for others I conserve others better because of the way her product makes me feel does that make sense so or you can think of this in terms of what does your product allow other people to do in their communities in their families with their friends for the world you could think of this on all sorts of different levels who's taken your product and done the most good with it and there's all sorts of fun customer stories that can come out of this sasha I know you have stories that fit this question can tell me about one customer who maybe has bought quirky alone and done some good with it in their own lives and the lives of others. Well, for one it becomes like an organizing tool that then people want to set up their own quirkyalone meet ups to me other people who also feel basically the basic ideas I can enjoy my life whether I'm single or in a relationship and I want to meet other people who feel that way too who are sort of outside of the tyranny of coupledom like you have to be in a relationship. Yeah, so there's that and then it's so I'm just thinking about your question now I'm teaching these classes about being quirky and I'm thinking of this woman who's a nurse in chicago who told me that she got more creatively out of my quirky class then going teo mfa program like she was so doing her fiber arts and writing and so it's just interesting you know there's like all of these ways that when you celebrate someone's individuality there are all these offshoot the fax and that's part of my challenge to even choose because because basically tell someone you're quirky you're great as you are well, amazing things happen and they're all kind of different yeah, depending on who the person is awesome great thank you s oh, um any internet world have great for you it's about doing good things with the products that they make? Yeah um let's see here I've got one forever who says my niece took her product home and her husband stole all the cool aqua scented products from her, took them on a cruise and shared them with his buddy is exactly what I'm talking about you and that's great too, because then that's the story of, you know an individual who I'm sure the actual owner they're the actual purchaser of the item got some good out of it, but then her husband took it and change some other lives at least in a very small way in what was probably a big experience for them that's amazing great story so there's another one in the oh yeah studio oh yes anna so I'm known for primarily infant and used clothing but I do have just because of the demand for like father son or mother daughter or older brother whatever matching products I've done, you know I have a limited line of adult where as well, so I have this uh t shirt that's called business time and it's got the applicator tie when pocket and that use really fun and usually vintage material on guy had a previous customer email me or message meter, etc and was just like, okay, so here's the without getting too weepy here's a situation this guy in my office we always all the boys dio friday tied a what they called it and they're like he's been going through chemotherapy treatment and we're all going to surprise him like all the guys they're goingto where they're there they're tight t shirts and we want him to participate but he can't because of all his you know, stuff that he had on so can we do a special tighty shit for him and his favorite colors? And so I was just like I was just like yes, I almost want to just like send it to you heard I was so touched you know, I was like to be just a small part of that moment like that's the stuff that really keeps me going and that was that a repeat customer for you okay see and that makes it I think even better that she you can use her in the virtual focus group because she's, so excited about what you're doing, that this is the application that she found for this product, that your product was top of mind when it came time for this outrageous, amazing experience. Wow, great story, forget fantastic andi want to say to that, remember, we're concentrating on individuals on writing down names that fit each of these questions, and you'll probably find that you start to get a little redundant after a while and that your customers all start to look the same or the list start to look the same that's okay, in fact, that's really good, because then those are the people that are going to be in your virtual focus group. But the reason we go through all these different questions is because sometimes you forget about people who bought from you before you forget about that transaction that you had or that email exchange that you had that really made your day that really got too excited again about what you were making and so that's why we need to go back through each question or go through all these different questions the next one is who is actively working to help your business grow, who is actively working to help your business grow, and so what do I mean by that? These aren't just people they're not people like me unnecessarily who are you know helping you with your business or advising you on your business these air people that are helping your business grow organically these are the people who are instagramming your work who are talking to their buddies about it who are wearing it wearing your work every single day and every single day when the barista says hey what's that necklace that you're wearing they make sure to tell them so these are the people that are really working to help you grow not on ly in word of mouth but also in terms of feedback on dh not just that kind of that not so constructive feedback like I don't you have this blue but instead the kind of feedback that's like so I used your product for this this and this or I worried at this event or I rearranged my whole living room based on this one chomsky that I bought from you and it inspired me to then re paint my house it it's that kind of feedback that you can use really too make your business kraus so those people are also helping your business grow so who's actively working to make your business grow anybody have a story to share from online jennifer says she has a very small group of active members who always attend her live chat they sell her membership for her within enthusiasms and stories of how it helped them excellent and I know jennifer to know everybody a lot of people awesome yeah that is a fantastic example your customers enthusiasm helps your business grow and so when you create an event like jennifer's created like a chat that's an opportunity for that group teo helpyou out so think about those customers who have been helping to make your business growth yeah that are coming in please yeah, these are great so my hairdresser has agreed to play some of my products in her shop so all those people that you interact with yourself that you're their customer might want to do some cross promotions with that type of yeah exactly exactly anything from in here yeah um I have a problem um the french differentiating between like, trade and like actually filling my work because I feel like I have value trading more than I value just the random interaction so like my favorite customers like all the names they're all my friends and like they have like amazing art pieces were always, like haggling each other they I know you love my work and I love this specific thing and I really want it and we think about it for a week and we're like okay, well, I'm willing to do that but then global bro like you know, but yeah, I just I think that's why they're they're my friends friends anyways because like they start like in my work I start liking their work and then that they're like technically my valued customers but I don't want them to pay for it I want like their artwork instead yes if we had any opportunities to get out and actually sell the work that you create as opposed to having a trade relationship with people it phil it's harder like when I'm out there because a lot of people really love it but they just can't afford it sometimes and then I always want to say les, I'm willing to trade, but I've said that before and like and then I have to turn that turned down people cause and then I felt really bad because I'm like, well, you're probably really excited about your product but I'm not yeah alex and I don't think that's worth way yes read could be a whole conversation for an entire day, possibly even an entire weekend, but so let me give you like a a couple things that I'm thinking about here. First of all, I think in terms of thinking about your focus group, I want you to think about people who have been willing to pay what you owe the asking price is now that might be people you including your friendship circle that might be people you've traded with in the past but had they not had a product available for trade would they have been willing what they've been able to pay, what you need to ask for your product act and thinking specifically if those people who are willing and able who are excited really to pay for your product are is going to serve you really well in the long run? I do think that a major challenge the major problem that many maker artist designer businesses run into is this trade economy and because I love trade I think you know, exchanging value for value is great and it doesn't pay the rent another excitement though, and you're more excited with their excitement about your stuff and it's just like and then I keep thinking like well, this is what I need I need this excitement from this person certain like I much rather give that to you then like give it to someone that you know like that can not going to be as excited right? We want to find the venn diagram of things we want to find the people who are that excited and happy to spend the money because there are those people who are willing to spend the money and get the most excited after areas any like assumption, belief, misconception that I can bust for everybody today and tomorrow too especially tomorrow it's that there are these people who are they that excited about your product and have the money to spend on it and finding who those people are and you may have to go outside your friends circle you might have to go to friends of friends of friends to find those people it's so worth your time to do that. And so you might have a little homework after today t find those people through email through social networking through the grapevine. Okay, all right, next one who has a similar value set to yours. So what do I mean by a value set? Your values are the things that motivate you that inspire you that drive you on a date a date basis and these air kind of these were things that are core to us. I have a value for knowledge and learning. I am all the time wanting to figure things out. Find out about this. Learn more about that it's. What drives me on a daily basis? I also have a value for kind of flexibility or, you know, being able to kind of take things as they come being able to make decisions on the fly. I mean, I n tp and that pee is very strong. I get very upset if I can't they do things on the fly, so, um so yeah, so those are two of my values, flexibility and learning think about what your values are and think about how they align with your customers values because tomorrow in the afternoon, we're going to talk about values driven marketing. I'm going to get into this like, way more in depth, but the values that your business uses to communicate about itself, tio values that you used even design the products that you have those those values are always front and center in your business and there's ways we can make them more front and center in your business. And so we want to make sure that we're attracting clients that also aligned with those values, but regardless, you've already attracted these people as well. So, megan, can you tell us a little bit about maybe one or two of your values and a couple customers that fit with those? Yes, one of mine is the mission of my business is to help people rekindle their wonder to kind of bring back imagination and one of my most valued customers, she just retired, but she was a kindergarten teacher, and so she actually took the book that I wrote read it to her class him. She brings all my artwork to her class. She helped me get a show downtown san jose, and she has the same values in that is instilling this joy and imagination and the children that he teaches and trying to keep them. Working at it because it disappears so early fantastic so your product really because it becomes a representation of that value for her in her daily life no matter what she's part just him she could show the kids too that you can still be silly after you grow up on I'm betting you have cem a similar kind of idea going on in your business yeah so I wrote down my first started listening what I value personally and in my business which is I mean pretty much the same thing eyes I wrote on creativity, integrity community and supporting local and immediately what came to my mind as faras who has a similar rally is all of the boutique owners that I work with great primarily the ones right here in the bay area that you know support if not local like or is close to california as possible they do a lot of fair trade you know it's just really um giving an opportunity to local artists and designers to showcase their work great awesome that's a great example are a couple great examples of value emily abby who hopefully emily you tell us what your work is too that would be awesome rosen she says that metal artists have have similar values to hers as well as art enthusiasts and actually doesn't metal work she's fine yeah but she also said that she does have trouble selling her work although this values are shared okay, so and then you know, trying to find out if those artists are her clients as well, right aside from just sharing the values because you know, the values don't necessarily pay the bills, right? Right certainly values is one piece of the puzzle. Yeah, so I think you know, a lot of times that your colleagues can be kind of most valued customers for you I think it's really important to look outside those those franks as well but great example yeah, and then you know, I don't know if this is a value that miss tiffany and shares, but she says I find that people that want what I what I make they want it for dirt cheap, you know, and maybe the value there is teo be economical and I don't know if that's what she wants or yeah so I think you have to ask yourself in that case is one of your values feeling like everything needs to be kind of bottom dollar bond or you know, is that what you're that kind of value that you are maybe accidentally putting out there on dh then think about, you know, what is a value for kind of, well artisan ship or, you know, thinking in terms of that higher end value paying for something that's really special on dso uniqueness khun b a value that a lot of especially maker, artist, designer businesses have at the top of their list of uniqueness, individuality, and those things tend to come with a much higher price tag, so if you can hone in on that value and the people into a body from you who have that value, you can use them tio understand the decisions you need to be making in your business, terry, I think is a really important point and one that we see here at creative live a lot, and I know we're gonna be talking about valuing yourself as well, but we do have a lot of people who are saying that their products are such that people aren't necessarily valuing there so many, so many things coming here, but for example, the waffler, it turns out, oops, I lost it, but she sells magnets on that. The price of her of the elements that she uses to make the magnets is more than she's finding people value the magnet itself more but then it's also, people are wondering, you know, we talk a lot about about the fact that if those people are just going for the cheap products than they're not necessarily your customer, yeah, they're not your most valued, yeah, yes, yes, and we'll talk a lot more about this tomorrow, so definitely tune in tomorrow for the kind of money piece of the puzzle in fact, tomorrow's day is called you want me to charge what for that but uh but yeah, and too and I want to I want to make a point here too that we're really talking about personal values here and so kind of examining what your personal values are there's lots of value assessments online my friend and coach tanya geissler has a great values assessment, so if you have not taken the time to do a values assessment for yourself and kind of put words to what it is that motivates you and inspires you and today is a great time to do that after we wrap up later or maybe during the break because it doesn't have to take along these are things that are always pushing you because knowing what your personal values are helps you connect to this group of customers as well. All right, let's, keep moving. We've got two more to go who looks up to you and your business as a leader when we got a typo there my bad who looks up to you and your business as a leader um what do I mean by this I mean that we set trends that's what I mean we sent trends were influencers being a designer is all about being on top of trends establishing trends creating new ideas that get people excited and so if you think for a minute like what brands do you look up tio as the leader you know ah lot of us look upto apple as a leader, right? We're looking to see what features are they going to put out what's the what is the new wave of technology going to be? And they're a brand that sets that tone your brand also is setting a particular tone for your most valued customers they are looking to you as an expert in what is hot in what's next in what's going to make their lives better eso who looks up to you and your business as a leader everybody tell me more about it I don't have any casual clothes nice, I don't I actually wanted to go for a a business interview and it took me more than a half hour to try to find something and then I ended up finding like just I was just like black black is gonna work, you know? But it was still like flowy and backless and okay, I'm gonna wear a sweater on top of a lick tryingto put things together, but I feel like every single our peace I mean every single clothing that I have is so bright and make so much statement everybody pays attention and even with my hair like I proof it up you need to pay attention yeah, you have a reputation really, of being a leader in terms of your fashion in terms of the way you present yourself for what you create there's nothing better there's no better reputation that you could have right? And this is I did this you know? Yeah or someone so did this right for answering this question I would think about who are those people? Maybe that who were the last five people who asked you for outfit advice or for askyou for styling advice think about those five people write their names down. I know it could be lots of different people but but yeah that's a great example of people looking up to you as a leader as a trendsetter saucer did you have one? Um well, I've been in this position for a long time as an expert on singleness and relationships and dating and I've been on cnn and npr and many forums and it's and then in books quoted so it's recently it's been interesting and a client came to me who had been married for his whole life he went from college to marriage and he just wanted someone who had an involved perspective on singleness and he wanted book recommendations and basically someone to talk tio you know, because he lived in the south and had been surrounded by people who had only followed a conventional path so that was an interesting example of like being a talking head and then having a real world application of it yeah grace great so last question in this exercise is who is asking the questions your business wants to answer or explore who's asking the questions your business wants to answer or explore now this is going to be proud perhaps easiest for our service provider friend but you designers makers and artists do not get off the hook on this question we are always asking questions whether it's what am I going to wear today or you know, how do I rearrange this room or what could I do differently in the kitchen to make this souffle turn out differently? There are all sorts of questions that inspire us that point to needs and desires that our customers have so who who and it might help to think of this in terms of the last question as well, who is asking you questions that you've got the answer? Teo who's asking you questions that you're excited about linda you look like you are you've got a question I might actually get a lot of questions about people that I really intrigued by my process and I don't you know I mean I think my work is like really detailed so it really draws people in and I mean if if it's the right customer if it's my ideal question my most valued player whatever you know, those are the those are the people that really were just so curious about the work and how it's done and all that kind of stuff so yeah so I have a feeling that those kind of questions point teo seeing point to them seeing you as again is a trendsetter for sure but also someone who has that attention to detail and that's probably a value as well that your most valued customers share. So last question again is who's asking the questions your business wants to answer or explore don't overthink this one just think what kind of questions to my customers asked me what am I excited about answering because those people are your most valued customers as well so once you've got all those names filled out in this exercise, the ideas that you pick three people that you're most excited about these people become your virtual focus group why virtual? Well because you don't need to get them all together in a room and ask them questions here's what I know I know that you know these people well enough to kind of guess what they're thinking to know the kind of conversations they're having with their friends to know what they're doing on the weekends now that doesn't mean you can't ask by all means if there's something you want to know about these people ask them but I want you to trust that you've got the social information locked away in your brain to really you know who these people are inside and out. So take a minute, look over those questions and look for maybe four, five names. Is that really stand out to you? The people that you want to be reaching on a day today basis? Uh, with your product with your marketing with your sales messages, take a minute and come up with those names. We have anything for me internet you guys want to share? We sure do. You. Actually, amber cain has identified to answer this question that it's women that are uncomfortable with the way that they look. These women want to know how to dress when there have a little extra weight around the middle and they want to know what to do because they think maybe their chest is too big on and things like that. So that kind of getting into the need of the customers? Well, awesome. Great job. You know, people are still answering this last question, okay? And ale interpretations says entrepreneurs who want to write a book and are frustrated because they don't know how nor do they have the time. So that is there, there. And asking that question. Great. Let me just say once again, make sure you're coming up with specific names as well, because you want to be able to reference these people in your head. You don't want to just it's. Great to know in general who those customers are. But you want to stop referencing that generalization and start referencing individual people.