Your target customer: who buys and why?

The more precise your customer, the easier every decision becomes: what to design, what to charge and where to appear. The best way to know them is to talk to real people, not to guess their features.

The customer profile

• Approximate age, city, job and lifestyle.
• Where does she or he shop today, and how much do they usually pay per piece?
• Occasions: work, evenings, family events, travel, sport?
• What bothers them about what is available? (sizes, quality, sameness, prices)

Ten short conversations

Talk to ten people who look like your customer. Do not ask “do you like my idea?”, because the answer will be politeness. Ask about behavior: the last piece they bought and why, what they regret buying, and what they look for and cannot find.

Exercise

Hold at least three conversations this week and write down the customers’ phrases in their own words. You will use these phrases later in product descriptions and in advertising.