Personas 101

How to Really Get Started
so Personas Can Help You Succeed
Personas 101

intro
“You can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”
Albert Einstein
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agenda
What is a persona?
Why invest in persona(s) creation and use?
How do you use persona(s)?
What is the structure of a persona?
How do you create a persona? (Steps 1-2-3-4)
Key takeaways
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what is a persona
A model or a representation …
Goals
Attitudes
Behaviors
… of a user …
… and/or buyer …
… that remains conspicuous in the minds of those who design, build, and market products
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why do we invest in personas
To focus on “real” people we want to use or buy the products
To help in communicating the same information to all members of the team, reducing interpretation
To help in making the decisions about where to invest real $$ in the development (for users) and marketing (for buyers) processes
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how do you use personas
Improve decisions
Strategy – what behaviors and/or actions are most
important to drive business goals
Spending – what are the priorities for investment
Metrics – what are expected behaviors and success measures
Results?
Change misconceptions about market segments
Stop design debates
Effective marketing messages & programs
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persona structure
How many?
4-6 user
4-6 buyer
Audience
Technical
Financial
End-user
It’s about value, not number!
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persona structure
Many formats!
Common to have one-two page narrative with image (a 19-page persona is a book!)
Bullets work fine, if that is acceptable style
Don’t confuse market segment with market persona!
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getting started…1-2-3-4 steps
Involve many colleagues
Research
Analyze & write
Communicate & use
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Led by product management (user) &
product marketing (buyer)
Executives
Marketing
Development/Designers
Business analysts
UI team
Sales
Customer support
step 1 - involvement

step 2 - research
Types
Most common
Interviews
In person
phone
Field study
Case study reviews
Mystery shopping/shadowing
Third-party contextual
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step 2 - research
Where do you find them
Not customers!
Comb company CRM data
“Friends & family” list
Mine Social media resources
Internet search
Facebook (better for consumer-based products)
LinkedIn
Twitter
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step 2 - questions to ask of all personas
What do they like?
How long have they been in their role?
What activities do they engage in?
What knowledge & skills are required?
Overview of their organization
Relationship to others
Key initiatives underway
What are their goals?
What problems do they face?
What is their ideal solution?
Who makes the decisions?
Budgeting process/authority/approvals?
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step 2 - questions to ask of all personas
How do they learn about solutions?
Analysts
Industry publications, trade associations, conferences
Vendors
Internet searches
Colleagues/recommendations
Internal
External
Social media
Other influences!
14

step 2 - user persona questions
What are they trying to do?
How do they do it now?
Who do they do it with?
What do they want? (their vision)
What are they willing to give up?
Ask for A/B priority choices
What competitive products do you like? Why?
What would stop you from implementing …?
(in person) Ask for a show & tell
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step 2 - buyer persona questions
Obstacles that interfere with success
Attitudes or beliefs that stop them from purchasing your product
What metrics matter to them?
What metrics do they use?
What are their alternatives to purchasing your product?
What alternatives do they use to solve their problem?
Role/influence in the decision process
What have they seen they like/dislike?
What did they see/hear that moved them to action? Why?
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step 2 - be prepared
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step 3 - putting them all together
Write up each visit
Look at your research
Post-it exercise = great tool!
Develop personas
Word doc is fine!
Narrative, short paragraphs
Salient details for audience’s understanding
Picture is critical!
Test them
Revise if persona isn’t supported
Test them
Revise if persona isn’t supported
Test them again
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step 3 – “persona mapping”
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step 3 – samples: end user
http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/courses/final-projects/travelite/design_business.htm
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step 3 – samples: end user
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step 3 – samples: buyer
http://www.small-biz-marketing-tips.com/buyer-persona.html
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step 3 – samples: buyer
http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/kmc_personas
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Communicate/share the personas
What programs/marketing artifacts can benefit from the changes learned?
Web site
Sales presentations and brochures
Trade show booth
Targeted campaigns
How will product management help development incorporate?
User stories in agile environments
Prioritization lists for roadmaps
What will Sales do differently? Customer support? Executive Leadership?
step 4 - closing the loop
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key takeaways
Personas only add value if you invest time in their development
Must be based on real life, with supporting data
Personas only add value if they are “living” reference points
If they become shelfware, don’t bother
Personas are not meant to be a magic bullet
Still need to invest in the other research and other business, technology, design, marketing & sales principles. They will not solve all the problems
Your persona effort will not succeed without leadership team support. Period. No further discussion needed.
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what else?
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contact me
Jennifer Doctor
Blog: http://www.outsideinview.com
(look for this ppt & resource links )
E-mail: jidoctor@hotmail.com
On Twitter: @jidoctor
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jidoctor
Phone: 612-965-0033
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Personas 101

by Jennifer Doctor on Nov 07, 2009

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