Tiffine Wang - Customer Persona Design & Validation

1. BY TIFFINE WANG
European Innovation Academy - Doha, Qatar
Customer Persona Design
&
Validation

4. Common Goals from
participants of European
Innovation Academy
1. Learn the Entrepreneur Process
2. Figure out how to validate an idea
3. Should I build this startup (idea X)
4. Leadership Skills

5. OPEN MIND

6. COMPETITION?!?!

7. UNIQUE VALUE
PROPOSITION

8. UBER =
TAXI + CREATIVE SOLUTION

9. AIRBNB =
HOUSING + CREATIVE SOLUTION

10. CUSTOMER PERSONA DESIGN
Customer personas are fictional, generalized
representations of your ideal customers.

11. Name
Gender
Age
Background
Company/Role
Goals
Challenges
DISCOVERY: CUSTOMER PERSONA DESIGN

12. B2B CUSTOMER PERSONA

13. B2C CUSTOMER PERSONA

14. CHOOSING A CUSTOMER SEGMENT
1. Relationships and Access
E.G. ONLINE GROUPS, FRIENDS, CONNECTIONS
2. Propensity to Buy
3. Market Size

15. WHAT IF MORE THAN ONE CUSTOMER
SEGMENT????
CHOOSE 1 FIRST.
DO THE OTHER ONE LATER.

16. - FORUMS
- BLOGS
- SOCIAL MEDIA (FACEBOOK,
TWITTER, LINKEDIN)
- ASK FOR INTRODUCTIONS
- GIVE “BONUS” E.G. VIRTUAL
GOODS, CREDIT, “FREE GIFT”
FINDING CONSUMER CUSTOMERS

17. - LINKEDIN
- ASK FOR INTRODUCTIONS
- CHATTING WITH MENTORS
- RUNNING FOCUS GROUPS
FINDING ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS

18. PART 2:
CUSTOMER VALIDATION

19. VALIDATING YOUR VALUE PROPOSITIONS.
A hypothesis is a statement, not a question.

20. VALIDATING ASSUPMTIONS
TOOLBOX
ETHNOGRAPHY INTERVIEWSURVEY

21. VALIDATING ASSUPMTIONS
ETHNOGRAPHY
NO INTERFERENCE
IT’S ALL ABOUT INTERPRETATION
TO RECORD THE BEHAVIOR
AND CUSTOMS

22. VALIDATING ASSUPMTIONS
NETNOGRAPHY
Netnography: an online research method originating in ethnography
which is applied to understanding social interaction in contemporary
digital communications contexts.
Social Insights from Social Media

23. SURVEY TYPES
1. Face-to-face Interviews
2. Telephone surveys
3. Written questionnaires

24. SURVEY TIPS
1. Keep surveys short but long enough
to address your questions.
2. Don’t use confusing/complex language.
3. Use open ended questions/ No
leading questions.

25. BE AWARE OF
CONFIRMATION BIAS:
LOOKING FOR
EVIDENCE TO CONFIRM YOUR ASSUMPTIONS

26. SOMETIMES YOU
STILL NEED TO TALK
TO PEOPLE

27. Rule 1
Adopt a beginner’s mind
Listen with a “fresh pair of ears”
and avoid interpretation.
INTERVIEW TIPS - BEGINNER’S MIND

28. Rule 2
Listen more than you talk
INTERVIEW TIPS - LISTEN

29. Rule 3
Get facts, not opinions
Don’t ask, “Would you...?”
Ask, “When is the last time
you have...?”
INTERVIEW TIPS - FACTS

30. Rule 4
Customer
Interviews are for
LEARNING
not selling
INTERVIEW TIPS - LEARNING

31. Rule 5
Keep Doors OPENED
Ask, “Who else should I talk to?”
INTERVIEW TIPS

32. ● What’s the hardest part of your day?
● What are some unmet needs you have?
● What product do you wish you had that doesn’t exist yet?
● What tasks take up the most time in your day?
● What could be done to improve your experience with
[process/role]?
● What’s the hardest part about being a [demographic]?
● What are your biggest/most important professional
responsibilities/goals?
● What are your biggest/most important personal
responsibilities/goals?
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

33. REMEMBER,
THERE’S NO SET WAY.
GET CREATIVE!
SURVEY + INTERVIEWS

34. TRUST YOURSELF

35. QUESTIONS?