09-customer-insight-global

# Customer Insight (Global)

## Information Gathering

Ask up to 4 questions before starting:

1. **What is your product / service?** (Industry, price tier, market geography)
2. **Who are your current customers?** (Gender, age range, typical price point, channels they discover you)
3. **Do you have customer data?** (CRM data, comments/inbox, reviews, surveys — share if available)
4. **What's the goal of this insight work?** (Content writing? Ad targeting? Repositioning? New product launch? Service improvement?)

---

## Consumer vs Shopper Distinction

The buyer is not always the user, and the user is not always the decision-maker:

| | **Consumer (User)** | **Shopper (Buyer)** |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Person who actually uses the product/service | Person who pays for it |
| Cares about | Experience, results, feelings | Price, convenience, value-for-money |
| Decides based on | "Will this work for me?" | "Is this worth the cost?" |
| Example (Skincare) | The person whose skin gets treated | Their partner / parent paying |
| Example (Course) | Student | Parent paying tuition |
| Example (Kids' toys) | The child | The parents |
| Example (B2B SaaS) | End-user employee | Manager / Procurement |

### Identification Questions

- Are Consumer and Shopper the same person?
- If different: who influences the purchase decision? Who shapes the experience?
- Which audience should content target? (Often both — but with different angles)

---

## 4-Stage Insight Framework

Each funnel stage produces a different kind of insight:

### Stage 1 — Awareness (They don't know they need it yet)

| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| State | Problem unrecognized, or aware but no solution sought |
| Internal question | "Isn't everyone like this?" / "Should I do something about it?" |
| Barrier | Problem feels normal, no trigger to act |
| Content needed | Pain triggers, education, problem framing |
| Effective channels | TikTok (reach), Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, blog SEO |
| Example insight | "They notice their skin is worse but blame the weather — never think 'skincare routine'." |

### Stage 2 — Consideration (They are comparing)

| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| State | Problem accepted, evaluating options |
| Internal question | "Which is better?" / "Is this worth it?" / "Who has tried it?" |
| Barrier | Too many options, fear of wrong choice, missing info |
| Content needed | Comparisons, reviews, case studies, process explainers, FAQs |
| Effective channels | Google Search, YouTube reviews, communities (Reddit, Discord, niche forums), email |
| Example insight | "They read 5 reviews but still hesitate — because they fear being upsold by a sales rep." |

### Stage 3 — Conversion (What pushes them to buy)

| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| State | Decision made, needs final nudge |
| Internal question | "Buy now or wait?" / "Any deals?" / "Where do I order?" |
| Barrier | Cost concerns, regret risk, complex checkout |
| Content needed | Offers, urgency, strong social proof, clear CTA, friction removal |
| Effective channels | Messenger/WhatsApp 1:1, landing pages, retargeting ads |
| Example insight | "They are ready to buy but need spousal sign-off — send them shareable info to forward." |

### Stage 4 — Retention (Why they come back, or don't)

| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| State | Has bought/used — deciding whether to return |
| Internal question | "Is it worth continuing?" / "Is something better out there?" / "Anything new?" |
| Barrier | Forgetting, no reason to return, mediocre last experience |
| Content needed | Follow-ups, exclusive value, loyalty program |
| Effective channels | Email nurture, SMS, in-app, VIP community |
| Example insight | "They liked the service but don't return because nobody reminds them — they need a reason, not just a discount." |

---

## Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)

Customers don't buy products — they "hire" them to get a "job" done.

### 3 Layers of JTBD

| Layer | Definition | Question | Example (Skincare) | Example (Marketing course) |
|-------|-----------|----------|--------------------|---------------------------|
| **Functional** | Practical task to complete | "What do they need to do?" | Clear acne, cleanse skin | Learn how to run paid ads |
| **Emotional** | Desired feeling | "How do they want to feel?" | Confident, well-cared-for | Calm, not afraid of mistakes |
| **Social** | Image they want to project | "How do they want to be seen?" | Beautiful, professional | Skilled, modern, successful |

### JTBD Template

```
When [situation / context],
I want to [action / solution],
so I can [desired outcome],
and feel [emotional reward].
```

**Examples:**
- "When **my skin breaks out before a big meeting**, I want to **find a fast professional treatment**, so I can **feel confident presenting**, and feel **professional**."
- "When **I don't know how to run profitable ads**, I want to **learn from someone who has done it**, so I can **manage campaigns myself**, and feel **independent from agencies**."
- "When **my Shopify store has traffic but no sales**, I want to **understand why visitors don't convert**, so I can **fix the leak**, and feel **in control of my business**."

---

## Persona Builder

### Customer Persona Template

**Persona: [Representative Name]**

#### Demographics

| Element | Value |
|---------|-------|
| Gender | |
| Age range | |
| Location | |
| Occupation | |
| Income / month | |
| Family status | |
| Education | |

#### Psychographics

| Element | Value |
|---------|-------|
| Core values | [What do they value most?] |
| Fears | [What scares them when buying?] |
| Aspirations | [What do they want to achieve?] |
| Beliefs | [What do they trust? What do they doubt?] |
| Lifestyle | [Describe in one sentence] |

#### Behaviors

| Element | Value |
|---------|-------|
| Primary info channel | [TikTok? Google? Friends? YouTube?] |
| Online time | [Morning / Lunch / Evening? How long?] |
| Shopping habi