Marketing types are fond of classifying people intocategories. Here are four which I took from "Differentiate OrDie," by Jack Trout with Steve Rivkin. (John Wiley & Sons, NewYork, 2000, p15.) Only the first few words of each are includedhere.
Which Best Suits You?
Texts in psychology also often break people into types asabove. I have seen several dozen such definitions. Each isoften quite different from others. With apologies to Stout andRivkin (and many others), I don't find such groupings helpful.
While many of the people I have known might seem best suitedto one definition, each includes key characteristics from theothers. Did you find one that suited you? Or are you one whois some combination of two or more categories?
The reason for defining such categories in marketing is toget a better focus on your Perfect Customer. If you can do so,no doubt your dialog will be stronger. It is because of thispossibility that I included the above. Most, however, will notwant to slice things so thin.
Situations Vary As Much As People Do
If you are selling a computer, complete details will filla large book. Even the most dedicated fact finder doesn't wantthat much information. On the other hand, if you're sellingballoons, what details are available?
Visitors to your website may be predominantly one type oranother, but this depends to a large extent upon what you areoffering. If you are selling lures to fisherman, you are goingto meet all of these types, and combinations of them.
As buyers, personality types may not hold. Thoughtful,introspective people may buy after just a glance, particularlyif they're in a hurry. The impulsive type who generally buyswith little thought, may become engrossed in the tiniest detailsand refuse to make a decision until all questions have beenanswered.
Other Models
As suggested, there are other sets of categories into whichpeople can be grouped. Hundreds have been published. Here'sone that works pretty well for me.
Show-Me - This type doesn't care how it works. They onlywant to know what it does, and specifically what it will do forthem. Pictures and drawing work well with this type. Simpledescriptions of what the product does also work.
Prove-It - These people are not content until you haveprovided evidence to support every assertion made. If you saysomething about your product you can not demonstrate, you willlose this customer.
How-It-Works - This type wants only to know how it works;they will make their own decision as to whether or not it workswell enough. Details make this type happy. And they want aclear definition of each product feature.
A Better Course
Build your own definition of categories as I did above,based on what you have learned about your target. If mostinterested in your product want details, provide them. If mostwant facts, list them all. If they want only an overview, giveone that is brief and to the point.
If you can add these kinds of characteristics to yourdefinition of your Perfect Customer, so much the better. Most,however, will find this difficult to do, even impossible. Sounless dictated by your product or other specific conditions,here is the better plan for presenting information.
Cover The Bases
Ignore personality types, and think in terms of behavior.When your Perfect Customer hits your site, chances are more thana dozen sites have already been visited, and briefly. You haveonly seconds to capture attention and draw this person into yourpage and site.
You need a dandy first impression which immediately lends asense of credibility and expertise. Next, you need a greatheadline that grabs attention and provides a great benefit toyour Perfect Customer. You need captivating sub-headingsthroughout the page, for most visitors will see only theseinitially. And you need a clear link to an order form.
This of itself takes care of those in a hurry, regardlessof personality type. If anything on the page grabs attentionand reading begins, you can then provide other kinds ofinformation.
Rather than deciding whether or not your Perfect Customerwants details, proofs, drawing, or whatever, the better planis to have all available. That is, let the headline andsub-headings give a brief but comprehensive overview, for allneed this. Include further details and benefits under eachsub-heading. For extended details and "proofs," offer linksto a new page.
Summing Up
As you can see, I'm not convinced any personality traitsneed to be added to your definition of your Perfect Customer.Unless your target is clearly only one type, the better plan maybe to offer the essence of your product in the page, with linksto other information some may need._____________
Abstracted from "Your Path To Success"
Never, Ever Release Any Of Your Rights To Anyone
One of the grandest scams on the Web, which goes largelyunnoticed, is for a web-based bookseller or publisher to requiresome rights to your work in exchange for the service to beprovided. Many demand the electronic rights, for example.
How Well Do You Know Your Perfect Customer?
Your Perfect Customer is real only in your mind. He or sheis the one individual most representative of your target. Theone to whom you always speak one-on-one in your newsletter andon your site.
The Hits That Matter Most
So you know what hits mean. Unique hits or user sessions,I mean. And you know what CR means. Right? If so, you're ingreat shape, for many people don't. They think they do. But they've got it wrong.
