Why Use Personas in One’s Marketing Strategy?
Many B2B companies are tuning in to the Voice of the Customer (VoC), and implementing specific marketing strategies that reflect the desires of their clients. They’re creating positions like Customer Insights Manager and Customer Experience Manager, which help to ensure that the company remains customer-centric, gaining an in-depth understanding of their clientele.
What is a Persona?
At DuckerFrontier, we help our clients gain a deeper understanding of their customers by developing what marketing science calls “personas.” These personas will help identify your key customers, define their needs and expectations, and answer some key questions about them:
- Who are they? What is their job function, and their experience in this position? Who are their bosses and how many people do they manage? What are their job responsibilities, their main objectives, their priorities?
- What is their role in the company’s decision-making process? At which stage of that process do they get involved, and are they the final decision makers? Who influences purchase decisions? What is the length of the typical decision-making process?
- What are their customer journeys? What are their preferred sources to gather industry information and spot industry trends? What criteria do they use when choosing a supplier or product? How can we help manage expectations related to post-purchase experience (product/service usage, after-sales support, etc.)?
- How strong is their relationship with your company? What do they like about your services or products? How do you compare with your competitors? What makes you unique in your field? What reinforces their attachment to your brand?
What are the Benefits of Creating and Using Personas?
The understanding of your customers’ personas will allow you to:
- Direct your commercial efforts to the key decision-makers, including the influencers.
- Tailor your sales speech to each person involved in the decision-making process.
- Adapt your marketing contents and formats to resonate with your clients.
- Fine-tune your product and service offerings, and hone your value proposition.
- Adapt your customer support services to better answer client needs.
- Ultimately, organize your entire company around this strategy.