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This is Jordan, my prototypical customer. She is a 26 year old Marketing Analyst, who live in the Mills District of Winter Park, Florida. She does not have any children. She drives a white Mazda CX5.  She has a 1 year old Australian Shepherd and already wants another puppy.. She is always on the go between work, graduate school, and five weekly Orange Theory classes. On the weekends, she takes her dog to the beach or the local farmer's market.She misses Barack Obama and wishes Bernie Sanders was 10 years younger.

I have quite a few things in common with my stereotypical customer. I am also a working professional, student and dog-owner. I also try to pack as much as possible into my busy schedule. This is not a coincidence. I came up with the idea, like most others, because of my own need.

Elevator Pitch

I did not complete the first elevator pitch so I cannot reflect on feedback--woops.
I suppose I took the feedback of getting a '"0" on the last one and actually attempted to complete this one.

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

The people I interviewed agree that they typically are persuaded most by convenience, quality packaging(for products), and price--in that order-- when choosing between alternatives. One of my interviewees mentioned that she often finds herself buying things she doesn't even need simply because she thinks they are cute. When it comes to service, this same interviewee specified that she wants to deal with people as little as possible, because she suffers from social anxiety, so she prefers services that offer online sign-up. The other two interviewees would choose a service or product recommended by someone that know before choosing an alternative.

All three of my interviewees prefer to do all research and comparison online and two out of three are more likely to order products online and the third likes to choose what she's going to purchase online and then head to a store that carries it so she doesn't have to wait for shipping. For services, all three prefer to be able to book appointments online.

After purchase, all three interviewees mentioned that they review a product or service based on how frequently they use it and also how much the result matched their expectations. One interviewee mentioned that no matter how displeased she is with a product or service, she typically does not get around to returning or exchanging items, or complaining about services and cancelling subscriptions, unless the item is extremely expensive. She gave the example that she has paid for a gym membership without using it for over two years. The other two did not have any qualms about returning, exchanging, or giving negative feedback about a product/service.

This exercise really highlighted the importance of convenience when it comes to getting the attention of my segment. If the process of booking or purchasing is inconvenience, they are not likely to follow through with the purchase.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

When interviewing to learn about buyer behavior. I interviewed three working individuals, who either do not yet have children or their children have already moved out, and own at least one dog.

One of my interviewees has a new puppy and she immediately became aware of the need for day-care for her dog when she realized going home from work on her lunch-hour was not going to be feasible every day. She also realized that by the time she realized she needed a dog-walker one day, it was too late to hire someone. She asked employees and dog-trainers at her local pet store for recommendations and also says she has spent at least an hour online every day since getting her puppy, researching care.

Another interviewee's husband recently re-located for work temporarily and her daughter does not live at home anymore. She has two adult dogs, but now that she is the only one home to care for them, she realizes the need for additional care when she has to stay late at work or wants to go somewhere after work. She also travels on weekend trips and her daughter is not always available to dog-sit.  She relies the most heavily of personal recommendations form friends, but prefers to get information about businesses and services online, rather than having to call.

My third interviewee has a 6-month-old puppy and an adult dog. When she first adopted the puppy, her teenage son was on summer break, but now that he is back in school, her puppy has to stay crated all day. She prefers to call and ask businesses question as well as visiting establishments before signing up for any service. She also asks her fellow dog-owning friends for recommendations when she needs a new service for her dogs, but then calls to ask any questions she has that are specific to her needs.

All three individuals do most of their research online and will read reviews through Google, yelp, Angie's List, etc.They will also read reviews from the company's website, but feel the bad reviews are intentionally excluded. Two out of three that I interviewed much prefer recommendations from people they know, but will still read reviews to get a better idea of the average experience. Two out of three also specifically mentioned they like to look for the worst reviews to get an idea of the worst-case scenario. Their searches are specific to location (i.e. "dog walker in Winter Park, FL" or "best veterinarian in Clermont, Florida").

In terms of information search, my service needs to have plenty of information on a website, perhaps including an FAQ section. I would also encourage current clients to share their experiences online, both on our website and also through a third-party review-site.

Idea Napkin Number 1

1) You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

I am very dedicated and detail-oriented. I am an experience project manager and leader. I see myself overseeing day-to-day and big-picture operations and being very involved in the operations.

2) What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

I am offering a full-service dog day-care. Customers can leave their dogs by the hour or by the day. We will also offer pick-up services and allow the owners visibility to their dogs' activities as well as notifications (i.e. Your dog just ate lunch, etc.)

3) Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

My customers are working dog-owners, middle/upper-middle class, who lead busy lives, but want to make sure their dogs have access to socialization even if they are gone for the day. 

4) Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

My customers care because they love their dogs as if they are their children! They want the best for their pet and want to be able to ensure their dogs are happy, even if they have to stay late at the office. 

5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

Our service is "for dog-lovers, by dog-lovers". We offer a higher-level of care and attention because we love their animals too! Our by-the-hour or by-the-day packages as well as drop-off or pick-up service sets us apart from competitors. Owners' ability to check in on their dog throughout the day allows our customers to fully trust us because they will see how well their dog is being cared for.