15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

1) Find three people who would fit that segment and arrange to interview them. Just like last time, these interviews, if conducted properly, should take about 10-15 minutes. Any less, and you won't be able to obtain adequate information. These three people may NOT be the same people you interviewed last time. 

2) Begin with alternative evaluation. In the last case exercise, you determined how customers sought information related to solving their need. The outcome of this step is to produce a set of alternatives. Customers pick from among this set of alternatives. In this step, your job is to figure out how they do their picking. Does price matter the most? Does quality? Does style? Is there more than one factor that is important to your customer segment?

4) Post-purchase evaluation. What matters most to your customers when they think back on the 'rightness' of the purchase? What helps them determine the purchase was a good idea? What sorts of things make them think a purchase was a bad idea? 

5) Report the findings. Simply summarize your interviews. 

By talking to Tyler, Sydney, and Emily, I have learned that all three are important. Of course, each have different priorities. Emily cares about quality, Sydney about price, and Tyler about style. Emily cares a lot about quality and to a lesser extent price and style. The price would have to be reasonable and she doesn't want an ugly microwave. To Sydney, she really cares about style and somewhat about quality. But her main concern is price. She's a college student on a budget. Tyler completely cares about style. He wants something sleek and modern to accentuate his kitchen. The quality should also be good. But if the quality and style is enough, he is willing to spend more money on the microwave.

3) How/where do they buy? Elements of the actual transaction can help characterize your segment. Is your segment more likely to buy online or in a store? Are they more likely to use cash or will they finance the purchase? Etc. If this is a B2B purchase, who's involved in the purchase decision? 

All of them are mostly purchases on amazon, especially during the pandemic. Emily would also check out Walmart and Target for the possible options. Tyler would also check out Brandsmart USA for electrics for his future apartment, including the microwave.

Their purchases will go on their credit or debit card. Cash is a thing of the past for Sydney. And even Tyler and Emily don't use it much anymore.

6) Draw conclusions. Based on what you know about this segment and what you learned in your interviews, how would you succinctly describe this segment in terms of alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation? 

These interviews were very informative. I realized that consumers really want more than a good price for a silent microwave. While those are very important, it is also important to have a quality and a variety of styles for their very different tastes. Each person had their own style. Tyler would want modern, Sydney would want an artsy pop, and Emily a plain black or grey.