How to be a PROFILER

Want to know how to reach your customer? Get to know them, really well.

Profiling (v): the act or process of extrapolating information about a consumer based on known traits or specific tendencies: the act of targeting and understanding a person on the basis of observed characteristics or behavior.

Have you ever wondered why consumers don’t react to the content you are putting out? Why aren’t they following through with your Call to Action? Why aren’t they buying from you? Why did they like a post? Why did they share it with someone? Why did they download one of your trip wires (or freebie)?

Did you know you could find out?

Yep.

And the secret is…

Ask them.

Ugh.

You think: “… but, they don’t know me. What am I going to say to them to get them to talk to me?”

Maybe you just can’t bring yourself to put yourself out there in front of them like that. Not just yet.

So, is there anything else you could do?

Yep.

CSI them.
(Consumer Scenario Investigation)

Basically, you are going to become one of those profilers you see on TV or in the movies. You are going to watch your niche audience. You are going to “follow” them and study them and learn what makes them tick.

You are going to know what they do during a typical day/ week/ month; what triggers them; what they think about when a situation happens; why they think those things (worldview/ mindset); what influences them to take action (or not to take action); what trends they follow (and what trends they don’t follow); what they do when they are faced with a decision making situation; who they talk to; where they look for information; what their process is in that decision making scenario; how long that process takes; where they go when they are confused or undecided…

OK, you get the drift.

You are going to plot out who this person is: to the point that you understand them as much as they understand themselves. Wherever they go, you will be there. Whatever they are asking, you will be there with an answer or a tip.

You will become a professional profiler.

Photo by Artem Maltsev on Unsplash

Your qualities will include:

• Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of their reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Complex Problem Solving — Identifying their unique problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of all possible alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to their problems.
• Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both your current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Speaking — Talking to them to gain information effectively.
• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what they are saying, taking time to understand the points being made. Asking questions as appropriate, yet not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Comprehension — Understanding what they mean when they discuss their objections and frustrations.
• Communication — Actively being effective in content and discussions as appropriate for the needs of this audience.
• Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help this audience.
• Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions in order to choose the most appropriate one.
• Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance to make assessments and improvements or take corrective action.
• Persuasion — Persuading them to change their minds or behavior.
• Instructing — Teaching them how to do something.
• Learning Strategies — Selecting and using appropriate methods and procedures for the situation when learning new things.
• Systems Analysis — Determining how the system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
• Time Management — Tracking the timing of it all.
• Negotiation — Bringing you together and trying to explain differences.
• Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create an appropriate marketing and messaging response design.
• Management of Personnel Resources — Motivating, developing, and directing the brand team work; identifying the best people for the job.
• Systems Evaluation — Identifying indicators of performance and the actions needed to improve or correct outcomes, relative to the goals of the business.

Sounds fun, right?

So, put on your specs, get out your gloves and get to that next profile case.