How To Transform An Average Avatar Into An Awesome Avatar With Customer Backstories
Don’t Listen To Your Imaginary Friend
Check out The Complete Customer Avatar Workbook instead…
As you approach the creation of your Customer Avatar or Buyer Persona, the default position; the easy, simple, quick, solution if you like, might be to conjure up an ideal Customer in your head. And if you do this, you’ll no doubt easily relate to this ‘imaginary friend’, because really, probably; you want to do business with people just like you, right?
Problem is: reality bites.
Imaginary friends don’t buy real things in the real world with real money you can take to the bank. And the imaginary friend syndrome can lead to fairy-stories in the copy you write to sell your products or services.
Considering the other person’s existing outlook will help clarify how we can present arguments in a way most convincing to them, rather than a way most convincing to us.
The Influential Mind
Tali Sharot
Don’t Be A Scaredy Cat
Another common mistake is when you have FOMO and decide you need to reach the widest possible audience to appeal to the most possible people, so you can sell the most possible stuff.
It’s a natural instinct, but it’s a wasteful approach.
If you feel under pressure to speak to everyman (or every wo-man), with every message, on every wavelength, you’ll end up with a diluted message that is all a bit GaGa and speaks to no-one. It won’t connect, which means the crowd won’t buy your stuff, and your business will be just another one that bites the dust.
But, hey…
The show must go on.
So, if you aspire to communicate more relevantly and authentically, and also open the door to copy that is clearly congruent, deeply connects and actually converts, then a simple rule of thumb is…
No matter how thirsty you are…
Don’t Drink From The Mainstream
If an ad gets clicks then opportunity knocks, so you must be doing something right. Right? But if those clicks are not converting into Money, Money, Money, then each click becomes an opportunity lost. A loss that will continually eat away at your bottom line.
Don’t take that chance.
The way to get more personal, more specific and more in-tune with your ‘best’ potential customers; to find the buyers with the least resistance to you; the clients that are ready, willing, and able to take up your offer and will absolutely love what you do, is to…
Understand the thoughts, feelings and motivations of their decisions at each stage of your Funnel and of their buying process.
And we do that, not by merely describing our idea of typical customer and throwing together a few basic demographics (the recipe that most of your competition probably uses), we do it with the aid of deeper, more relevant and insightful backstories; because it’s the backstories that will give you an edge; and it’s the backstories that can transform an Average Avatar into an Awesome Avatar.
Do Follow The Hero’s Journey
If you think of your Funnel in terms of a film production, then your target customer would be the protagonist. And in their quest to solve a pressing problem, the hero of this story moves through the trials and tribulations of their research and wrestles with the challenge of making various decisions along the way.
And that’s not always so simple. They don’t want to waste their time and money; they don’t want to make the wrong decisions; and they definitely don’t want to end up with buyers regret.
We’ve all been there. It’s definitely a thing.
Eventually, hopefully, finally though: all is overcome. Our Hero discovers the key to the magic castle: they discover the best solution for them; they bang your buy button and bingo! Everyone lives happily ever after.
However, to be in with a fighting chance of reaching this ideal destination…
It’s now the job of you and your team; the director, writers and other creative minds to helpfully assist and guide your potential customer on this journey towards this win/win for everyone. To do this – yes, you have to know about your buyer’s thoughts, feelings and attitudes. But, what will give you a real edge, is insight and understanding of customers drives, desires, dreams and also…
Their fears.
The Backstory Process is the final part of the Customer Avatar Workbook and it forms a simple, effective, logical path to a deeper, clearer understanding of what makes your core audience tick; which in turn will help you create more relevant copy that truly connects and actually converts.
Here comes the science bit…
The Thinks-Feels-Says Story
This exercise invites you to use the information gathered in the first steps of the Customer Avatar Workbook (demographics, cores, traits and aspirations), to better understand the characteristics and mindset of your ideal audience. Specifically; as they begin their journey towards solving their pressing problem.
And it goes something like this…
Firstly your Cool Customer has a name right? Oh come, come now. Schoolboy error 101.
Ok, for the sake of example let’s call our new imaginary best friend Donny. Sassy, sensitive, but ever so slightly scary: Donny…
Now, we use what we now know about Donny’s mindset to fill in his…
The main problem on Donny’s mind right now is… Blankety, blank.
This makes him feel… Blankety, blank.
If he could remove this frustration, then… BLANKETY, blank.
And then he’d feel… Blankety BLANK!
Which when you put it all together, would look something like this…
The main problem on Donny’s mind right now is North Korea, Mueller and The FBI, this makes him feel somewhere between very belligerent and slightly sensitive. If he could just get these frustrations resolved then he might be able to focus on building that wall, and then he’d feel vindicated, appreciated, and even more motivated to make America great again!
Bulletproof Funnel Framework: Level 1.4.2
3 Steps To An Awesome Avatar
We then continue this process until we’ve hit all the big beats in the Customer Avatar Process, and you’ve developed the Vulcan-like mind-melding skills that result in copy that connects with your potential customers in a way that makes them feel everything is beginning to click together and make logical sense.
Get The Complete Customer Avatar Workbook, Including The Backstory Process Here
Which leads us nicely onto…
The Buying Process Story
Everyone loves a happy ending, right? This may be just a story, but it’s an important story. It’s your Customer Buying Process Story. The story of how they became your happy, clappy customer. Why they needed you. How they found you. And, why they bought from you…
In this exercise, your customer is – naturally – the hero of this particular story; moving through all the trials, tribulations and challenges until finally all is overcome in the shape of a purchase – from you-hoo.
It begins, once upon a time, by asking…
What problem/need were they thinking about before they bought your product?
How were they feeling?
What were they hoping to solve or accomplish?
What are the benefits of finding a solution?
Which gives us a narrative along the lines of…
Prior to purchasing a fruit-based device, Ronnie – a lovely little introverted Luddite – was mostly thinking about ways he could reduce actual human interaction, but was feeling somewhat intimidated and nervous about using modern technology. If only he could find a solution to his aversion to human contact, he could just stay at home all day playing with his dongle.
3 STEPS TO AN AWESOME AVATAR
Bulletproof Funnel Framework: Level 1.4.2
We then continue in this vein – taking in each step of the research, decision making and buying process – until the full picture of the Buying Process Story has emerged. You’ll then have a deeper understanding of the thoughts, feelings and actions (or non-actions), that go into each step of the customer journey – importantly – from the buyers of view.
Prepare To Have Your Mind Blown…
The Backstories Process is the final magic key of the Customer Avatar Workbook because it unlocks the potential to really get onto your customer’s wavelength, so you can better understand what they’re thinking and feeling, and better empathise with their real motivations, drivers and desires, at each stage of their journey on the path to becoming your cool customer.
Which means…
You can now create copy that’s more congruent and relevant by communicating the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.
You can now become more relatable, likeable and credible, which leads to a mutually beneficial relationship.
You can now attract more quality subscribers, that actually convert into sales and deliver satisfied customers.
And you can now live that awesome jet-set lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.
And I know this because… Wooooh, look into my eyes…
You Are MY Awesome Avatar.
Get The Full Lowdown On The Awesome Avatar Workbook Including The Customer Backstory Processes Here
The Customer Avatar Workbook provides Entrepreneurs seeking more relevant and authentic communication with their potential buyers, a key to greater insight, understanding and empathy; opening the door to copy that is truly congruent, deeply connects and actually converts in 3 simple steps…
Step 1: The Questions – is a set of 4 checklists to help you clarify what you need to know about your target audience.
Step 2: The Answers – this is where you ‘fill in’ the information to flesh out your Customer’s traits, drivers and aspirations to create your core reference document.
Step 3: The Stories – is a set of exercises that brings everything together, to develop a deeper, clearer insight to your buyer’s thoughts; feelings; needs; and most importantly – actions. And it’s this crucial part that will transform your Average Avatar into an Awesome Avatar!
Plus: Fillable worksheets and checklists mean you can work through the exercises using any PDF viewer and fill in your answers as you go. You can then save the PDF and repeat the process to create as many Cool Customer Profiles, Perfect Buyer Personas or Awesome Avatar’s as you need.