15A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Interviewee 1: Newly married 30-year-old, expecting a child

This interviewee is a perfect component to the target segment, as she is mainly concerned with how she will care for her growing family in the future. By being proactive and starting to figure the tools she will use to do so, I am able to get an idea of how she behaves as a consumer. She outlined that for her, the most important thing in the product that I am would offer is price and quality. She wants to make sure that even if she is paying a “not-so-high” price, she is still getting the maximum protection for her packages. Furthermore, she would be paying for it in cash as to not accrue any debt early on in her family’s life. Her new husband, being a part of the decision, agrees.  Once she purchases something, her motto is “if it doesn’t bother me, it’s a good buy.” In other words, if she finds that the product she has purchased does what it was intended to do and does not give her any issues in the future, she knows her purchase decision was the right one.

Interviewee 2: 50-year-old with three kids and a husband

A big concern for this interviewee is style. Yes, she also believes quality and price are important, but she really wants the product to be able to match the style of her household. The design of her home has always been important to her, and she wants my proposed product to add to it, not stick out like a sore thumb. Additionally, she would be purchasing the product on credit online due to the frequency of purchases she makes on home improvements and things of that nature. She is the sole decision-maker on this purchase, as it ties into what she perceives as her main duty at the home. As long as it blends in and is cohesive with her household, she finds it to be a good purchase.

Interviewee 3: Married 40-year-old with two kids

This interviewee wants to be able to share the functionality of the proposed product with her husband. Put simply, the most important aspect of the product is quality and shareability. The decision-makers here are both of them, and she does not mind going to a store, as that gives her an opportunity to take time for herself. She has no preferred method of payment, as well, and trusts that the price she pays will adequately represent the quality she will receive. Lastly, after every purchase she makes, she admits that she is guilty of forgetting about it. Even if it gives her issues, she finds herself procrastinating on taking action.

Conclusions:

From these interviews, I have learned some major things that I need to consider in my product development. Firstly, from the first one, I found that the product needs to durable and able to last a long time with low maintenance. Furthermore, in order to provide high quality with low price, I have to research cheaper materials that give more bang for their buck. From the second interview, I learned that customization needs to be a considered feature, as it would expand my audience from not just people who seek its functionality, but also to those that would appreciate its style. Lastly, the third interviewee showed me that the product would benefit from the addition of multiple keys (or the use of a shareable combination). Maybe it could even be connected to some sort of electronic key, one that the primary user can share wirelessly with others. Additionally, because it is hard for some people to reflect and provide feedback on their purchase decision, I should look into the use of brief but useful consumer surveys. All of these new ideas better equip me to serve my target segment.