As part of the Sales Module for Praxis, I completed detailed buyer personas for a solution, and a list of multiple problems with the following solutions. This helped me identify the type of person who might be interested in a specific solution, and come up with solutions for different problems.
Problems
Bad-tasting tap water
- Plumber to check your pipes for rust
- On the tap filter
- Water container filter
- Fruit or electrolyte powder mixes
- Bottled water
Poor tomato plant growth
- Add missing nutrients to the dirt
- Use a pot with potting soil
- Plant marigolds to help with pests
- Spray for pests
- A course or video on how to prune tomato plants
Low energy
- Exercise
- Sleep
- Caffeinated beverages
- Caffeine pills
- Eat high-energy foods
Phobia of Birds
- Therapy
- Class about birds, (exposure)
- Petting zoo, (exposure)
High energy dog
- Dog walking service
- Dog park
- Backyard fence-in service
- Electroshock dog collar for invisible fence
- Dog trainer
- Dog wheel/treadmill
Personas
The solution I based these personas around was a cleaning service.
Buyer Persona 1
Persona Name: Robert Distinguished
Persona Bio: Robert Distinguished is a 56-year-old art museum curator. He has been interested in the fine arts for years and spends much of his time when he’s not at his job looking at different art exhibits in different museums. He also has a love for all things Italian and started learning the language a year ago and trying to learn different dishes. He lives alone, but finds even the daily chores for one person to be a “waste of time.”
DEMOGRAPHICS
Age (Range): 56
Occupation: Art Museum Curator
Location: Suburban America
Gender: Male
Education Level: Master of Fine Arts Degree
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What do they enjoy doing in their free time? Reading about Ancient Rome and trying different italian places.
How/where do they spend their vacations? Traveling to different art museums around the world.
What do they want to know more about? Classical literature, Italian (the langugage)
What are some of their other hobbies? Reading, trying new recipes, trimming his bonsai tree
Other notable lifestyle factors: Single, never married.
GOALS
Where do they see themselves in 5 years? In the same position as now, except fluent in Italian.
What are their professional goals? To continue developing the collection at the museum he manages
What are their hobby-related goals? To continue to learn Italian
What are their financial goals? Continue saving and investing money
CHALLENGES OR PAIN POINTS
What’s stopping them from reaching their goals? Not having the time to invest in his hobbies.
What is causing them distress or unhappiness? Extra effort is needed to maintain his home
What problems do they want solved? Clean home
FEARS
What’s their biggest fear? Being unable to do the things he’s passionate about
What are other notable fears?
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
What forms of communication and social media do they use? Facebook
How often are they on their phone? 2 hours per day
Do they prefer email, texts, or calls? Calls
Which blogs do they read? Fine art-related blogs
What podcasts do they listen to? None
What accounts / influencers do they follow? Art museums, Italian food accounts, Artists
Buyer Persona 2
Persona Name: Mandy Bizymom
Persona Bio: Mandy Bizymom is a 35-year-old mom of three. Her husband works full time and she might as well, with all of the sports, debate teams, and horseback riding lessons she has to bus her kids around too. Her three kids are involved in just about every activity there is, including the seasonal ones like ice skating and hockey. She feels like she can never sit down at night and focus on herself with all the running around. Mandy gets back home at night, makes supper, cleans up after supper, and does the other chores throughout the house, then heads off to bed. She wants someone else to pitch in and pick up the slack, but the rest of her family is just as busy as she is!
DEMOGRAPHICS
Age (Range): 35yo
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom
Location: Suburban America
Gender: Female
Education Level: Bachelors in Social Sciences
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What do they enjoy doing in their free time? Baking and gardening
How/where do they spend their vacations? Family vacations to the beach
What do they want to know more about? Mom tips, personal blogs, writing classes
What are some of their other hobbies? Spending time with kids, friend hangouts, gardening, canning, and writing
Other notable lifestyle factors: Has three kids whom she takes to all of their different events
GOALS
Where do they see themselves in 5 years? Two of her kids will be old enough to drive and have more independence so she’ll have time to work on her book
What are their professional goals? Finish writing her book and get it published, continue to shuttle her kids around, and stay active in their lives
What are their hobby-related goals? Find the most efficient way to can tomatoes
What are their financial goals? N/A
CHALLENGES OR PAIN POINTS
What’s stopping them from reaching their goals? DIfficluties maintaining a connection with her individual kids and keeping up with housework
What is causing them distress or unhappiness? Fear and uncertainty about her future, fear about having to take a job she’s not passionate about
What problems do they want solved? To have more time with her kids
FEARS
What’s their biggest fear? Fear about missing out on her kid’s lives.
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
What forms of communication and social media do they use? Instagram, Facebook
How often are they on their phone? 7 hours per day
Do they prefer email, texts, or calls? Text or calls
Which blogs do they read? Mommy blogs and food blogs
What podcasts do they listen to? Writer tips
What accounts / influencers do they follow? Social media families, different food accounts, her relatives and friends
Buyer Persona 3
Persona Name: Kandice Katwalk
Persona Bio: Kandice Katwalk is a 23-year-old model who lives in NYC. She originally went to college to get her bachelors in Ornithology, since she loves birds so much, but after realizing that there aren’t many career options in that field of study she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a model. Her career is fairly successful so far, but she struggles to balance her work and social life along with completing the maintenance of her home.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Age (Range): 23 yo
Occupation: Model
Location: Big City America
Gender: Female
Education Level: Bachelors in Ornithology
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What do they enjoy doing in their free time? Spends time on social media and with friends, eating at Chinese restaurants, and bird-watching.
How/where do they spend their vacations? Watching different fashion shows
What do they want to know more about? Modeling, fashion, and fitness
What are some of their other hobbies? Birdwatching spending time with her cats, and exercising
Other notable lifestyle factors: She lives alone and is very careful about taking care of her appearance.
GOALS
Where do they see themselves in 5 years? Starring on a high-profile catwalk
What are their professional goals? To land a big modeling job with a big brand
What are their hobby-related goals? Learn more about birds
What are their financial goals? Be able to afford a better place and have stronger savings
CHALLENGES OR PAIN POINTS
What’s stopping them from reaching their goals? Stuff around the apartment isn’t getting done with all the time she spends at work
What is causing them distress or unhappiness? Her skin is breaking out from the dirt that is collecting around her apartment
What problems do they want solved? She wants someone to come every couple of months and deep clean the place
FEARS
What’s their biggest fear? Losing the ability to pursue her career
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
What forms of communication and social media do they use? Instagram,
How often are they on their phone? 9 hours a day
Do they prefer email, texts, or calls? Emails and texts
Which blogs do they read? Modeling tips and tricks, Travel blogs
What podcasts do they listen to? Bird watchers of America
What accounts / influencers do they follow? Other models, modeling agencies, and brands
Buyer Persona 4
Persona Name: Gladys Eldarlee
Persona Bio: Gladys and Tom Eldarlee are an older retired couple who are still living in their home. Gladys likes sewing, visiting with the neighbors, and seeing her twelve grandkids. During the summer she tends to her flower gardens and during the winter she makes and sends out cookies to all her relatives. She and her husband aren’t as agile as they once were, and she needs help with taking care of her home.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Age (Range): 80yo
Occupation: Retired Grandma
Location: Florida
Gender: Female
Education Level: Highschool
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What do they enjoy doing in their free time? Baking, reading and gardening
How/where do they spend their vacations? Hawaii
What do they want to know more about? Gardening hacks
What are some of their other hobbies? Spoiling grandkids
Other notable lifestyle factors: Retired
GOALS
Where do they see themselves in 5 years? More grandkids to spoil hopefully
What are their professional goals? N/A
What are their hobby-related goals? Better cookies and flower gardens
What are their financial goals? N/A
CHALLENGES OR PAIN POINTS
What’s stopping them from reaching their goals? N/A
What is causing them distress or unhappiness? Difficulties in maneuvering around her home and keeping up with the cleaning
What problems do they want solved? Someone to come in and take over the heavy lifting part of the cleaning, getting down to clean under things, dusting up high, etc.
FEARS
What’s their biggest fear? Falling
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
What forms of communication and social media do they use? N/A
How often are they on their phone? 2 hours
Do they prefer email, texts, or calls? Calls
Which blogs do they read? N/A
What podcasts do they listen to? N/A
What accounts / influencers do they follow? N/A
Buyer Persona 5
Persona Name: Joe Propertyman
Persona Bio: Joe Propertyman is a 41-year-old landlord and property manager. In his spare time, he is an avid fisherman and has many mounted fish in his home and in the vacation homes that he rents out. He likes to go to the bar with his fishing buddies and watch football. His income is from his rental properties and vacation homes, but people have been complaining that the properties are not clean enough for them.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Age (Range): 41 yo
Occupation: Property manager, landlord
Location: Rural America
Gender: Male
Education Level: High School
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What do they enjoy doing in their free time? Fishing
How/where do they spend their vacations? Fishing in Canada
What do they want to know more about? Managing properties, trucks, and fishing gear
What are some of their other hobbies? Ice fishing
Other notable lifestyle factors: This guy just really likes to fish
GOALS
Where do they see themselves in 5 years? Possibly married, with several prize fish taxidermied around his home.
What are their professional goals? More properties bought and more renters
What are their hobby-related goals? To have more time to fish
What are their financial goals? Be retired by 60
CHALLENGES OR PAIN POINTS
What’s stopping them from reaching their goals? People giving his vacation homes bad Yelp review
What is causing them distress or unhappiness? They aren’t up to a certain standard of cleanliness.
What problems do they want solved? He wants his properties cleaned properly
FEARS
What’s their biggest fear? That his vacation properties will be shut down for violating the health code.
What are other notable fears? That fish will go extinct.
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
What forms of communication and social media do they use? Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube
How often are they on their phone? 8 hours a day
Do they prefer email, texts, or calls? Texts
Which blogs do they read? Property manager tips, Great fish catches
What podcasts do they listen to? Joe Rogan probably, Fishmasters
What accounts / influencers do they follow? Joe Rogan
Follow-up Questions for Personas
- Who are these people?
Average Americans at different stages of their lives
- What characteristics stand out?
Most are busy or don’t have the ability
- Are there common themes?
Lack of time or ability
- How might you find and reach these people?
Word of mouth, facebook advertising.
- How much is the problem likely worth to them?
A decent amount
- Why is solving this problem important to them?
Basic cleanliness but not at the expense of their time
- How well does the solution you’ve chosen address their problem?
Very well
Genuine Gwyn 
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