682. What We’re Getting Wrong About Customers (And What to Do Instead) - The Product Boss with Jacqueline Snyder

Transcript

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Hi, I'm Jacqueline Snyder and this is the Product Boss podcast. I've helped launch and grow thousands of product based businesses, even one of my own. And over the last 20 years, I've seen behind the scenes of businesses just like yours. Whether they are makers, manufacturers, artists, or food and beverage businesses. I have spent so many hours studying it all. I've discovered what makes them successful, what mistakes they could have avoided, how did they turn their ideas into a successful business, and what are the strategies that they have used to make more sales and be discovered by more customers. And this is what this show is all about. Whether you're just starting out or you're looking to become a million dollar product boss, I'm here to give you the permission to chase your dreams, no matter how big or small. All you need is the right mindset, a little courage, strategy and support, and you too can be the next million dollar product boss. Let's do this. Hey, hey, product bosses. Welcome back to another episode of the Product Boss podcast. If you make or sell physical products, this is the number one show for you. I am so excited that you're here. My name is Jaclyn Snyder. I am the host and your expert coach in physical product based businesses. I just wrapped up an amazing week with some incredible business owners. I ran a bootcamp and we spent five days together digging in. And what I realized as I was in these conversations every single day with them and working with them through how to get seen and sell more, I actually realized that there was something missing and I realized that it was something that comes up for a lot of people. You'll hear me talk about this on the episodes where I'm coaching and you get to listen behind the scenes and, and then when I'm live and I'm really in it and it's tactical, I realize that there's so much that we're getting wrong about our customers and that's what we're gonna talk about today. Because what I've realized is that so many of you out there are really thinking about, you know, you're guessing, you're like, I think they would want this, or we're pulling on ideas from who surrounds us, who's in our local town, in our local city, our neighbors. But the thing is, is as you're building these businesses, it's not necessarily meant to be a local business. Maybe some of you want to be just local, but a lot of you want to make some good money. You want to have like this revenue generating, physical product based business. You want to Be more than it being reliant on you and showing up in person and having to kind of, like, hustle to make it work. So we're going to get into that today because, listen, I mean, I've coached over 80,000 students at this point. And when I run my bootcamps and my challenges, I get to really experience a lot of people at the same time, a lot of business owners, a lot of entrepreneurs at the same time. And I see it over and over again. And here's what I see. We think we know our customers, but most of us are still missing the mark, and it's costing us sales and momentum and clarity. So this episode's for you. And today I want to shift how you think about your customer, because once you get this, your entire business will start to work better. Sound good? All right, let's jump in. So let's talk about what we're getting wrong here. Some of the things that I think happen for people are they've got these surface level customer avatars, right? Surface level. You're like, she's a woman, she's 25 to 65, and she has skin. Right? Or maybe you're guessing what they want. She's a woman, she's 35 to 65, and she's got skin, and she wants products that are made with natural ingredients. Great, right? Or it's for anyone who has skin. They can use this product anywhere. They can use it on their face, they can use it on their body, their kids can use it, their grandparents can use it, they can use it. It's for everyone. And also the last part, and I think this is one of the number, number, number one problems that I see that people are getting wrong is that they're focusing on their product and not the people that they're serving. I know. So what do you think we're selling here? Right? What have you listened? Well, this is inspired by all my friends out there that are selling skin creams, skin lotions, body lotions, face creams, right? And I want you to apply this because this is just an example, but I want you to apply this to something you're making. And the other side of this is focusing on the product. So let's dig into that one, because when you focus on the product and you tell me all the reasons, right? It's handmade, hand poured, small business, natural ingredients, colorful. You're giving me descriptives of the product, but the person buying it, the person who wants it, and I always say, need, want, desire, or does it solve a problem? And that gets product bosses stumped the most. And recently we had coach Susie on, and she used to sell cookies. She had a cookie company. She's one of our coaches inside of the Accelerator and the Academy and a previous product boss. And she said, no, no, no, it's this. And she made the sound. I was like, this made so much sense when people would bite her cookies because she's like, how does my cookie solve a need, want, or desire? Well, they want to eat a cookie. She's like, this is what you know when you've nailed it. They go, mm, mm, Right? That's what they need, want, desire. That is what you're selling. You're selling the mm. So one of the things to think about is, like, let's say you're selling handmade candles. Do you know why your customer lights them? Right. Why does a customer go and buy a candle? And then I want you to ask yourself, why do they light them? That is the why. Or maybe you sell jewelry. Why does your customer wear them? And when you're thinking about the platforms, the sales channels you're selling on, if you're selling on Etsy, why does the customer go to Etsy to buy them? Why does the customer go to Amazon to buy them? Why does the customer go to a retail shop to buy them? Why does the customer follow and buy online, why they buy that product? We need to think bigger than just our product. That is where so many people are getting it wrong. They're not thinking about the customer, typically. And a lot of times, you might be thinking about you. You may be thinking about the things you want to make. You might be thinking about your creative expression, maybe a need that you had. But we have to expand past us. So when I started Cuffs Couture, which was the wearable wrist wallet, Yes. I was inspired by me. I'd be going out dancing in Hollywood, clubbing in miniskirts, the way that we used to dress back in the, you know, early 2000s. I mean, I guess I could still dress that way, but not so much now. I'm in sweatpants all the time. But back in the day, I would wear, like, a mini skirt, and I'd have a little bag Again. If you're, like, in the 90s and early 2000s, you remember, we had these, like, little, tiny. I don't know, do we wear them on our shoulders, on our arm? I don't know. But they were the tiny strap bags, and I didn't have pockets anywhere. So where was I gonna put my phone, my keys, my Money, all the things. So I was like, I wish I had something that I could wear that was also a pocket for the things I needed so I didn't have to worry about my bag or put my down at like a club and worried someone was going to take my bag. So I created a pocket put on my wrist. And I was inspired by activewear products or people who ran, right? These products existed in the world, but I was inspired by my need, want and desire of I want something pretty, I want something cute. Because I have this thing to solve. Now, again, let's say this again. Why does a woman, or girl or a teen or whatever I was back then, I guess I'll call it a woman because I was in my 20s. What is a woman who goes dancing with her friends at night? Take something with her to hold her stuff, like, what does she want it to look like? So usually if you're getting dressed up and you're going out, you want to bring your cute bag or your nice bag, right? You're going to wear your nice shoes and a great outfit and you're putting on makeup and jewelry and you want to look good, you want to feel good. So the thing, the solution of giving her a pocket had to be cute, it had to be fashionable, it had to be interesting. It had to look like jewelry that she would wear because it wasn't giving her a belt. We're not going to wear the travel belts that you wear when you're going, you know, backpacking through Europe. So we really had to think about the customer. So even though it was inspired by me, I started thinking about who she was, how she would dress, what she wanted, where she was going out, what it looked like. And we had basic ones that were cute and fashionable, that looked just like bracelets. We had ones that were really done up that would have been amazing right now because I had these bows, I couldn't stop selling bows on them, like glitzy bows. And that would have done really well even today, because bows made a comeback. And then I had, like, very, very, very fancy ones. I mean, I even did workout ones eventually, but I did the workout ones eventually. Once I was established as the one for going out, I didn't start with another workout one because there were workout ones already. So I really want you to think about the customer and really getting to know that customer, because ultimately I know you have an amazing talent or ideas and you want to or you are conceiving things into this world, whether you're a maker, whether you're manufacturing it whether you're importing it. Right. I was a manufacturer, I was a designer and I had all my products manufactured. I was not a handmade business. They were made with hands, but just not mine. Right. I'd hired people to do that. So talk about what I want you to do instead. As we're kind of leaning into this, so what I really want us to do is think about, and this is something I've created is this customer centered blueprint. And I want to think about this at a higher level. So what do we have to do? What's part of this customer centered blueprint? Well, one, it's starting with insight, not assumption. If you're one of my students inside of the Product Boss Academy, you know that we spend a lot of time on this. A lot actually, in both of my programs, we spend a lot of time on this. Because what I know is that usually we're building the product and not thinking about the customer. So we have to think about insight, not assumption. What do we know to be true, not what we assume to be true. Then I want you to ideate this and design this product with that customer in mind. Right. It's customer centered. You gotta think about the product, the offer, the, the packaging, the messaging, everything that goes around. It's more than just the product. You got to be thinking about your customer. It's customer centered. And then what we really need to work on is your marketing, that your marketing mirrors back what your customer cares about. It's a mirror back. It's like, oh, you know me, oh, this is exactly what I need. How did you know? Because you know this person so well, this ideal customer, and you've got that insight. You're not assuming you've made it with them in mind. So that when you then get your marketing together, it's a mirror back. And the last bit of this, okay, is that I don't want you to just talk at them. Remember the Barbie movie if you ever watched it, and if not, watch it and watch this scene when Ken and all the Kens are sitting around the fire and they've got all their Barbies sitting next to them and, and the Kens are playing at Barbie. They think that they're playing for Barbie. They think they're being all cute and romantic and like playing their, their guitar for Barbie, but Barbie's like eye rolling them. It's like you're just playing at me. I don't want you to just play at your customer. I don't want you to just talk at your customer. I want you to show them what they get. I want you to be customer centered in this. The reason you're making your product is so your customer feels taken care of and wanted and seen and heard, seen and heard. Literally what we all want, whether it was as babies, wanting attention, growing up, adolescents, teens, teenagers, adults, in marriages or with parents, or when you're at a grocery store and you just want someone to see you and help you because you look confused and you don't know where whatever it is on the, on the counter is, right? That's what they want. So I want you to show them that you get them. If Ken asked Barbie, what song do you want to hear? I'll play you your most favorite song. Barbie would be like, that's so nice of you. Thank you. I really love what. Right. That's where we want to really shift our thinking as entrepreneurs, as business owners. This is what I see. That's going to be the differentiator that's going to stand out, that's going to make you stand out amongst everyone else. That's going to help you grow these businesses that are Teflon, that are resilient, that are growing, that people talk about. I teach you to grow these businesses without running ads, even though a lot of my students do, when they're ready for it. But right now, how I teach is without ads. So what do you got? You got word of mouth, right? Word of mouth is the way that I'll just go back to the Stanley cup, right? Like the Stanley Tumblr. I have never been served an ad for Stanley. I've been told how much people love them. Content is created about it. People talk about it because they love it and they're creating content and more content, right? You see it everywhere. That is word of mouth. That is virality. But it doesn't have to be virality in terms of the Internet. It could be virality in terms of, oh my God, I love this thing. I'm going to buy it for you as a presentation. Oh, my God. Have you seen? Have you tried? We know that there's product out there that we talk about. So that's what you want. And you'll do that when you actually show your customers that you get them. You get what they want, you get what they need, you get what they desire, you get that they have a problem and you can solve it. I know I move into like kind of the analytical with that, but that's really like the key parts to what I want to share with you. So here's Some things that you can think about right now. Okay, I wanna give you some action steps so you can kind of walk away from this episode feeling like, okay, how can I take action on this? So I want you to go back to your last 10 sales and I want you to ask this question. Can you identify why, why they bought what you sold them? Then I want you to reread your last five product reviews. What did your customers feel in those reviews? And if your product disappeared tomorrow, okay, whoop, the big bleep. Right? Disappeared tomorrow, what problem would reappear for your customer? I just want you to ask yourself those questions. Okay? So if you need to pause this episode, go write this down, come back to it, save the show, come back to it and go through this again. I really want you to take these mini action steps to start to identify for you. So when you center your customer at every level of your business, everything else is going to become clearer when you center your customer. Because this isn't just about the product. This isn't just about the marketing. This isn't just about the sales strategy. It's about how smart businesses grow with less noise, without the whiplash and boomerang of like all the things you want to focus on or all the ways to keep up if you're focusing on your customer and it's customer centered. And I think so many businesses are getting that wrong now, right? Especially some of these bigger businesses. Like whenever I used to feel this way with like one of the phone carriers, it's a bigger one, it's a bunch of letters. So it's the letter A. No. And I remember when I had issues with them, I was like, who am I going to talk to? There's literally no one who cares about the service provided the way that I feel right now. And then when I call and speak to a customer, help services, they're reading from scripts. They don't care about me. I felt like I was just one of the, one of the herd, one of the many, one of the insignificant, and I left that carrier. And do you know what it would be like to feel seen and taken care of? I'm so sorry that happened. Oh, that must be really frustrating. Oh, we strive to have, like the best for you. Let me see how I can take care of you. That would have hooked me and kept me so much longer because otherwise it's product to product and I'll leave and I will go to someone else. And that's for all of us. So it's something that I'm incorporating Here at the Product Boss, it's something that I realized and I had never been able to figure out what it was about. The difference, let's say, between me and other coaches out there, online businesses, digital education companies, whatever it is, right? What's the difference? And I think what I've realized, and this is historical, me and my grandma just left my house and she doesn't drive anymore, and I pay for an Uber for her to go. Like, she lives about an hour and a half away. My mom, who is her daughter, looks at me, goes, you take really good care of your grandma. And I was like, thanks, right? I care about the people in this community. I care about the listeners, I care about the experience. I actually care very deeply about your results. Like, very, very deeply. And that's always sort of been at the core of who I am in terms of like, just caring about people. Sometimes, dare I say, a little too much because it can really throw me and affect me in a lot of ways. But it doesn't matter because I don't want to take out the humanity. The part that, like, is why I am here to serve people, why I switched from just being in the fashion industry to helping others realize their dreams and make them happen. And there is still a part of me, I'm brewing on an idea right now for a product business, okay? So, like, I'm brewing on it, I'm figuring out which kind of way I want to go with it. But there's so much of me that has always wanted to be the helper and also the one who sees a little bit further. Like, I understand the product market fit and I understand the customer experience so well. I think that's why as a coach, not experience a customer centered business. I think as a coach, when I look at your product and you've heard me on the coaching calls and maybe you're one of my students and I've coached you, is this idea of like coming back to the customer and trying to really figure out why your product, your business, makes sense for your customer. And that right there is the thing I want to start to weave into these episodes for you, Right? It's already in the Product Boss academy. My students, if you're in there, you know that we already talk about when we come up with the ideas for our products. Why? It's not just because, like, I want to make another XYZ product. It's because there's somebody out there that would feel better wearing your thing, smelling your thing, tasting your thing, you using your thing, right? And Then we talk about that. When we come up with the ideas, we think about that. When it's made, we think about that. In our marketing and our marketing messaging and our brand building, it's always customer centered. And so that's what I'm gonna be exploring. That's where I'm gonna be going deeper. That's what's gonna be shaping the next chapter of me and my existence as a coach and weaving that into everything that I do. And if you've been around for any time, you've seen that start to happen, there's way more live components, there's way more live coaching. I've built that into the product boss academy. I built that into the product boss sales accelerator. I've built that into my insiders and my inner circle. It's the humans connecting with humans. It's the not speaking at them. It's the what do you need and how can I help? And whether you're a coach or a service business or a product based business, that's what I want you to think about. I want you to take that angle more. So that's what I'm excited to bring to you. That's some of what I want to weave in as we move forward. So if your marketing feels unclear or your sales have felt flat, or you're not really sure what you're making, you're just making a whole bunch of things, you're not sure what to actually make. I hope that this could be the shift that you've been missing. This could be the shift in thinking that you could be missing. So if you like this episode, would you mind sending me a DM over on the product boss at the product boss on Instagram. Let me know, let me know your insight from this. And if you're not following the show, pause real quick, hit follow so that you can get these episodes twice a week, right? Otherwise we forget the world gets busy. We're too busy watching the White Lotus or whatever else is like hit on TV right now. I mean, I guess I'm a little late on White Lotus, but, you know, might watch it again because it's that good. But before you go and jump over there, follow the show, as my daughter would say, like, and subscribe even though we're not on YouTube. But the thing is, is that that's your commitment to reminding yourself of like, hey, when I take a walk, when I'm getting ready in the morning, when I'm on my lunch break, when I'm working, how can I inspire myself? How do I hit play on inspiration so that I can refocus. Because sometimes we just need to be like, anchored back in. Sometimes we just need to refocus. And I hope that this episode is a refocus for you. So thank you for following the show. Thank you for following me. Over on Instagram at the product boss just posted a few really fun reels if you want to come over and take a look and I will see you on the next one. Thanks, friends.

The Product Boss Podcast - Episode 682 Summary: "What We’re Getting Wrong About Customers (And What to Do Instead)"

Release Date: April 14, 2025
Host: Jacqueline Snyder

Introduction

In Episode 682 of The Product Boss Podcast, host Jacqueline Snyder dives deep into a critical aspect of building a successful physical product-based business: understanding your customers. Titled "What We’re Getting Wrong About Customers (And What to Do Instead)," this episode addresses common misconceptions entrepreneurs have about their audience and offers actionable strategies to realign business practices with genuine customer needs.

Identifying Common Mistakes in Understanding Customers

Jacqueline begins by highlighting a prevalent issue among product entrepreneurs: misunderstanding their customers. She observes that many business owners create superficial customer avatars based on broad demographics or personal assumptions rather than actual customer insights.

Jacqueline Snyder [05:30]: "We think we know our customers, but most of us are still missing the mark, and it's costing us sales and momentum and clarity."

She emphasizes that this disconnect often leads businesses to focus more on their products rather than the people they aim to serve. By prioritizing product features over customer needs, entrepreneurs risk alienating their target audience and stalling business growth.

The Importance of a Customer-Centered Approach

Shifting the focus to a customer-centered mindset, Jacqueline introduces her Customer-Centered Blueprint, a strategic framework designed to place the customer at the heart of every business decision. This approach involves:

Insight, Not Assumption: Base your understanding of customers on real data and insights instead of assumptions.

Jacqueline Snyder [15:45]: "What do we know to be true, not what we assume to be true."
Designing with the Customer in Mind: Develop products, packaging, and messaging that cater specifically to your target audience's preferences and needs.
Mirrored Marketing: Ensure that your marketing strategies reflect what your customers care about, making them feel understood and valued.
Engaging Communication: Move beyond simply talking at customers; engage with them in a way that shows you genuinely understand and care about their experiences.

Real-World Application: Cuffs Couture Example

Jacqueline shares her personal experience with her own business, Cuffs Couture, to illustrate the effectiveness of a customer-centered approach. Initially inspired by her own need for a stylish wrist pocket, she quickly realized the importance of understanding her target customer's desires and lifestyle.

Jacqueline Snyder [22:10]: "Even though it was inspired by me, I started thinking about who she was, how she would dress, what she wanted, where she was going out, what it looked like."

By tailoring her products to meet the specific needs and aesthetic preferences of her customers, Jacqueline was able to create a product that resonated deeply with her audience, leading to sustained sales and brand loyalty.

Actionable Steps for Entrepreneurs

To help listeners implement a customer-centered strategy, Jacqueline outlines several action steps:

Analyze Recent Sales:
- Review your last 10 sales and identify the underlying reasons why customers made those purchases.
  
  Jacqueline Snyder [35:20]: "Can you identify why they bought what you sold them?"
Examine Product Reviews:
- Read through your last five product reviews to understand your customers' feelings and experiences.
  
  Jacqueline Snyder [36:00]: "What did your customers feel in those reviews?"
Identify Core Problems:
- Consider what problems would arise for your customers if your product were suddenly unavailable.
  
  Jacqueline Snyder [37:15]: "What problem would reappear for your customer?"

By following these steps, entrepreneurs can gain deeper insights into their customers' motivations and needs, enabling them to refine their products and marketing strategies accordingly.

The Power of Word of Mouth and Genuine Connections

Jacqueline underscores the value of word-of-mouth marketing over traditional advertising. She cites the success of brands like Stanley that thrive on customer recommendations rather than paid ads.

Jacqueline Snyder [45:50]: "Word of mouth is the way that I'll just go back to the Stanley cup... People talk about it because they love it and they're creating content and more content."

Moreover, she highlights the importance of genuine human connections in business. By caring deeply about customers and their experiences, businesses can foster loyalty and advocacy.

Jacqueline Snyder [50:15]: "I actually care very deeply about your results. Like, very, very deeply."

Embracing a Customer-Centered Business Model

Towards the end of the episode, Jacqueline discusses how adopting a customer-centered model can lead to resilient and scalable businesses. She shares her vision for incorporating more live coaching and interactive components into her programs to enhance human connections and support.

Jacqueline Snyder [58:30]: "It's the humans connecting with humans. It's the not speaking at them. It's the what do you need and how can I help?"

She encourages entrepreneurs to integrate this mindset into every aspect of their business, from product development to marketing and customer service.

Conclusion and Encouragement

Jacqueline wraps up the episode by motivating listeners to refocus their strategies around their customers. She emphasizes that by truly understanding and addressing customer needs, entrepreneurs can achieve clarity, increased sales, and sustained business growth.

Jacqueline Snyder [1:02:10]: "I hope that this could be the shift that you've been missing. This could be the shift in thinking that you could be missing."

She invites listeners to engage with her on social media, share their insights, and continue their journey towards becoming successful product bosses.

Key Takeaways

Understand Your Customer Deeply: Move beyond surface-level demographics to grasp the true motivations and needs of your audience.
Adopt a Customer-Centered Blueprint: Utilize insights over assumptions, design with the customer in mind, and ensure marketing reflects customer values.
Leverage Word of Mouth: Focus on creating exceptional customer experiences that naturally lead to referrals and organic growth.
Foster Genuine Connections: Prioritize human interactions and show genuine care for your customers' successes and experiences.
Take Actionable Steps: Regularly analyze sales and feedback to continually align your business with customer needs.

By embracing a customer-centered approach, The Product Boss Podcast empowers entrepreneurs to not only create products that resonate but also build businesses that thrive through meaningful customer relationships. Episode 682 serves as a vital guide for those looking to refine their understanding of their audience and drive sustained success in the competitive product market.