How can you use customer feedback to improve your product demo for different personas?

Product marketers are evolving to become more customer experience marketers in a wholistic way and being able to collect, analyze and create experiences for any customer / audience is key for any product / brand. This is a great topic and article.

Many companies ( including ours) follow the concept of CAB ( Customer Advisory Boards), which consists of leading and influential customers. The product marketing team drives meetings with CAB every Qtr along with Engineering and Product counterparts, to understand the current gaps/issues in the product, motivations/aha moments as well industry overview and inputs about upcoming features (roadmap ). These meetings are win-win because a) It helps the product and marketing recalibrate their strategy and spend their resources where it matters b) Customers also feel their opinions are valued and they remain more invested in the company's progress

(!) Think of customer feedback like getting advice from a friend. If a group of your buddies said a movie was too long, you'd probably pick a shorter one next time, right? Similarly, when adjusting your product demo, if a certain persona feels it's too technical, simplify it! Always keep it relatable and tailored. After all, everyone appreciates when someone truly 'gets' them.

The product demo is always a challenge depending also on the maturity of your product. If your product can apply to multiple market segments then this makes it more difficult for the demo. How you can tackle the challenge, the key word is “prepare”: -Do your homework for the organization you prepare the demo for, there is plenty information available online that can be useful for your preparation -Identify experts from your network that can provide valuable feedback that probably hold similar roles in similar organizations of your target audience -Manage the major functionality gaps if possible , have a detailed plan/roadmap prepared of how gaps will be covered oDo not use demo data from another segment that is irrelevant

Without an iota of doubt, customer feedback is an essential ingredient in every facet of business. It is the beginning and the oil that runs through the entire system. Great ideas at concept stage need to be subjected to some scrutiny by the ‘end users’, even through the production, feedback helps, at the execution stage, without customer feedback, the trigger of innovation may be muted. It is an integral element in the process both internally and externally and brands, companies and indeed entities that treasure customer feedback create sustainable growth and solutions.

(!) Don't just wait for feedback; actively seek it! Sometimes, the most insightful comments come when you directly ask, "How could we make this better for you?" And remember, feedback isn't just about identifying what's wrong; it's about enhancing what's right. So, the next time you get a piece of feedback, view it as a golden ticket to refining your product demo to perfection!

In my experience, besides just asking the right questions - what also matters is when you ask them and how. To avoid any kind of unconscious bias from the customer's POV - it is advisable to give them some space and then request feedback on a product. Hopefully, this delay would allow them to experience the product fully before they commit to a thumbs up or a down. Another point to note is how you ask them these pertinent questions - basically the language you choose. It is prudent to remove any ambiguity that may arise in different geos because you didn't use their local language. People always feel more connected with their own native language and it also reduces any chances of misunderstanding a question.

I have found two important approaches when presented with perceived challenges during product demonstrations: 1. Ask how they are handling that situation today. Often there are ways the product can handle that situation, albeit differently then they may be used to. 2. Ask/confirm what they are really needing to accomplish. Again there maybe existing methods that may even be better than what they were asking about/ concerned with. As a product manager it is critical to understand what customer/prospect demo scripts/ requests are requiring and what your reference sites need or are frequently asked about. Often I found that pretty easy changes / enhancements made all the difference in the world.

?? Collecting customer feedback can be as simple as writing on a piece of paper, keying into our smartphones or capturing every single piece of information about the customer using a Customer Data Platform (CDP). ?? Data is the new oil, and using AI or advanced analytics can offer new insights about customer behaviours, which will further refine future capturing methods or and questions that will offer greater insights. ?? Questions deliver answers. Let's gather a team to brainstorm about good questions that can uncover new insights for a start.

Customers can provide feedback through various channels, including surveys, emails, social media, and direct interactions. It's not enough to simply gather customer insights; Not all customer feedback is created equal. Some comments may be about minor inconveniences, while others could point to critical flaws. Deciding which feedback to prioritize is a delicate task. In summary, collecting customer feedback is just the beginning. The true value lies in taking action on that feedback to make tangible improvements to your products, services, and overall customer experience.

To effectively analyze customer feedback: 1. Group feedback into themes or topics to identify common areas of interest or concern. 2. Score or rank responses to understand the frequency or intensity of particular comments or sentiments. 3. Look for recurring trends, such as common pain points or frequently mentioned features. 4. Highlight unique or unexpected feedback that may offer fresh insights or indicate potential issues. 5. Use tools like Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau, or Power BI to create charts or graphs for a clearer view of feedback trends. (You can use tools like Dovetail or Userbit too). 6. Prioritize the insights based on their potential impact and relevance to your product demo strategy.

(!) Dive deep into the "whys" behind the feedback. Often, surface-level comments stem from deeper-rooted experiences or feelings. For instance, if a customer mentions the demo felt "too long", it might not be about the duration, but more about a particular section that felt unnecessary or redundant. Instead of generalizing feedback, dissect it. The true gold in feedback lies in understanding the underlying reasons, allowing you to make impactful changes to your product demo

A feedback analysis in this context would look like this: - Gather customer support conversations in one place. -Read each one and identify why the customer is frustrated. -Look for patterns and themes. -Quantify the biggest issue—e.g. the most frequent reason customers complain. -Prioritize this issue to be fixed next.

The first step would be to split customers by industries and segments. And then, we could start finding answers to some or all of the below questions: 1. How different or similar are the pain points across these groups? 2. What is the end outcome/solution state they are looking to achieve, are they similar or different? 3. What capabilities in the product would help them get there? This would help you have unique demo strategies for customers across industries and segments. Top them up with key differentiating aspects of your product against competitors to deliver a killer pitch.

Customer feedback analysis must have 2 components at all times - (i) Feedback provided by customers 'as is' and no biases towards a specific question or a customer cohort; (ii) spotting trends or patterns or specific feedback that point towards an anomaly (feedback that surprised you!) ; and (iii) Recommendations (not concrete solutions) to the business on next steps based on customer provided feedback. The recommendations must neatly tie into the feedback and trends so that the business can further dive deep, find solutions and do impact analysis.

Instead of, or at least in addition to, "traditional" personas, consider formulating different Jobs to Be Done that your customers have. These are focused entirely on the emotional aspects of a buying journey, centering around struggles, motivations and desired outcomes. There are usually a few; distilling them helps immensely when refinding your product's positioning and refreshing messaging.

Based on their functional area you can segment your customers into personas like - Functional heads/team who use the product everyday to make their job easy. For example. Sales head, finance head, HR head etc - Admin/ tech: The who manages the product in backend

Creating personas for your segments can help guide strategic discussions and spark new ideas. A persona can transform a segment from just a set of words and a label into a relatable figure. But we also need to make sure that segments can lead to action. A common mistake is that segments are created without a clear end in mind. Segments look great, but finding those people in media or other mechanisms is nearly impossible. When planning research, work closely with your research partner so that the result is useful. One approach I use is to include enough characteristics in the research to point to the right audience for the intended product or service. In this way, we can make sure that our segments are not only unique but also actionable.

Definitely agree with @Katya. I'm not a fan of traditional personas - as I feel they box things in too much. I'm much more a fan of archetypes based on JTBD / use cases they are looking to solve. For example, the buyer/champion may have more strategic overall goals, whereas the user has much more tactical specific jobs they need to accomplish in their day-to-day. Define what the Champion is looking to achieve (e.g. higher ROI) vs. the user (post 3x a week).

In addition to traditional criteria like demographics, a holistic approach to persona segmentation can be achieved by considering life stages and personal values. Life stages, such as new parenthood or retirement, shape purchasing choices. Moreover, today's consumers often make decisions based on values like sustainability or ethics. By integrating these aspects, you'll craft personas that encapsulate not just data points, but the emotional and ethical motivations of your audience, leading to more resonant marketing strategies.

An important question to ask is how will the demo get used? For example, self-serve on the website or sales-driven during the sales process. They way to customize will differ between the two. For the website, it’s important to hone in on 3-5 key features. Think of a demo that is no longer to go through than it would be to see a video - ie about 3 minutes. It’s an appetizer and it’s got to be sweet enough to entice further exploration.

Having specific personas in mind is a crucial aspect of effective customer segmentation and targeted messaging. Here's why: Personalization: Creating specific personas allows personalization of your marketing messages, enhancing the communication. Efficiency: it helps you allocate your resources more efficiently focusing on the segments that are more likely to convert. Consistency: it becomes easier to maintain consistency in your branding and messaging. Empathy: it encourages empathy and a deeper understanding of your customers. This can lead to stronger customer relationships and loyalty. Measurable Results: Specific personas enable you to measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts more accurately.

Tailoring your product demo for different personas is an effective way to connect with your audience on a more personal level and demonstrate how your product can specifically meet their needs. By tailoring your product demos for different personas, you can demonstrate a deep understanding of your customers' unique needs and challenges. This personalized approach is more likely to resonate with your audience and increase the effectiveness of your product demonstrations, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

The mistake most companies make when doing demos is they primarily focus on the technical persona and forget all other personas. This means some percentage of the customers are being ignored. Instead, create a demo that has different sections, one for each persona. This allows the demo to be tailored to an audience and makes it much more flexible. This is especially valuable in trade show settings, as you don't always know who will attend and want to see a demo. This type of demo also gives sales more flexibility, as it allows them to use it with different personas they may be talking to. Persona-based demos are also more cost-effective, so that one demo can be created instead of numerous demos.

Not all personas are created equal. It’s also good to remember the 80/20 rule. Ensuring that you’re fully prepared for the 20% of personas that drive 80% of outcomes is a good place to start

Adjust demo length and depth. Different personas may have varying levels of interest and expertise. Customize the length and depth of your demo accordingly. Provide more in-depth information to technically savvy personas, while keeping it high-level for non technical users.

Best way to understand the influence or effectiveness of your product demo is by knowing: 1. How time target persona is spending on the demo. Is he staying till the end of the demo or not ? 2. Is he taking desired action at the end of the demo - signing up for the free trail or contacting sales etc 3. Is he/she giving any feedback

Continuously measure demo performance for each persona. ?? Track engagement, satisfaction, conversions and feedback. ?? Ask for input during and after demos to keep optimizing. ?? Evaluate surveys, polls, and product usage analytics. ?? Refine personas over time based on data. Keep honing demo messaging, visuals, integrations, trials, and incentives tailored to each persona’s needs. ?? Detailed personas combined with continual optimization drives demos that truly resonate and convert. ??

By taking many standards, such as: Time spent on your demo product getting feedback or any suggestions satisfaction that could help you measure and optimize.

It's very important to collect member feedback, but you have to be very aware of who you're listening to. You may be listening to a very loud minority of haters that you will never be able to please. Your time could be better spent fixing pain points for your existing users and finding similar potential customers than trying to convince a group that will never become your users or are inordinately difficult to convince.

"Goldmine: Encouraging Feedback from The Silent Majority." Understanding our customers' perspectives, particularly those less vocal, is paramount. These silent majority customers, while not typically forthcoming with their views, can provide invaluable insights. However, reaching this group can feel like a treasure hunt that requires patience and a proactive approach. Their feedback, once obtained, is a goldmine. It allows us to refine our offerings and enhance our customer service. The goal is not just about making changes but making the right changes.

This is going to be controversial and it is going to raise some eyebrows. A lot of startups obsess over customer feedback and try to please everyone, but this can actually lead to a mediocre product. Sometimes, you need to ignore the feedback and stay true to your vision. Not everyone is going to like your product, and that's okay.

Sometimes it’s not what majority is saying but what is ignored in data as “statistically insignificant” response/s. That is where the tweaking and innovation lies. The consumer pulse will give you a story but the heart throb occurring unocasionally will give you the breakthrough the product needs.

You should always ASK for customer feedback, it's useful and helpful, especially for your futuristic modifications, and you can also use it for comparisons before and after modifications.