Understanding Customer Motivations with the Jobs-to-be-Done Framework

Welcome back to another issue of Product Marketing Weekly! Today, I’m diving into a framework that can transform the way you approach product marketing: the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework.

What is JTBD?

At its core, the Jobs-to-be-Done framework focuses on the underlying motivations that drive customer behaviour. Instead of thinking about your product in terms of features or even benefits, JTBD encourages marketers to ask a simple but powerful question: What "job" is the customer trying to accomplish?

Customers don’t simply buy products—they hire them to do a specific job. Whether it’s making their lives easier, solving a pressing problem, or fulfilling a need, understanding the job they want done allows you to design your product and marketing strategy around their actual goals.

Why JTBD Matters

Most traditional marketing focuses on segmenting customers by demographics or psychographics. While useful, these approaches often miss the true reasons behind why a customer buys a product. JTBD shifts the focus from “Who is the customer?” to “What are they trying to achieve?” By identifying the job that customers are hiring your product to do, you can develop more effective messaging, refine your product, and ultimately create better customer experiences.

Let’s break this down further:

• Demographics tell us who the customer is.
• Psychographics tell us why they might be interested.
• JTBD tells us what they actually want to accomplish.

How JTBD Works in Practice

Imagine you're marketing a project management tool. You could target office managers in small-to-medium-sized businesses who need better organization. That’s a solid approach. However, by using JTBD, you dig deeper and discover that they aren’t just looking for a tool to organize their workflow—they're "hiring" your tool to reduce the stress of chaotic project management. The job they want done isn’t just organization, it’s achieving peace of mind by ensuring projects are delivered smoothly on time, and with fewer headaches.

Applying JTBD to Your Product Marketing

Here’s how you can leverage JTBD to better understand your customers and deliver marketing strategies that stick:

1. Conduct Interviews with JTBD in Mind When speaking to customers or prospects, go beyond typical feature-based questions. Ask what jobs they are trying to get done. For example, “What problem did you hope this product would solve?” or “What’s the biggest struggle this product helps you overcome?”
2. Create Job-Based Personas Move beyond traditional personas that are based on demographics like age or job title. Create personas that centre around specific jobs customers are trying to get done. This can give you a clearer picture of how to market your product as the solution to their specific needs.
3. Refine Your Messaging Once you know the job your customers want done, make that the core of your messaging. Don’t just focus on product features—highlight how your product solves the job your customers are hiring it for. Show how it addresses their pain points, reduces their stress, or saves them time and effort.

Takeaway: Solve the Right Problem

Incorporating JTBD into your product marketing strategy allows you to create solutions that deeply resonate with your customers. When you understand the job they are trying to get done, you can craft more relevant messaging, improve product development, and drive stronger customer loyalty.