RomanTradingBuyerPersonasFeb2014.pdf

8/9/2019 RomanTradingBuyerPersonasFeb2014.pdf

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Roman Trading Co

the place for the unusual thing

Buyer Personas: Introduction

In Designing for the Digital Age, Kim Goodwin tells us that "personas are archetypes that

describe the various goals and observed behavior patterns among your potential users and

customers." Personas help us all -- Marketing, Sales, Product -- internalize the ideal

customer we're trying to attract, and relate to our customers as real humans.

Understanding your buyer persona is critical to driving content creation, product

development, sales follow up, and really anythingthat relates to customer acquisition and

retention.

Given the diversity of Roman Trading Company products and methods, buyers have been

grouped into those buying Home Furnishings related products, Industrial products, and

those buying in a physical auction. We have together identified eight buyer personas that

have contributed to your sales in meaningful ways, and are likely to contribute

substantially if engaged appropriately. You can use these names, summaries, and pictures

to help when creating an ad, writing content, or making any other business or marketing

decision about your business by asking Who is this most likely to affect? Psychologically,

you will market and sell better when you think about a specific buyer than buyers inabstract.

A few notes: In an ideal case, buyer personas would be developed through the use of

interviews with actual and potential customers. However, a small business that has high

touch with their buyers is often able to describe the customers that they work with in such

a way as to help formulate an initial persona that can be built upon over time and

strengthened in later interviews. Where possible, we have dialogued with actual people

described to help put flesh on our outlines.

Also, its possible that for each category, there are multiple identities that could be

represented, which means this will be an ongoing process. By differentiating within buyer

categories, you will begin creating personalized and strategic marketing that is more likely

to convert. So, for now, weve made decisions about gender which may prove to require

refining over time.

Produced by SAI Digital for internal use only by Roman Trading Co. 1


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MEGAN the Interior Designer

National Market Size:98,746 interior design businesses in US1

Trade Associations:The American Society of Interior Designers

(ASID), National Council for Interior Design Qualification, Interior Design

Continuing Education Council

Local Market Size:Only 3 registered as businesses within 30

miles; 34 listed on chamber sites within 50 miles. However,

there are 631 designers with Houzz profileswithin that same

distance.

DEMOGRAPHICS

fashion conscious, professional, college educated,

informed - understand history of materials and styles sophisticated lifestyle

if within 30 mi, typically married, housewife, social butterfly with good eye

MEGANS GOALS

discriminating tastes, offer client unique piece that cant be found elsewhere

needs a source that can help them satisfy more than one clients needs

MEGANS CHALLENGES

needs availability of unique pieces that they can browse

has an idea but no way to find the piece

doesnt carry inventory

MEGANS QUESTIONS How can I get approval on a piece from client?

Is there a story, certification?

Can I validate the materials or composition?

What century is this? What style is this? Color?

POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS MEGAN MIGHT HAVE

cant always validate claims about a piece (missing docs, etc)

need access to the piece in advance of buying (location may limit)

shipping costs are high

need fast/dependable turnaround time for clients

SUMMARY

According to market research, interior designer jobs are on the rise due to increase in

property sales and increased home decor spending following the recession. However, its

clear from the data research that MEGAN avoids typical business networking channels and

organizations. While only 34 are available through Chamber listings within 50 mile radius,

1USAData, accessed 01/29/14

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.houzz.com%2Fprofessionals%2Fs%2FInterior-Designers-%2526-Decorators%2Fc%2FRome%252C-GA&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGHuFnjzaNqs7Q00UiOSVkekOW1tw


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more than 600 have design profiles on Houzz.com, a social network for interior designers

and residential architects. Given the industry outlook, MEGAN represents the biggest

market potential and most crucial buyer to seek. She is actively looking for your products,

willing to pay the price you ask, and offering repeat business.

You can meet MEGANs challenges by offering her a vast selection of hand curated itemson a pristine website with ample photo galleries and as much detail as possible about

history, material, style, and sizing of an item.

Potential additional services to offer may include an Designer Item Finder monthly

subscription as a buying service that would allow interior designers to submit an item

request for the team to locate for her. Another service an Interior Designer may be willing

to pay for is First Dibs, the ability to preview items in a private store listing before they

go public.

Channels to connect with MEGAN and others like her include Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook,Houzz, and through curated emails listing unique pieces she would be interested in.

NOTE: A local interior designer will want to see the item in person, and will become a

strong referral partner if she has an extremely positive in-store experience. As a designer,

she is going to be drawn to a floor layout that is more designed. One way to engage local

interior designers would be to change the window display monthly as a partnership. The

monthly designer uses in-stock inventory to create a gorgeous window display in

exchange for a small sign with their name. This would serve to entice local individual

designers who very rarely have a physical location or marketing budget. This would also

help you attract BECKY, our next home furnishing buyer.

Because local MEGAN is typically working from home, coffee shops, or very small offices,

you might also consider renting storage space to house her items for projects as they

come in, so that she can organize and deliver all at once to her client. You would serve as

the PO Box for the self-employed interior designer. This would be very high touch

service, and further research would be required to determine a price point that would make

this worthwhile to both parties.



4/15

BECKY the Junior Service Leaguer

Market Size:7,894 women 34-65 within 30 mi of 30161

with home value greater than $200K

91,130 women 34-65 within 60 mi of 30161 with home

value greater than $200K2

DEMOGRAPHICS

female married homeowners; 35-65; home value

greater than $200K

in person: already shopping downtown: just

wandering after lunch

extremely involved in the community, volunteer

boards/organizations like Junior Service League,arts councils, etc.

BECKYS GOALS

want topic of conversation at dinner party at their house; stories about items to

share

welcoming home, entertain friends or community

collect things important to her and her loved ones

BECKYS CHALLENGES

doesnt know where to go/cant get access as a non-designer

too many cookie cutter decor options

not a designer herselfBECKYS QUESTIONS

How do I get this to my home?

Can I guarantee packing/handling

Will this work in my home?

What style is this?/what style am I?

POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS BECKY WILL HAVE

The window decorations are off-putting: The lion is a bit aggressive and window

looks a little messy or scattered

I get a little paranoid if a store is only on Ebay

I dont know if this will fit in my house.

Summary:

Due to the shipping costs and high touch demands, BECKY will be located within sixty

miles of your location, and probably within thirty. Due to BECKYs social nature, she will

make a natural referrer once she is satisfied. Her connections could lead to home




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furnishings sales or even industrial and auction sales.

Becky is drawn to pieces that come with a story. She'd like knowing the accession history

of the item. She'd like to browse a store where the objects are artfully curated and placed

in ways that mirror how she would use the item in her home. She'd go straight to the

"Southern Style" section in the store. Or maybe she'd look for the "Mid-century Modern"section. She or her friends may be involved in renovating an old house, building custom

kitchens, or designing storage solutions.

You meet BECKYs goals because you can offer her one-of-a-kind items that she (or her

friends) cant find anywhere else, objects that have stories. You can answer her questions

by creating content to help her determine her style (Am I a Mid-Century Modern?, Basic

introduction to furniture style, etc). It is important for both BECKY and MEGAN that you

clearly label style names on online and in-store product descriptions. She'd like to browse

a store where the objects are artfully curated and placed in ways that mirror how she

would use the item in her home, so you may consider creating a small showroom areawhere items are arranged the way they would be within a real home.

BECKY may want to take down information about a product that she sees, examine the

space she has in mind at home, and return. You could help foster this process by offering a

stiff, branded in-store notepad and pen for her to record measurements, notes, etc. This

becomes a takeaway to remind her to return. For the more technically-savvy BECKY, she

will enjoy a mobile-responsive store that she can browse while in the store by product

number and the ability to add items to a wish list or cart for closer examination at home.

You might also consider offering delivery service within a certain radius.

Similar to MEGAN, BECKY will be very particular about the layout of the store. She would

be more likely to enter the store if window is designed and changing. Because this type of

buyer would want more selection but not necessarily be aware of your warehouse,

well-designed signage throughout the retail location should promote the warehouse

location.

A ladies only auction night as a fundraiser for a women-focused organization might make

for quite the Saturday morning social affair. You could partner with an organization like JSL

of Rome to help plan and promote it, offer mimosas, and make donation of certain

percentage of sales to a designated organization. Another way to reach BECKY and her

friends might be to partner with pre-existing auction fundraisers (St. Marys, Montessori,

etc), hold them at your location, and provide the auctioneering.

BECKY would want to see how her friends are using their Roman Trading purchases in their

homes. A photo gallery, Pinterest board, and/or curated email of past customer features

would give her inspiration. And once BECKY makes a purchase, she might want to show

and share her piece in its new home on Instagram or Pinterest.



6/15

TED the ContractorMarket Size: 270 individuals registered as General Contractors

within thirty (30) miles3

DEMOGRAPHICS

male, 30-55

self-employed/small business, self-reliant, good

negotiator, savvy, decisive, knows what he needs

geographically limited, cost of gas & time essential to

keep at minimum

TEDS GOALS

obtain bulk supplies of windows, doors, fixtures

save money

liquidate supplies that went unused (sell)

TEDS CHALLENGES

customers request custom products

unwanted inventory from customers changing minds.

not designing the what he is building; following orders

TEDS POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS

limited supply

I dont need fancy stuff

SUMMARY

Teds needs are intermittent and specific. However, he represents the possibility of an

ongoing relationship which may include trade or consignment. While Ted may begin as an

organizational buyer, his exposure to the inventory may produce referrals of personal

buyers.

TED might be looking for supplies that fit in with a particular style of house (or that match

what he's already working with), whether he's renovating a Victorian home or building out

a commercial space. Quantity and dimensions are extremely important and TED will want

to know these almost immediately, so labeling on the product and website are essential.




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TED will be no nonsenses, direct, and decisive. Once desired objects are located, TED will

want to talk the price down on an object or if he buys in multiples. You may want to

consider a contractors discount multiplier in advance to make this an easy calculation in

person. TED will be more budget-conscious than MEGAN, but it still working with

someone elses money.

TED has the potential to be both a supplier and a customer as he may have unwanted

items from the same or other projects. In these cases, trade programs might work very

well.

The channels that will reach Ted may include direct mailing, radio, cable, and referrals

from his contractor buddies. You may also want to consider hosting a special Contractor

auction night, where only contractors are invited and the items are selected especially for

this type of buyer. This would serve a dual purpose of pushing inventory often in bulk, but

also serve as an introduction to get more of this type of buyer into your warehouse in the

first place.



8/15

TONY the Restaurant Owner

Market Size: 624 freestanding

non-franchise restaurants within fifty (50)

miles of 301614

ABOUT TONY

single owner or family owner

Mid 30s to Mid 50s, energetic,

passionate, multi-tasker

if starting up, more price than style

sensitive, needs more

consultation/hand holding.

if remodeling, knows exactly what he wants, function-sensitive. knows where to get

wholesale supplies

TONYS GOALS

save money when freshening up their establishment or building second location

create great atmosphere that builds repeat customers

cook food efficiently

TONYS CHALLENGES

shipping costs on restaurant equipment is high

cash flow, ability to invest: more price than style sensitive.

Needs sufficient bulk (no mixing and matching)

TONYS QUESTIONS

what are the measurements/dimensions/Will it fit

quantity/matching + condition + height, etc

What is the material construction of the kitchen equipment

Will it be easy to move (weight)

POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS

I already know I can get this from a wholesale supplier

I need delivery that I can count on

SUMMARY

Tony is a very specific customer. He will be interested in your dining room and general

purpose furniture, occasional specialty pieces, bulk collections of art, chairs, and obviously,

restaurant equipment. This is an infrequent purchase, so its important that you be found

precisely when TONY is looking for what you offer.




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To help the TONY who is starting a restaurant, a Free Guide to Basic Restaurant

Equipment Setup could be created to help create a checklist of equipment he must have.

By offering this to TONY, you will get contact information to continue to nurture him as a

potential customer through restaurant-related emails in the future.

The remodeling TONY may also be interested in selling or trading his current equipment.

Channels to reach TONY should be mostly inbound and web-related: Google Adwords,

highly targeted Facebook ads, and Craigslist posts. Website inventory should be easily

grouped by products related to restaurants so that TONY can get right to what he is

looking for without having to navigate to multiple categories.

Google alerts and Twitter streams should be monitored so that you can respond when

someone posts on forums about their search for restaurant equipment. Other web-related

optimization might include pursuing food-related blogs to review your space and list intheir directories for used restaurant equipment.



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ROBERT(A) the PHD Post Doc

Market Size: According to the latest science and

engineering indicators, U.S. academic institutions awarded

about 38,000 science and engineering doctorates in 2011.

Among those degrees with the increases, the biggest

increases were in engineering and the biological sciences.5

However, recent articles have pointed to a decrease in

graduate acceptance rates at leading research institutions.6

Primary Buyer: While the buyers will consist of the doctoral candidate or post-doc

researcher, his/her advisor, as well as the purchasing officer of the institution,

the candidate or researcher will be the primary person locating a piece of equipment and

deciding on it. The purchasing officer will be required to obtain funds.

ABOUT ROBERT(A)

highly educated, academic, highly motivated researcher early in professional career, mid 20s male or female

know exactly what they need, precise, technical understanding of the product ->

down to model number

ROBERT(A)S GOALS

s/he wants to contribute to the greater academic environment and society.

s/he wants to answer a new question or solve a problem

ROBERT(A)S CHALLENGES

needs to replace parts on equipment they already have

highly budget driven huge price advantage

equipment must work, offer precise measurements

need specific piece of equipmenthunting service

cant buy in bulk at R&D lab auctions RTC can do this

ROBERT(A)S QUESTIONS

Where I can get an instruction manual?

Is there a guarantee this equipment will work? If not, what are return policies?

POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS

extensive expenditures approval process requires forms to be listed as vendor

opportunity: once vendor, can sell easily to other professors, use the

5Science and Engineering Indicators 2014, National Science Board, Feb 2014

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14/.6Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2002 to 2012, annual survey of U.S. graduate schools, co-sponsoredby CGS and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board, Sept. 13, 2013.

http://www.cgsnet.org/us-graduate-schools-report-slight-growth-new-students-fall-2012

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cgsnet.org%2Fus-graduate-schools-report-slight-growth-new-students-fall-2012&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNELNrBOx2v7f_m0eyS0SoB--tkMgghttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cgsnet.org%2Fgraduate-enrollment-and-degrees&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHJTgPTTuIaO7ArOFIdNfWETru3xw


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procurement office to recommend.

SUMMARY

ROBERT(A) is young, ambitious, tedious, detail-oriented, and precise. S/he will ask specific,

purposeful questions. S/he will prefer direct, knowledgeable customer service over emailwhere s/he can document answers. S/he is inherently skeptical, cautious, and curious.

While, the purchases will be limited to one or two specific pieces of equipment, s/he could

represent future business as s/he progresses in the academic field of study.

Each ROBERT(A) represents an institution that can then be marketed and sold to

repeatedly. Its equally as important that the financial officer be pleased with the payment

process as the buyer is with the product. There is the potential to create an email list of

education institutional buyers to alert when there is new lab equipment inventory. The

procurement office should be seen as evangelists who might bring other buyers.

The website will play a vital role in the sales process of ROBERT(A). Model number,

manufacturer, availability of manuals will be essential to be displayed with the product.

ROBERT(A) will also want to see evidence of a guarantee that the device powers on and

terms of refund if machine does not work properly. It would help if there was a way for

institutions that you have a vendor relationship with to be listed, to help reinforce the

decision that you can be trusted to supply a quality product.

This is the buyer that would benefit by knowing the company is led by scientists, who

appreciate the need for precision in laboratory instruments. Because of the highly

technical nature of the items being sought, basic searchability of product names and

descriptions should bring more inquiries and customers. Many of the largest research

universities (University of Michigan, Stanford, Harvard, MIT) have Procurement office

blogs. It may be beneficial to consider publishing a press release both to these blogs as

well as to journals and publications related to academic research through the use of a paid

press release service like PRWire.



12/15

MOLLY the Set Decorator

Market Size: Approximately 50 individuals working

as set designers, constructors, or related

prop-related professionals in Georgia.7

ABOUT MOLLY

Mid-twenties to late thirties,

Knowledgeable about design, history, art, and

construction

She works mostly for film and TV, and some

live theater

MOLLYS GOALS

Shes looking to build industry relationships that make her more hireable in the

future.

Create film beautiful and believable sets that help the audience to connect with the

story.

Wide variety of needs everything from large furniture to the smaller items like

lamps/lighting, draperies, home goods, vintage items, rugs, etc.

MOLLYS CHALLENGES

Has to find items that fit the specific aesthetic/vision of the Director/ProductionDesigner

Often working on a tight budget; needs a bargain.

Needs to rent the item(s).

Needs to liquidate unique items from past productions

Needs items fast due to strict shooting deadline

MOLLYS QUESTIONS

Can this item be rented? Do you deliver/pickup? When can I get it?

What happens to these items when shooting is over? What happens to the items and

sets we had to customize/build?

POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS

7all data from 2013 Georgia Film & Television SourceBook from OZ publishing



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14/15

KEVIN the Maker

Market Size: hard to tell, underground

market

ABOUT KEVIN

majority: male, probably

technical career, mid 40s,

married, disposable income,

highly educated probably with

post collegiate studies.

intensely curious, self-made

Reads Make, Wired, Hackaday.com, LifeHack.org, Instructables.com

Frequents builder supply, thrift, and salvage stores

KEVINS GOALS

wants to be challenged and thrilled with discovery

wants to create with his own hands

wants to share with other tinkerers the nitty gritty details of the making process

inspire others with their creations

KEVINS CHALLENGES

hit or miss, hard to find specific items, not typically categorized digitally

older equipment is often missing owners manuals or documents

may or may not have way to transport purchases

KEVINS POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS

Retail location is too decorator

SUMMARY

While KEVIN does not represent as much buying potential as MEGAN or even TED, he isloyal and will be interested in your products that may be unsellable otherwise, including

the packaging or parts that youve never considered an asset.

Warehouse with huge inventory, including technical and electronic equipment

availability of manuals



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In a recent study of about 900 self-identified makers, as many as 34% of makers surveyed

indicated that they pursued income or commercialization of their projects. Those who did8

turn hobbies into revenue producers chose to sell on Etsy, Ebay, and Amazon platforms.

These are also the places that they might find supplies for their next project.

One idea is to sponsor a hackathon/build competition in partnership with a makerspace.

You could bring unique items with low chance of selling plus upcycling materials, like

pipes, palettes, etc and groups of makers would battle each other to create the most

interesting thing in a set amount of time. This Trade War event could be repeated with

other makerspaces in Atlanta or Chattanooga, recorded and blogged as a way of building

reputation of Roman Trading as a maker playground supplier. This kind of competition

could be extended to high schoolers as a way of impacting the local community youth and

encouraging the development of design, technical, problem solving, and group

collaboration skills.

8Intel/MAKE Maker Market Study, 2012:

http://cdn.makezine.com/make/bootstrap/img/etc/Maker-Market-Study.pdf


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RomanTradingBuyerPersonasFeb2014.pdf