Reading the Audience

The best speakers understand that knowing how to read their audiences right away and throughout their presentation is invaluable if they’re going to achieve the greatest success in getting through to them and swaying them in one manner or another.

They do it because it enables them to identify and recognize who agrees with them, who disagrees, and who’s still on the fence. Armed with that knowledge, they know how to better modify and tailor their talk for the best results.

Marketers trying to read their audiences have a different focus even though they should be aiming for the same goals.

In analyzing consumer behavior to help them better strategize, most marketers look at the usual metrics like shopping habits, purchase locations and methods, triggers, barriers, usage frequency, and occasions, and brand diagnostics.

But in working with its clients, marketing research firm GutCheck looks at five additional and different audience traits or personalities to gain even deeper insights – openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. They say such results enable them to arm clients with a deeper understanding of what to say and what not to say, recommendations for media targeting, product and service design elements, and color and visual inspiration.

Openness was defined as being receptive to open-mindedness in experiencing a variety of things or activities. Conscientiousness, on the other hand, meant acting in an organized or thoughtful manner. Extraversion described people who sought stimulation through the company of others, while agreeableness described those who were cooperative and compassionate toward others. Neuroticism referred to folks sensitive to their environment.

GutCheck recently applied their five metrics to conduct an independent study of shoppers who used Walmart’s website and app, research not commissioned by Walmart. They aimed to find out what motivated shoppers to purchase through the website or app instead of in-store and how, where, and when to reach consumers using the app or website.

Both openness and agreeableness were shared traits of both Walmart app and website shoppers, according to GutCheck’s study. The firm described them as genial, idealistic, diplomatic, tactful, and deep. Their top needs were identified as closeness, ideals, and structure.

Compared to Walmart in-store shoppers, GutCheck reported personality traits of openness and conscientiousness and described this audience as analytical, informative, perceptive, and articulate. The firm said its top needs were structure, harmony, and closeness.

The conclusion that GutCheck reached after analyzing its data is that Walmart’s in-store shoppers like to see and touch products. As to app users, the firm recommended more use of

videos, more pictures with detail and zoom, and reviews to match the in-store experience. It noted that consumers who were aware of Walmart’s merged app not only liked it but said it was a lot easier to navigate. The challenges uncovered and cited as needing improvement in the new app were loading times, in-stock information, and the frequency of the app crashing.

As consumers return to a new normal, applying these five metrics to better understand in-store and web and app buyers may hold the key to success in better connecting with customers for many brands.

Discover more from Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian’s Professional Profile on Muck Rack
GuideStar Profile for Ronn Torossian Foundation
Ronn Torossian’s Articles on Entrepreneur
Ronn Torossian’s Blog Posts on Times of Israel
Ronn Torossian on SoundCloud