Unlock Their Minds...Transform Your Courses
While I can’t give you actual telepathic abilities (trust me, I’ve tried), I can offer you the next best thing: a powerful tool called an empathy map.
Think of it as a GPS for your ideal client’s mind. It’s like creating a client avatar, but with a twist that helps you truly understand what makes your audience tick.
Empathy Map: What Is It?
An empathy map is a visual tool that helps you step into your ideal client’s world and see things from their perspective.
It’s divided into four key areas:
What They Say 🗣️
What They Do 🏃♀️
What They Think 💭
What They Feel ❤️
By exploring these areas, you’ll have a better understanding of your ideal client’s needs, motivations, and pain points. This insight is pure gold when creating courses that create impact.
Let’s break it down:
What They Say 🗣️
This is about the words your ideal client uses. What do they tell others about their goals, challenges, and desires? Listen for:
Common phrases or expressions
Questions they frequently ask
Complaints or frustrations they voice
Aspirations they share
For example, a budding entrepreneur might say, “I wish I knew how to price my services without feeling like I’m undervaluing myself.”
What They Do 🏃♀️
Actions speak louder than words, right? Observe your ideal clients’ behaviors:
What actions do they take to solve their problems?
Where do they go for information?
What tools or resources do they currently use?
What habits or routines do they have?
Maybe they’re constantly googling “how to start a business” or binge-watching entrepreneurship YouTube videos at 2 AM.
What They Think 💭
This is where you try to uncover their thought processes:
What occupies their mind?
What are their beliefs about their situation?
What assumptions do they make?
What knowledge gaps might they have?
An aspiring course creator might think, “I’m not tech-savvy enough to create an online course” or “I need to have everything perfectly planned before I can start.”
What They Feel ❤️
Emotions drive decisions. Consider:
What are their fears and anxieties?
What excites or motivates them?
What are their hopes and dreams?
What frustrations or pain points do they experience?
They might feel overwhelmed by the idea of course creation, excited about the potential impact they could make, or anxious about putting themselves out there.
Putting It All Together: Your Empathy Map in Action
Now that you understand all the pieces, it’s time to create your own empathy map to help you as you create a course (for example).
Draw a large circle and divide it into four sections labeled Say, Do, Think, and Feel.
In the center, write a brief description of your course topic.
Start filling in each quadrant with your insights. Don’t censor yourself – let the ideas flow! Get in the head of your ideal client and write down what they would Say, Do, Think, and Feel.
Step back and look at the big picture. What patterns do you see? Any surprising contradictions?
Here’s the cool thing about empathy maps - they’re super useful even when you don’t have a ton of data to work with. Think of them as your detective tool, helping you spot the gaps in what you know about your audience. Once you see those gaps, you’ll know exactly where to dig deeper! Now you know what to ask in surveys or polls in your newsletters or social posts.
Time for Action: Create Your Empathy Map!
Take some time this week to create an empathy map for your ideal client. I’ll even make it easier for you with this super simple Google doc to get you started. Really dive deep into each quadrant.
Did you uncover any unexpected patterns?
Were there any contradictions between what your ideal student says and what they do?
How might these insights shape your course content or delivery?
Remember, this empathy map isn’t set in stone. It’s a living document that will evolve as you learn more about your audience. The key is to start somewhere and keep refining.
By truly understanding your ideal client's perspective, you’re setting yourself up to create courses that don’t just educate, but create impact. And isn’t that why we’re all here?
Feeling a bit stuck? Here’s a quick example to get your creative juices flowing:
Say: “I want to make a bigger impact with my work.”
Do: Scrolls through social media for hours, comparing themselves to others.
Think: “I’m not expert enough to teach others.”
Feel: Excited about possibilities, but overwhelmed and unsure where to start.
See how these insights could inform your course creation? Maybe your course needs a module on imposter syndrome or practical steps for taking action despite self-doubt. The possibilities are endless!