The Empathy MapA [Really] Simple Customer Profiler

What’s The Empathy Map?

The Empathy Map is a visual tool

developed by the company XPLANE

that helps chart out a better

understanding of the consumer, that

goes beyond just demographics.

It involves and facilitates a deeper

understanding of environment,

behaviour, concerns, and aspirations.

How to use it?

Start by identifying the customer

segments that your business will serve.

Choose three most promising

candidates, and select one for your

profiling exercise.

Give your customer a name, and

demographic characteristics like age,

income, marital status and so forth.

Then, using the diagram in the

following slide, make notes.

What does she

THINK AND FEELWhat really counts

Major aspirations

Preoccupations, worries

What does she

HEARWhat friends say

What boss says

What influencers say

What does she

SEEEnvironment

Friends

What the market offers

What does she

SAY AND DOAttitude in public

Appearance

Behaviour towards others

PAINFears

Frustrations

Obstacles

GAINWants/needs

Measures of success

What does she see?

Describe what the consumer sees in her

environment – what it looks like, who her friends

are, what offers she is exposed to, what problems

she encounters

What does she hear?

Describe how the environment influences the

consumer. What do her friends say? Her spouse?

Who really influences her? How?

What does she really think and feel?

What’s important to her, what moves her?

What might keep her up at night? Try describing

her dreams and aspirations.

What does she say and do?

Imagine what the customer might say or do in

public. What is her attitude? What could she be

telling others?

What is her pain?

What are her frustrations? What obstacles does

she face? Which risks might she fear taking?

What does the customer gain?

What does she truly want to achieve?

How does she measure success?

Think of strategies she might use to achieve her

goal.