Rise of Kings W2 — Workshop Exercise
Know Thy Client
A structured research exercise to surface what your client is actually after
The Core Rule
Only learn from people who recently invested resources — time, money, or significant effort — to solve the problem you're researching.
Window shoppers reflect aspiration, not reality. Dormant customers have reconstructed memory. Recent buyers. Recent joiners. People mid-struggle right now. Everyone else is noise.
Window shoppers reflect aspiration, not reality. Dormant customers have reconstructed memory. Recent buyers. Recent joiners. People mid-struggle right now. Everyone else is noise.
Step 1 — Define Your Subject
Be specific. Not "entrepreneurs" — "service-based coaches charging $2K–$5K/month stuck on referrals."
Pick one source to start: a subreddit, Amazon reviews for a book they'd read, a competitor's testimonials, your own past clients.
Step 2 — The 6 Insight Types
01
Insight Type 1
Job
What is your client actually trying to accomplish? The deeper goal beneath the surface desire. "I want to lose weight" is rarely the job.
"If they could wave a wand and have the outcome they're truly after — what would that actually look like? What would be different about their life?"
Capture exact words when you find them. Verbatim beats paraphrase every time.
02
Insight Type 2
Alternatives
What else did they try before finding a solution like yours? These are your real competitors — not the obvious ones. DIY attempts, other coaches, courses, workarounds.
"Before something like what you offer existed for them — what did they try? What almost worked? What let them down and why?"
List each alternative. The more specific, the more useful for your positioning.
03
Insight Type 3
Struggles
Not just pain points. The specific friction, fear, or obstacle between them and the job. What almost made them give up?
"What's the recurring blocker? What almost made them stop trying? What fear shows up every time they get close?"
These are your copy headlines. The exact language people use about their struggle is better than anything a copywriter invents.
04
Insight Type 4
Segment
Who is this person in a way that explains their struggle? Demographics only matter when they explain behavior. Life stage, identity, situation, constraints.
"What's true about who they are — their life stage, identity, constraints — that makes this struggle make sense for them specifically?"
Not vanity attributes. Focus on what explains why they struggle the way they do.
05
Insight Type 5
Category
How does the customer mentally file a solution like yours? The category determines the frame — the frame determines the price.
"How would they describe what you do to a friend who's never heard of it? What do they compare it to?"
Pay attention to the comparison they reach for — it tells you exactly what they think they're buying.
06
Insight Type 6
Triggers
What event, moment, or shift compelled them to finally act? The last straw. The life event. The failed attempt that broke the loop.
"What happened — externally or internally — that made staying stuck no longer acceptable?"
Look for: a bad quarter, a life event, a failed launch. This is your opening line in every piece of copy.
Step 3 — Synthesis
Don't interpret yet — find the patterns. What showed up in more than one source? What surprised you?
The phrase you wish you'd written. Use it in your copy, unedited.
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