12A- Figuring out buyer behavior

Lefties can be right, sometimes.

Segment.

This segment will simply be left-handed individuals who have a struggle with right-handed products. (children and adults).

Interview.

It took me some time (3 days) to find left-handed individuals. I ran into a left-handed mother (Carly) and she had a left-handed child around the age of 11 (Isabella)! So interviewed them both. I also found an independent contractor mid-twenties female (Melanie) who is left-handed.

I spoke to the mother who was excited about me being concerned about left-handed children. I asked her, “When did you begin to notice small tasks were bothering you because you’re left-handed?”, she responded by saying “When my mother started pushing me to use my right handed and I began failing school work because I had terrible handwriting. I used to completely avoid scissors because I’d get frustrated. Now I use scissors everyday because I fix and sew clothing.” I then asked her “How do you adjust yourself when cutting fabric? And How did you manage to continue being left-handed when you’re mother was pushing you the other way?” Her response, “I didn’t adjust, I just bought left handed scissors online. I’m not going to adjust to being uncomfortable. Who would do that? And as for my mom, she eventually became more aware that it just was not possible for me to write, color, and do other things with my right hand.” The last question I asked was “Are there any problems or frustrations you run into because you’re left handed?” and her response was “Honey, I have a left handed little girl and her problems are mine. Also, I can’t eat dinner next to my husband. If we were to sit next to one another our elbows would be in the way since we are using opposite hands to eat.” She was a perfect customer for this business. She told me my business idea has her sold and ready to invest in sewing utensils.

I followed my interviewing the little girl. She was very nervous so it took some time to get her comfortable. I asked her “Do you like being left handed?” her response: “Yeah, I get told I’m unique all the time. Sometimes it’s a little different at school.” I then asked “What bothers you when you’re at school?” her answer was very simple, “When I have to write in a journal it bothers me.” Her mother said she comes home from school with smudges on her hands everyday. I asked Isabella if anything else bothers her and she responded with “Yes, a lot of things. Pretty much all the school activities.”

I interviewed a hairstylist (Melanie). She expressed to me how difficult it was to get through hair school because not a single person in her class was left-handed. Her teachers struggled with teaching her how to use shears and told her “try using your right hand.” She explained how nothing bothered her more than being left-handed at hair school. She then noticed she could learn by looking at the mirror when a teacher cut hair because it was reversed. She said it helped, but she couldn't grasp using her left hand with right-handed shears. She told me eventually she bought left-handed shears and just practiced and practiced. The prices were unbelievable! She showed me how much left-handed shears were ($2557) compared to the same exact shears for right-handed stylists ($1700) She said it’s something she got used to after four years. She explained how my business is awesome for kids and told me I should think about selling stylist shears.

Information search

Carly (the mom) pretty much buys left-handed products for her business. She does not settle for being uncomfortable at work. At home, she adjusts to the right-handed products because her husband is right-handed so it’s a “compromise”. She is well aware of the price difference and doesn’t find it worth buying. She does everything she can do to have her daughter comfortable at home but doesn’t have much of an option at school. Her husband has bought their daughter left-handed scissors and that has helped her a lot. The daughter, Isabella, seems to be bothered most with her journal and her parents do not seem aware that there are left-handed notebooks she can use. They probably wouldn’t buy it for her because they are double the price than a right-handed notebook.

For Melanie, the hairstylist, she pretty much buys shears more often than she should need to, because many shear sharpeners in Gainesville don’t know how to sharpen her shears since the blades are reversed. She mentioned how little things bother her like writing in folder at work and the way her station is set up, but she has adjusted to this.

These girls can all benefit from my company. The mother is not full aware of all the left-handed options she can buy online. She is also not willing to pay the price for those options. A simple measuring cup made for her need would dramatically increase her happiness “WOW a left-handed measuring cup! This is great” type of attitude. The daughter can benefit from a left handed notebook and left-handed pens. If I sell these items at reasonable prices, these people would be ecstatic and can fully embrace being left-handed. The hairstylists can also benefit from a left-handed binder. She actually gave me a business idea in possibly selling left-handed friendly hairstylists products.

They notice the things that are uncomfortable for them as left handed individuals but they aren’t doing the research to purchase items to make them comfortable. Society has made it so that the minority need to adjust to the majority in this case.They were unaware of the products that are available to purchase for lefties or they found them to be too expensive to purchase. In the end they are forced to adjust to a righty lifestyle. My company can change their lives for the better.