Customer research tends to be demographically biased. But it is time for us to go a little psycho on customers—psychographic, that is.

When it comes to purchasing behavior, personalities matter. So why do we focus on impersonal customer data such as web site usage or age and gender? While useful, those characteristics don’t describe attitudinal trends which may be more important.

Psychographics are the data points that describe a user’s values, opinions and lifestyle. A psychographic profile should tell us how a person interacts with the world (are they extroverted or introverted? analytical or emotional?) and what they value most (security? family? the environment?).

In the predigital world, gleaning sufficient information to constitute a psychographic profile would often require prohibitively expensive customer anthropology. Now, as consumers spend more time online, consumer data can be better aggregated and analyzed—and cheaply.

Suppose you wanted to market a new brand of organic, flaxseed-infused cereal. While there is no clear demographic group for that product, there may be a well-defined pyschographic one. You could target anyone who identified Whole Foods and Eastern Mountain Sports as favorite brands, expressed a concern about health and fitness and is environmentally conscious. Or you could market to “analytical and research-oriented” folks by talking about the cereal’s unique formula while referencing case studies and endorsements.

Whether you’re a manager, a front-line worker or an independent contractor, at some point you’ve surely had to influence, or even improve, the performance of people who don’t formally report to you. Experience has taught me some basic principles about leading without authority.

1. Let your enthusiasm for the work be contagious. Engineers who truly revere math and physics tend not only to build better things but also to motivate other people (whom they often don’t manage). If what really drives you is the core of the challenge itself—and you let other people see that—most of them will be drawn toward your goal organically.

2. Demonstrate excellence without being cocky or solicitous of approval. When an ego-driven person is your direct manager, you hold your nose and do your best to perform in spite of the stench. But, let’s face it: You’re not going to waste your time following someone like that if she doesn’t have real authority over you. If people sense that a leader is seeking validation, the best she can hope for is muted applause.

The Philippines has posted surprisingly low first quarter GDP growth of just 0.4 percent, far below previous government projections of 2.5 percent, creating significant cause for concern. However, too much alarm will only serve to amplify the already stinging effects of the US-led global economic turmoil. The country still controls the reigns over its economy primarily due to the fact that its underlying fundamentals, especially within its financial sector, have provided a cushion against external recessionary pressure.