This week we are taking a walk in your customers shoes and create your Customer Journey Map. This is the best way make sure you are maximizing your opportunity at each step, and turning those complete strangers into raving fans!
Mapping out your customers journey is critical to ensuring that customers, or potential customers aren’t falling through cracks in your processes, that they are being served properly, that you are maximizing all potential sales, and that your brand is represented exactly as you want it to be, at each step on the path.
All you need for this one is a pen and paper, so get that and then get started!
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Episode SEVEN – Turn Total Strangers into Raving Fans with a Customer Journey Map
Welcome back to SHEcorporated ONE STEP Empire podcast!
Last week we worked on part two of your success mindset, and creating your Vision Board. Hopefully you have downloaded the free Vision Board Kit, and had some fun designing your future. I would LOVE to see what you created if you want to share your board with me and with the SHEcorporated community send us a DM on Instagram or shoot me an email with some pictures. You can send me an email from the website shecorporated.com.
If you haven’t worked through the previous episodes yet, you’ll want to go back to Episode One and start there, as each episode will build on the last, and walk you through getting your business started with one step each week.
This week we are walking through your customers journey and identifying all the touchpoints they will have with your brand to make sure you are maximizing your opportunity at each step, and turning them from complete strangers into raving fans!
Mapping out your customers journey is critical to ensuring that customers, or potential customers aren’t falling through cracks in your processes, that they are being served properly, that you are maximizing all potential sales, and that your brand is represented exactly as you want it to be, at each step on the path.
You want to ensure that every interaction, from websites and social media, to customer service, and packaging is aligned with the brand message you want to communicate.
Touch points in your customer journey start well before they become a customer, as early as when they first become aware of your brand.
So let’s step outside of ourselves for a minute and put ourselves in your customers shoes and go for a walk.
When doing this exercise, you want to capture the entire journey from pre awareness, to customer service and beyond to post purchase and loyalty. So get a pen and paper ready and let’s build a road map to success!
Every business will have a different customer journey but here’s a list of potential touch points to get you started.
Awareness and Consideration Stage:
Some touchpoints are obvious like your social media, advertising, marketing or PR,
Others you may not immediately think of, like:
your storefront as they pass by,
your ratings reviews and testimonials
word of mouth – what do they hear from trusted contacts?
How about community involvement – do they see your brand sponsoring teams or supporting local causes?
Then as they become a customer in the acquisition stage
The inside of your store or office location
Your website or catalog
The promotions you run or emails you send
Your staff – from sales to customer service
Your phone system
Your point of sale system
Your packaging
And then the final stages as the existing customer moves through the journey with you through service and loyalty stages:
Billing or invoicing
More emails
Service or after care teams
How they contact you for help
Referral program
Reward program
Shipping system and notifications
Thank you cards
Renewal process
There are many more potential touch points than this, but this will get you started as you walk through your own customer journey.
The first step is to create the map and lay it all out.
The next step is to look at each step and identify any areas that you can see are not efficient, customer friendly, or are missed opportunities.
At the same time, you should be looking at each step to make sure that interaction is consistent with the brand message you want to convey.
So, let’s take a few of the touchpoints I mentioned, and break down what you are looking for.
Let’s start with your website as an early touchpoint. You want to look at your website as a customer would – when the homepage opens is it clear what your company does? Does the site convey the right image? Does it load quickly and is it easy to navigate? What info are most visitors looking for? Is it easy to find that info? That covers some of the branding and customer service angles now let’s look at it with a sales and marketing lens. Is the website capturing the visitors information? Is there a clear call to action? Does it show off the products and services you want to highlight right now? Will it motivate the potential customer to buy from you? How can you improve it?
Or how about we examine the touchpoint of when they first become a customer and call you for service. What does that touchpoint look like? How do they find your contact information? When they call what does the automated messaging sound like? Is it easy to navigate? When they get a live operator what is the greeting? How are those staff motivated to give the best service? What are your customer service policies? How does your team mange the requests – do you have a CRM system? Is there a follow up program in place to keep the customer informed? You get the idea.
I suggest you look at five things at each touchpoint
1. Ease of use
2. Conveys intended brand message
3. Motivates to desired action
4. Maximizes opportunities
5. “Wow” potential - What can I add at this step that is an unexpected extra, something that will improve the customer experience and help turn them into raving fans? Think about customer service you have received that really impressed you, an unexpected gift with purchase, or when the hotel chain that keeps your pillow preference on file for your next visit. How about when the customer service agent takes your information and then calls you back once they have solved the problem for you so you don't have to sit on hold? Or the car wash place that offers free vacuums after you go through the car wash? Or the hand signed birthday card and small gift you got in the mail from your dentist?
Small gestures can make a big difference and if you can sprinkle these types of “Wow” moments along the customer journey, you will have an unstoppable sales team of happy customers out in the world helping you grow your business.
So that’s your one step for this week. Grab a pen and some paper and take that walkthrough of your customers journey, find the challenges and the opportunities and make a plan.
Next week we are going to start working on your brand identity with Step One of your Brand Identity Kit – creating your logo. So make sure you meet us back here next week!
So hit us up @shecorporated on social and we’ll see you back here next week.