Sometimes when we touch... points

Jul 17

Written By Mikli

There are some questions I have trouble answering. Like:

So what platforms should we use?
I have x and y apps, what can I automate?
Do you have any ideas on how to streamline my process?

AHA. There! Wait, don't move. You said it.

"Said it?"

Right there. The P word. Process. Don't let go of that; we'll come back to her later.

I have trouble answering those questions because it's like...

It's like asking, "What makeup brush do you recommend?"

Recommend for... eyeshadow? foundation? setting powder? What are you trying to do, 'cause maybe you don't need a brush and your finger might be better? Wait, what kind of look are we going for?

I have trouble answering those questions because they've jumped ahead. There's a missing puzzle piece. That thing that grounds the rest of it: the customer journey.

For purposes of this discussion, I'm going to define "customer journey" as the touch points (or interactions) someone has with your brand or offer, roughly in chronological order.

(Or how I like to ask about it, "And then what happens? And then what happens? And then what happens?")

These aren't the nitty gritty details yet; these are the beats or milestones we need to hit.

You could also call it your process, or your flow.

e.g. Someone says yes to being a client.

And then what happens?

They get a payment link and a contract.

And then what happens?

When payment comes in, we can start onboarding.

And then what happens?

They get a Google Drive folder, and an email that asks them to fill out this questionnaire and book their kickoff call.

And then what happens?

A clear customer journey is what the customer experience is going to be built on. The customer journey holds the structure for your customer experience — so she's pretty crucial.

But notice aside from the Google Drive folder, there was no mention of tech at all yet?

Start with what you want to happen first. ONLY THEN does tech come in.

So how do you start creating that clear customer journey in the first place, so we can answer those Qs at the beginning?

1. Start with the target. What's the main goal? If nothing else happens, what should happen? What kind of experience do we want to create? (Why? Because as we go through the process of crafting the journey, and subsequently the experience, the hows are going to shift; we'll need to adapt. We want to make sure that no matter how things change, at the end of the day, we goal the goal.)

2. Then outline. The "and then what happens?" part! I described this earlier as being in "rough chronological order," because though the chronology might change, things like payment, contracts, and course access are non-negotiables.

3. Then take a people-POV and refine that outline. My favorite example is a new customer, who is both at the edge of anxiety and excitement. Who is at once, where did my money go omg did I just make a big mistake and OMG I CAN'T WAIT LET'S DO THIS. Are your people the kind who would jump at 5 homework items in their very first welcome email? Or are they someone who'd be overwhelmed, so maybe just 1 or 2 items, and the rest can happen during the kickoff call? << Your answers to questions like these will shift your customer journey outline! Let it!

4. And only then begin to put things together with your tech. AKA this point would be a good time for those tech and automated related questions up there. You've got great context, so we can start diving in and seeing which platforms best fit your needs, or even deciding which pieces to automate and which are better left manual.

And tah dah! You've got your basic structure.

If you stopped there, you'd have a pretty solid flow for your people to go through.

But what if basic isn't enough Mikli? What if I want to create something they'll love? Something they'll remember? Something that keeps them coming back?

Ah.

That's another entry — for when we start fleshing out this customer journey, and building out the customer experience.

So: