Secrets for Getting the Most Out of Personas and Journey Maps

Savvy businesses know that personas and journey maps are highly effective tools to understand their customers’ unique needs and help communicate the customer perspective to the organization. But we often hear questions about these customer experience tools, such as “How exactly should we use them?” and “Are they truly worth the time and financial investment?”

A recent report by Jonathan Browne – a respected Forrester Research, Inc. CX analyst who covers personas and journey maps (among other topics) – answers both types of questions. “Five Creative Approaches For Using Personas And Customer Journey Maps Effectively” (Forrester Research, Inc., Sept. 2013) uses several examples from which any organization can learn and draw inspiration. As examples, Browne explains how:

• AT&T avoided the common problem of personas going stale, which undermines the guidance they provide.

• Gimmicks such as board games and life-size cutouts enable B2B and B2C organizations to maximize the effectiveness of personas and maps.

• Companies can apply personas to sales staff to understand their motivations and behaviors as a way to improve the customer experience.

• Identifying up front the kinds of decisions and KPIs that maps will influence is critical for using them effectively.

The report is a solid read. We think the examples in it are worth sharing with readers of the Andrew Reise Consulting blog. After reading the report, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions on how best to use these CX tools in your organization. Click the link below to receive your complimentary copy of the report.

Complimentary Download: Five Creative Approaches For Using Personas And Customer Journey Maps Effectively.