6 creative ways to convince your colleagues to help you create a CJM

Key takeaways:

  • Use coffee chats to introduce CJM in a relatable manner.
  • Employ storytelling to frame CJM as an exciting adventure.
  • Compare CJM to a classic road trip movie to emphasize teamwork.
  • Highlight the collaborative aspect of CJM to show it’s not a solo endeavor.
  • Gamify the CJM process to make it engaging and enjoyable for the team.

So, you’ve caught the Customer Journey Mapping (CJM) bug, and you’re eager to take your colleagues on this exhilarating ride. But how do you rally the troops for this adventure? Fear not, because we’ve got six not-so-serious yet effective ways to convince your crew to dive headfirst into crafting a customer journey map together.

1. The coffee chat

Imagine this: a relaxed coffee break with your colleagues where you chat about the wild, unexplored world of CJM. Keep it light and relatable—talk about understanding customers like you understand your favorite coffee order. Promise them that CJM isn’t rocket science; it’s more like a cool coffee blend that makes everything taste better!

2. The storytelling session

Gather ’round, folks, and let’s spin a tale of CJM as if it were an epic adventure story. Picture yourselves as a band of intrepid explorers, hunting for hidden treasures—aka, valuable customer insights. Use anecdotes and stories (maybe a few exaggerated ones) to make it engaging. Create an atmosphere where they’re not just creating a map but embarking on a thrilling escapade.

3. The relatable movie metaphor

Picture CJM as a classic road trip movie. Talk about mapping out the journey, pit stops, unexpected detours, and finally reaching the destination—all while bonding as a team. Channel that ‘movie night’ vibe and tell them that creating a CJM is like crafting a plotline, with customers as the stars of the show.

4. The “We’re in this together” pitch

Highlight the collaborative aspect of CJM. Stress that everyone’s input matters—it’s not a solo expedition. Invite them to bring their unique perspectives to the table and watch as the map takes shape like a colorful mosaic, with each contribution adding to the bigger picture.

5. The “let’s make it fun” challenge

Frame CJM as a game—a quest to uncover mysteries and win rewards. Offer a prize (even if it’s just bragging rights or a funny trophy) to the team member who contributes the most innovative customer insight. Gamify the process to show that it’s not all serious business; it’s also about having a bit of fun while learning.

6. The “Show, don’t tell” approach

Set up a mini-demo or a brief hands-on activity to give them a taste of what CJM entails. Show how it can demystify customer behavior and how understanding the journey helps in making better decisions. Sometimes, seeing is believing!

Bonus: Don’t forget the personas

Imagine personas as the characters in your customer journey narrative. They’re like the friendly faces you encounter on your journey map, representing different types of customers.

Introduce personas to your colleagues; let them meet the “Savvy Susan” or the “Tech-Savvy Tim.” Show how creating personas adds depth and empathy to understanding customer needs and behaviors. It’s like giving life to your customers’ stories and preferences, making the journey map not just a chart but an engaging story with relatable characters.

But why stop there? Let’s delve deeper into the significance of personas in the CJM process. Personas humanize data. They transform abstract numbers and demographics into identifiable individuals with unique goals, needs, and pain points. By understanding personas, your team can empathize with customers and tailor strategies that resonate with specific audience segments.

Furthermore, personas drive focused decision-making. With personas as guides, your team gains clarity on whom they’re designing for and what matters most to these characters—be it quick service, personalized experiences, or reliability. This clarity helps align efforts, ensuring that every touchpoint on the customer journey map is purposefully designed to cater to these identified personas.

In summary, personas infuse life and direction into the customer journey mapping process. They transform it from a mere exercise in data visualization to an immersive storytelling experience, helping your team understand, empathize, and strategize effectively for diverse customer segments.

Getting your team on board with CJM is all about keeping it casual, relatable, and yes, a tad entertaining. So, ditch the jargon, bring out the coffee, and start weaving tales of customer adventures. After all, who wouldn’t want to be a part of a team that’s on a quest to understand customers better while having a bit of fun along the way?

Now, grab your colleagues, gather ’round the table, and let the adventure begin! With a sprinkle of creativity, a dash of enthusiasm, and the personas as your storytelling companions, you’ll have your team crafting a customer journey map together in no time.

Do you want to create an interactive and easy-to-use customer journey map with powerful touchpoints, personas, automatic KPI import & monitoring, and much more?

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