Reflection – Mind Mapping

Challenge & Selection

I am a member of marketing department of the company which includes several offline flower  shops. And we had been dissatisfied with the number of sales so we had faced a challenge to  increase that number. At first our team members decided just to expand the selection of  flowers. Well, it was an obvious decision, but we doubted that this measure would help us to  handle our challenge. So we decided to go deeper and to examine broad picture.

So I chose to use Mind Mapping to handle our challenge. I expected that it could help us to find  some insights and come up with extraordinary measures which would be useful and demanded  by our customers.

Application

I decided to start the proses by studying the needs and pains of our customers.  To do so I  decided to conduct a survey. I chose the method of in-depth interviews, because it was  mentioned in the video lecture that it is the best method for deep understanding of customers’  pains and needs. So I decided to conduct 10 in-depth interviews with customers of different  gender and age and ask them what difficulties do they face when buying flowers how they plan  and conduct the purchase and what additional services would be useful for them. So I asked the  sellers to arrange the interviews and talked to the customers myself. After that, I analyzed the  resulting information and made five typical portraits of our customer (personas). As we were  taught at the video lecture, I wrote down pains ad needs of each persona.

After that I invited my team members for a workshop. I printed out and hung around the room  materials with a description of each persona. I gave each team member some stickers and I  asked them to write down any learning that he or she believed should inform new ideas. Then I  divided team members in two groups – 4 persons in each, and asked them to share their ideas,  and form some clusters of those ideas. Then we chose the best of those ideas and discussed  them.

Insight & Approach

After all that work we realized that a lot our customers faced the problem of lack of time, and  had a need to order flowers easily and quickly, without visiting the shop. Also we found out that  while looking for flowers, some of our customers also are looking for other small presents to  give with the flowers. So we came up with an idea of mobile application, which can help our  customers to order flowers fast and easy from any place they are in, without having to visit the  shop. And also we decided to add to our shops some products, which our customers can by as  the additional gifts, for example candy and toys.

I am happy with the results. What I have learned from conducting this exercise is that Mind  Mapping is really useful for seeing the bigger picture, deeper understanding of our customers  and finding unusual ways of helping them and providing better services. Now we are thinking of  discussing the concept of mobile application with our customers to find out whether they want  it or not, and how we can improve it.

But also I have learned, that the main part of making Mind Mapping process is discussing in  groups and sharing the ideas. So the next time I use this tool, I will give my team members  more time to work in small groups before starting general discussion of the ideas.


Reflection – Mind Mapping Challenge & Selection I am a member of marketing department of the company which includes several offline flower shops . And we had been dissatisfied with the number of sales so we had faced a challenge to increase that number . At first our team members decided just to expand the selection of flowers . Well , it was an obvious decision , but we doubted that this measure would help us to handle our challenge . So we decided to go deeper and to examine broad picture . So I chose to use Mind Mapping to handle our challenge . I expected that it could help us to find some insights and come up with extraordinary measures which would be useful and demanded by our customers . Application I decided to start the proses by studying the needs and pains of our customers . To do so I decided to conduct a survey . I chose the method of in - depth interviews , because it was mentioned in the video lecture that it is the best method for deep understanding of customers ’ pains and needs . So I decided to conduct 10 in - depth interviews with customers of different gender and age and ask them what difficulties do they face when buying flowers how they plan and conduct the purchase and what additional services would be useful for them . So I asked the sellers to arrange the interviews and talked to the customers myself . After that , I analyzed the resulting information and made five typical portraits of our customer ( personas ) . As we were taught at the video lecture , I wrote down pains ad needs of each persona . After that I invited my team members for a workshop . I printed out and hung around the room materials with a description of each persona . I gave each team member some stickers and I asked them to write down any learning that he or she believed should inform new ideas . Then I divided team members in two groups – 4 persons in each , and asked them to share their ideas , and form some clusters of those ideas . Then we chose the best of those ideas and discussed them . Insight & Approach After all that work we realized that a lot our customers faced the problem of lack of time , and had a need to order flowers easily and quickly , without visiting the shop . Also we found out that while looking for flowers , some of our customers also are looking for other small presents to give with the flowers . So we came up with an idea of mobile application , which can help our customers to order flowers fast and easy from any place they are in , without having to visit the shop . And also we decided to add to our shops some products , which our customers can by as the additional gifts , for example candy and toys . I am happy with the results . What I have learned from conducting this exercise is that Mind Mapping is really useful for seeing the bigger picture , deeper understanding of our customers and finding unusual ways of helping them and providing better services . Now we are thinking of discussing the concept of mobile application with our customers to find out whether they want it or not , and how we can improve it . But also I have learned , that the main part of making Mind Mapping process is discussing in groups and sharing the ideas . So the next time I use this tool , I will give my team members more time to work in small groups before starting general discussion of the ideas .