Alessandro Giorgio

Design	
  Thinking	
  Innovation	
  -­‐	
  Mind	
  Mapping

Challenge	
   	
  	
   I	
  work	
  in	
  a	
  sales	
  environment	
  that	
  has	
  been	
  saturated	
  with	
  sales	
  representatives	
  looking	
  to	
   change	
  the	
  mold	
  and	
  structure	
  of	
  our	
  processes	
  and	
  ideas	
  for	
  years.	
  However,	
  I	
  often	
  find	
  that	
   when	
  a	
  new	
  idea	
  is	
  presented	
  in	
  the	
  group	
  somebody	
  is	
  always	
  quick	
  to	
  deny	
  it.	
  Longer	
  tenured	
   employees	
  claim	
  that	
  these	
  ideas	
  have	
  been	
  tried	
  and	
  tested	
  and	
  have	
  failed	
  for	
  multiple	
   reasons.	
  The	
  challenge	
  we	
  face	
  is	
  finding	
  creative	
  ways	
  to	
  rethink	
  our	
  approach	
  of	
  these	
  used	
   and	
  reimagined	
  ideas.	
  The	
  product	
  we	
  are	
  looking	
  to	
  sell	
  is	
  sporting	
  event	
  tickets	
  -­‐	
  this	
  is	
  a	
   product	
  that	
  is	
  a	
  complete	
  privilege	
  and	
  never	
  a	
  need	
  for	
  consumers.	
  This	
  makes	
  the	
  product	
   difficult	
  to	
  sell	
  when	
  the	
  team	
  performance	
  or	
  game	
  experience	
  is	
  not	
  appealing	
  to	
  our	
  target	
   market.	
   	
  	
   Selection	
   	
  	
   I	
  want	
  to	
  use	
  Mind	
  Mapping	
  as	
  a	
  tool	
  to	
  uncover	
  the	
  landscape	
  of	
  our	
  consumers.	
  Mind	
   Mapping	
  will	
  allow	
  us	
  to	
  use	
  the	
  information	
  we	
  have	
  gathered	
  on	
  our	
  consumers	
  and	
   understand	
  their	
  behavioral	
  patterns.	
  From	
  these	
  patterns	
  I	
  want	
  to	
  create	
  a	
  new	
  sales	
  strategy	
   that	
  suits	
  the	
  desires	
  of	
  our	
  client.	
  Since	
  our	
  products	
  are	
  not	
  a	
  necessity	
  but	
  a	
  luxury	
  we	
  should	
   be	
  rethinking	
  how	
  we	
  package	
  and	
  create	
  our	
  sporting	
  event	
  tickets.	
   	
  	
   Application	
   	
   I	
  will	
  begin	
  the	
  mind	
  mapping	
  process	
  by	
  bringing	
  a	
  group	
  of	
  employees	
  from	
  my	
  organization	
   together.	
  I	
  will	
  ensure	
  that	
  the	
  participants	
  come	
  from	
  a	
  variety	
  of	
  departments	
  and	
   backgrounds	
  to	
  bring	
  different	
  perspectives	
  and	
  ideas	
  forward.	
  The	
  data	
  collected	
  will	
  be	
  from	
   clients	
  who	
  have	
  experienced	
  our	
  events	
  in	
  the	
  past	
  (whether	
  they	
  were	
  satisfied	
  or	
  not)	
  and	
   from	
  clients	
  that	
  did	
  not	
  end	
  up	
  booking	
  events	
  with	
  us.	
  The	
  data	
  includes	
  information	
  on	
   participation	
  rates,	
  satisfaction	
  of	
  the	
  event,	
  missing	
  elements	
  from	
  events,	
  experience	
  with	
  the	
   sales	
  rep	
  and	
  event	
  personnel,	
  etc.	
   	
   To	
  being	
  our	
  session,	
  I	
  will	
  have	
  the	
  data	
  laid	
  out	
  on	
  a	
  whiteboard	
  and	
  provide	
  each	
  participant	
   with	
  a	
  pack	
  of	
  sticky	
  notes.	
  I	
  want	
  everybody	
  to	
  write	
  their	
  initial	
  thoughts	
  and	
  assumptions	
   about	
  the	
  data	
  provided	
  on	
  their	
  sticky	
  notes.	
  When	
  all	
  of	
  the	
  data	
  has	
  been	
  compiled	
  into	
   thoughts	
  and	
  assessments,	
  I	
  will	
  ask	
  that	
  the	
  team	
  work	
  on	
  grouping	
  their	
  results	
  into	
  clusters	
   with	
  specific	
  themes.	
  Once	
  the	
  themes	
  are	
  established,	
  we	
  will	
  identify	
  where	
  our	
  outlining	
   ideas	
  and	
  concepts	
  are	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  asses	
  connections	
  or	
  links	
  between	
  the	
  themes	
  themselves	
   and	
  the	
  outliers.	
  We	
  will	
  better	
  understand	
  our	
  customer	
  landscape	
  and	
  identify	
  the	
  reasons	
   they	
  do	
  or	
  do	
  not	
  purchase	
  our	
  products.	
   	
   Insight	
   	
   Following	
  the	
  mind	
  mapping	
  process,	
  we	
  will	
  have	
  gained	
  insight	
  that	
  is	
  invaluable	
  about	
  our	
   customers	
  target	
  market.	
  We	
  will	
  be	
  able	
  to	
  better	
  understand	
  our	
  customers	
  and	
  the	
  reasons	
   they	
  use	
  and	
  love	
  our	
  products.	
  It	
  will	
  give	
  us	
  insight	
  into	
  the	
  many	
  conditions	
  that	
  go	
  into	
   purchasing	
  the	
  product	
  -­‐	
  from	
  current	
  financial	
  situation	
  to	
  the	
  emotional	
  experience	
  and	
  it’s

value	
  associated.	
  This	
  information	
  is	
  incredibly	
  valuable	
  to	
  allow	
  us	
  to	
  reach	
  our	
  customers	
  on	
  a	
   more	
  personal	
  basis.	
  Through	
  the	
  knowledge	
  gained	
  we	
  can	
  now	
  redesign	
  our	
  ticket	
  packages	
  to	
   trigger	
  experiences	
  and	
  emotions	
  that	
  are	
  important	
  to	
  the	
  consumer.	
  We	
  understand	
  that	
   people	
  attend	
  sporting	
  events	
  far	
  beyond	
  team	
  performance	
  -­‐	
  there	
  is	
  the	
  community	
  feel,	
  the	
   love	
  of	
  sport	
  and	
  fitness,	
  photo	
  opportunities,	
  reminders	
  of	
  childhood/family/friend,	
  the	
   inclusion	
  of	
  race,	
  gender,	
  religion,	
  etc.	
  To	
  access	
  this	
  important	
  criteria,	
  we	
  will	
  create	
  events	
   within	
  the	
  spectator	
  portion	
  of	
  the	
  games	
  to	
  allow	
  our	
  fans	
  to	
  feel	
  in	
  touch	
  will	
  these	
  specific	
   emotions.	
   	
   Approach	
   	
  	
   An	
  alternative	
  approach	
  I	
  would	
  take	
  to	
  solving	
  our	
  tired	
  sales	
  techniques	
  is	
  storytelling.	
   Storytelling	
  is	
  a	
  tool	
  that	
  allows	
  people	
  to	
  connect	
  through	
  sharing	
  emotion	
  and	
  experiences.	
  It	
   gives	
  the	
  opportunity	
  to	
  package	
  our	
  products	
  in	
  the	
  ways	
  that	
  we	
  see	
  fit	
  for	
  each	
  individual	
   consumer.	
  I	
  believe	
  storytelling	
  is	
  something	
  we	
  will	
  use	
  moving	
  forward	
  as	
  a	
  result	
  of	
  the	
   information	
  gathered	
  from	
  our	
  mind	
  mapping.	
  I	
  look	
  forward	
  to	
  the	
  results	
  we	
  receive	
  after	
   creating	
  products	
  that	
  suit	
  our	
  consumers	
  and	
  feel	
  personalized	
  and	
  thoughtful.


Alessandro Giorgio Design Thinking Innovation -­‐ Mind Mapping Challenge I work in a sales environment that has been saturated with sales representatives looking to change the mold and structure of our processes and ideas for years . However , I often find that when a new idea is presented in the group somebody is always quick to deny it . Longer tenured employees claim that these ideas have been tried and tested and have failed for multiple reasons . The challenge we face is finding creative ways to rethink our approach of these used and reimagined ideas . The product we are looking to sell is sporting event tickets -­‐ this is a product that is a complete privilege and never a need for consumers . This makes the product difficult to sell when the team performance or game experience is not appealing to our target market . Selection I want to use Mind Mapping as a tool to uncover the landscape of our consumers . Mind Mapping will allow us to use the information we have gathered on our consumers and understand their behavioral patterns . From these patterns I want to create a new sales strategy that suits the desires of our client . Since our products are not a necessity but a luxury we should be rethinking how we package and create our sporting event tickets . Application I will begin the mind mapping process by bringing a group of employees from my organization together . I will ensure that the participants come from a variety of departments and backgrounds to bring different perspectives and ideas forward . The data collected will be from clients who have experienced our events in the past ( whether they were satisfied or not ) and from clients that did not end up booking events with us . The data includes information on participation rates , satisfaction of the event , missing elements from events , experience with the sales rep and event personnel , etc . To being our session , I will have the data laid out on a whiteboard and provide each participant with a pack of sticky notes . I want everybody to write their initial thoughts and assumptions about the data provided on their sticky notes . When all of the data has been compiled into thoughts and assessments , I will ask that the team work on grouping their results into clusters with specific themes . Once the themes are established , we will identify where our outlining ideas and concepts are in order to asses connections or links between the themes themselves and the outliers . We will better understand our customer landscape and identify the reasons they do or do not purchase our products . Insight Following the mind mapping process , we will have gained insight that is invaluable about our customers target market . We will be able to better understand our customers and the reasons they use and love our products . It will give us insight into the many conditions that go into purchasing the product -­‐ from current financial situation to the emotional experience and it ’s value associated . This information is incredibly valuable to allow us to reach our customers on a more personal basis . Through the knowledge gained we can now redesign our ticket packages to trigger experiences and emotions that are important to the consumer . We understand that people attend sporting events far beyond team performance -­‐ there is the community feel , the love of sport and fitness , photo opportunities , reminders of childhood / family / friend , the inclusion of race , gender , religion , etc . To access this important criteria , we will create events within the spectator portion of the games to allow our fans to feel in touch will these specific emotions . Approach An alternative approach I would take to solving our tired sales techniques is storytelling . Storytelling is a tool that allows people to connect through sharing emotion and experiences . It gives the opportunity to package our products in the ways that we see fit for each individual consumer . I believe storytelling is something we will use moving forward as a result of the information gathered from our mind mapping . I look forward to the results we receive after creating products that suit our consumers and feel personalized and thoughtful .