Challenge	
   The	
  company	
  I	
  work	
  for	
  is	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  largest	
  worldwide	
  assessment	
  providers.	
  Since	
  about	
   20	
  years	
  the	
  organisation	
  has	
  an	
  office	
  in	
  my	
  country,	
  The	
  Netherlands,	
  and	
  we	
  work	
  with	
  a	
   small	
  team	
  of	
  about	
  10	
  people.	
  Every	
  now	
  and	
  then	
  we	
  produce	
  a	
  newsletter,	
  containing	
   recent	
  business	
  related	
  articles,	
  news	
  or	
  changes	
  worth	
  mentioning	
  and	
  our	
  agenda.	
  The	
   opening	
  rates	
  are	
  fairly	
  low.	
  	
   The	
  newsletter	
  is	
  not	
  our	
  only	
  way	
  of	
  communicating	
  to	
  our	
  clients	
  about	
  our	
  product	
  range	
   and	
  recent	
  developments.	
  We	
  also	
  organize	
  meetings,	
  write	
  blogs,	
  whitepapers	
  and	
  of	
   course	
  our	
  consultants	
  visit	
  them	
  regularly.	
   The	
  2014	
  challenge	
  is	
  how	
  we	
  can	
  produce	
  an	
  information	
  source	
  that	
  has	
  optimum	
  value	
   for	
  our	
  clients.	
   We	
  have	
  full	
  insight	
  in	
  What	
  is,	
  seen	
  from	
  our	
  clients’	
  perspective.	
  A	
  few	
  months	
  ago	
  we	
   have	
  run	
  an	
  online	
  survey	
  and	
  got	
  lots	
  of	
  information	
  through	
  this.	
  Instead	
  of	
  purely	
   analysing	
  this	
  information,	
  I	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  dig	
  deeper	
  by	
  talking	
  to	
  a	
  small	
  selection	
  of	
  clients.	
   So	
  I	
  interviewed	
  12	
  clients	
  about	
  how	
  they	
  perceive	
  our	
  communication.	
   The	
  design	
  criteria	
  based	
  on	
  the	
  above:	
   Communication	
  should	
  be	
  contemporary,	
  colourful	
  and	
  presented	
  at	
  set	
  times.	
   	
   Selection	
   We	
  want	
  to	
  be	
  open	
  to	
  all	
  possibilities,	
  not	
  excluding	
  any	
  which	
  way	
  of	
  communicating	
  to	
   our	
  clients.	
  Sticking	
  to	
  the	
  way	
  we	
  operated	
  so	
  far,	
  will	
  never	
  produce	
  something	
  new.	
   Our	
  company	
  is	
  ready	
  for	
  a	
  new	
  way	
  of	
  connecting.	
   In	
  my	
  opinion	
  the	
  Visualization	
  tool	
  is	
  very	
  well	
  suited	
  to	
  produce	
  out-­‐of-­‐the-­‐box	
  ideas,	
   because	
  it	
  appeals	
  to	
  imagination	
  and	
  supports	
  invention.	
  It	
  will	
  help	
  to	
  create	
  a	
  picture	
  of	
   an	
  ideal,	
  without	
  racing	
  towards	
  a	
  result.	
  It	
  brings	
  a	
  creative	
  pause	
  full	
  of	
  limitless	
  thinking	
   into	
  the	
  process.	
   	
   Application	
   12	
  clients	
  will	
  be	
  invited	
  to	
  a	
  1-­‐hour	
  visualization	
  session.	
  The	
  starting	
  point	
  will	
  be	
  the	
   design	
  criteria	
  mentioned	
  above.	
  Furthermore	
  there	
  are	
  no	
  limits.	
  Anything	
  is	
  possible.	
   Newsletter,	
  movie,	
  webinar,	
  dinner?	
  Shape	
  your	
  dreams.	
   Each	
  individual	
  will	
  be	
  asked	
  to	
  make	
  their	
  own	
  mood	
  board/presentation/blog	
  (whatever	
   suits	
  them	
  best)	
  using	
  words,	
  pictures,	
  colours,	
  shapes,	
  materials,	
  all	
  provided	
  or	
  made	
  on	
   the	
  spot.	
  One	
  does	
  not	
  have	
  to	
  be	
  creative.	
   In	
  fact	
  it	
  is	
  all	
  about	
  materialized	
  visual	
  thinking.	
   In	
  4	
  groups	
  of	
  3	
  they	
  will	
  present	
  their	
  outcome.	
   	
   Insight	
   For	
  some	
  people	
  this	
  way	
  of	
  ‘working’	
  is	
  new.	
  Before	
  starting	
  we	
  have	
  to	
  remove	
  barriers.	
   That	
  is,	
  unfortunately,	
  a	
  waste	
  of	
  time.	
  Not	
  all	
  business	
  people	
  are	
  used	
  to	
  this	
  fairly	
  new	
   and	
  creative	
  approach.	
   Still	
  we	
  got	
  some	
  wonderful	
  insights.	
  Our	
  clients	
  seem	
  to	
  be	
  fed	
  up	
  with	
  newsletter-­‐ spamming.	
  They	
  want	
  something	
  totally	
  different,	
  something	
  more	
  appealing.	
   They	
  are	
  definitely	
  ready	
  to	
  see/hear	
  something	
  new.	
  	
   	
   Approach

Although	
  for	
  some	
  clients	
  this	
  wasn’t	
  the	
  most	
  comfortable	
  way	
  to	
  help	
  us,	
  the	
  outcome	
  is	
   very	
  satisfying	
  for	
  our	
  company.	
  Now	
  we	
  know	
  we	
  have	
  to	
  aim	
  for	
  more	
  original	
  ways	
  of	
   communicating	
  and	
  can	
  let	
  go	
  of	
  the	
  ‘old’	
  ones.	
  What	
  it	
  is	
  going	
  to	
  be,	
  we	
  do	
  not	
  know	
  yet.	
   Regular	
  paper-­‐postman-­‐mail,	
  colleagues	
  bringing	
  the	
  news	
  in	
  person,	
  a	
  vlog,	
  a	
  party?	
  We	
  are	
   able	
  to	
  take	
  the	
  next	
  step	
  and	
  serve	
  our	
  clients	
  in	
  the	
  way(s)	
  best	
  suited	
  to	
  them.	
   Thanks	
  to	
  the	
  Visualization	
  tool,	
  we	
  were	
  able	
  to	
  step	
  away	
  from	
  old	
  patterns	
  and	
  embrace	
  a	
   more	
  innovative	
  and	
  maybe	
  even	
  somewhat	
  rebellious	
  client-­‐communication.


Challenge The company I work for is one of the largest worldwide assessment providers . Since about 20 years the organisation has an office in my country , The Netherlands , and we work with a small team of about 10 people . Every now and then we produce a newsletter , containing recent business related articles , news or changes worth mentioning and our agenda . The opening rates are fairly low . The newsletter is not our only way of communicating to our clients about our product range and recent developments . We also organize meetings , write blogs , whitepapers and of course our consultants visit them regularly . The 2014 challenge is how we can produce an information source that has optimum value for our clients . We have full insight in What is , seen from our clients ’ perspective . A few months ago we have run an online survey and got lots of information through this . Instead of purely analysing this information , I would like to dig deeper by talking to a small selection of clients . So I interviewed 12 clients about how they perceive our communication . The design criteria based on the above : Communication should be contemporary , colourful and presented at set times . Selection We want to be open to all possibilities , not excluding any which way of communicating to our clients . Sticking to the way we operated so far , will never produce something new . Our company is ready for a new way of connecting . In my opinion the Visualization tool is very well suited to produce out-­‐of-­‐the-­‐box ideas , because it appeals to imagination and supports invention . It will help to create a picture of an ideal , without racing towards a result . It brings a creative pause full of limitless thinking into the process . Application 12 clients will be invited to a 1-­‐hour visualization session . The starting point will be the design criteria mentioned above . Furthermore there are no limits . Anything is possible . Newsletter , movie , webinar , dinner ? Shape your dreams . Each individual will be asked to make their own mood board / presentation / blog ( whatever suits them best ) using words , pictures , colours , shapes , materials , all provided or made on the spot . One does not have to be creative . In fact it is all about materialized visual thinking . In 4 groups of 3 they will present their outcome . Insight For some people this way of ‘ working ’ is new . Before starting we have to remove barriers . That is , unfortunately , a waste of time . Not all business people are used to this fairly new and creative approach . Still we got some wonderful insights . Our clients seem to be fed up with newsletter-­‐ spamming . They want something totally different , something more appealing . They are definitely ready to see / hear something new . Approach Although for some clients this was n’t the most comfortable way to help us , the outcome is very satisfying for our company . Now we know we have to aim for more original ways of communicating and can let go of the ‘ old ’ ones . What it is going to be , we do not know yet . Regular paper-­‐postman-­‐mail , colleagues bringing the news in person , a vlog , a party ? We are able to take the next step and serve our clients in the way(s ) best suited to them . Thanks to the Visualization tool , we were able to step away from old patterns and embrace a more innovative and maybe even somewhat rebellious client-­‐communication .