“Hank Brigman is a dynamic and engaging speaker. He is a pleasure to work with and the evaluations of his program were outstanding.”
My goal is to help you and your organization realize the significant benefits of a journey approach in finally addressing the costly inefficiencies of the conflict between silos and customer journeys.
Dive into the information and case studies here and please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions – I am happy to help.
At Your Service, Hank
Key Definitions:
Touchpoint
Service Journey
Journey Approach
Key Definitions:
The path taken by an individual interacting with any combination of touchpoints regarding an interest, need, request or requirement.
Touchpoint
Touchpoint
I added and was the first to define “touchpoint” on Wikipedia. My current definition: Each human, communication, physical and sensory interaction with, within and about your organization.
Service Journey
The path taken by an individual interacting with any combination of touchpoints regarding an interest, need, request or requirement.
Journey Approach
A structured approach to reducing costs by improving internal efficiencies and employee retention, and to increasing revenue by improving customer journey outcomes. This is accomplished by shifting internal focus and some accountability from siloed tasks, data, metrics and tools to the PURPOSE of key customer service journeys.
Today:
Research Has Determined That More Than Two-Thirds Of Companies Now Compete Primarily On The Basis Of Customer Experience
Gartner Customer Experience in Marketing Survey 2017
It is a different era where customer experience (CX) is not only the primary competitive landscape, but it is being executed across an ever-evolving omnichannel environment.
And this rapid and dynamic expansion of channels is taking place in an age-old siloed organizational structure. Despite employee complaints, silos do serve a purpose. Yet they have always been ill suited to optimizing outcomes for customer journeys that traverse through silos.
- What? – Those competing and winning in this challenging environment have shown to take a specific approach – a journey approach.
- Why? – Because a journey approach has shown to address two critical challenges:
Silo Challenge
The silo challenge of the conflict between internal focus on siloed tasks and the purpose of customer journeys.
- Impact – The inefficiency of silos to best serve customer journeys robs your organization of efficiencies, positive customer and employee experiences and profits.
Tool Challenge
The silo challenge of the conflict between internal focus on siloed tasks and the purpose of customer journeys.
- Impact –
- Drives org efforts away from where strategies should focus
- Typically furthers the silo challenge by creating additional silos
These Two Challenges Require A Rethink.
So, how should we think about our siloed structure and tools?
Silo Challenge – Think of It This Way:
You Are a Builder And Have Your Client’s Blueprint For The House You Are To Build.
If you give way to the silo challenge, you will have each trade/subcontractor working on the blueprint on their own – with their own team, metrics, tools, timing, etc.
This silo approach to building a house would result in a chaotic building site and would be disastrous for efficiency.
- Key silo challenge understanding – While silos in business serve a purpose, the internal focus of silos are typically in conflict with the purpose of customer journeys that traverse through them. The resultant inefficiencies hurt customers, employees and the bottom line.
Silo Rethink:
The Journey Approach To The Silo Challenge.
We aren’t going to get rid of silos – they do serve a purpose. Applying a journey approach:
1. We rename customer journeys from what we do to the customers’ purpose.
- Why? – This has shown to improve KPIs by impacting employee hearts, minds and actions to be more customer-centric. See “The Power of a Simple Name Change “ case study example below.
2. We layer a journey structure over the siloed structure.
- Why? – To provide the ongoing journey responsibility and accountability needed to address the negative impacts of the silo/journey conflict.
Tool Challenge – Think of it This Way:
You Are Building The House At a Time When New Tools Are Disrupting House Building.
Giving way to the tool challenge, you would build strategies around key tools. Yet strategies need to be based on purpose – in this case, the house’s blueprint. Are tools important, yes. Should tools drive strategy, no. Tools will be used as needed to help meet the strategies of achieving the purpose of the blueprint.
- Key tool challenge understanding: Channels/apps/digital are tools used by customers to help accomplish the purpose of their journeys.
Tool Rethink:
The Journey Approach To The Tool Challenge
Via a journey approach, strategies are based on the purpose of customer journeys – how to make it easier and smoother for customers to accomplish the purpose of their journeys – not the tools (channels/apps) they use.
The essence of the rethink is that; rather than a channel strategy, it is a service journey strategy by channel!
Until These Challenges Are Addressed
Until the conflict between the siloed focus of employees and journey focus of customers is addressed – your organization can never fully optimize outcomes for customers, employees or the organization.
Welcome To The Journey Economy!
“To Your Customers, You are the Success of Their Journeys”
Hank Brigman
In this new journey economy, there will be winners and losers.
How To Win?
There are two transformational phases winners are implementing as part of a journey approach:
Phase 1., Shifting Mindset And Actions.
This phase is all about shifting focus from siloed tasks, metrics and tools/channels to the purpose of customers’ journeys.
- Outcomes – This first phase transforms the hearts, minds and actions of employees and has shown to quantifiably improve experiences, journey outcomes and KPIs.
Case Study:
The Power Of a Simple Name Change
- Organization: Large insurance company
- Journey: The process of collecting premium payments from insured
- Prior journey name: Payments (how employees referred to the journey internally)
- Customer input: The purpose of their customer’s journey wasn’t to pay, but to maintain their eligibility for the insurance
- New journey name: Maintain eligibility
- Results: The new name changed the way related internal teams thought and acted. As a result, there were quantifiable improvements in:
- Related first call resolution
- Related transactional Net Promotor Score
Additionally, there are those within the organization who believe this simple name change improved cash flow for this multi-billion-dollar organization.
To help launch Phase 1, I offer my Journey Approach 1st Step Workshop. The output of this workshop provides:
- Overview of your customers primary service journeys
- Identifies
- Gaps between you current siloed ”what we do” approach and your customers’ “purpose of my journey” approach
- Opportunities to measure journey efficacy
- Recommended next steps
Click here to request more information about the 1st Step Workshop’s output, value, logistics, investment, etc..
Phase 2., Adding Journey Responsibilities & Accountability.
This phase is about designing and implementing your journey structure. Note: This isn’t about replacing silos, but layering a journey structure over your siloed structure.
- Outcomes – This second phase transforms responsibilities and accountabilities to include journey success improving customer and organizational outcomes and KPIs. the purpose of their journeys.
Applying a journey approach to the journey economy has generated impressive results!
Click here for more information and case studies of how a journey approach will improve outcomes for your customers, employees and bottom line.
How do I help?
To help improve outcomes for customers, employees and the org, I offer services in three areas:
1. Journey Approach
2. Foundational Services
3. Speaking & Coaching
1. Two-Phase Journey Approach Framework
Services that transform focus and structure to address the silo/journey conflict and position you to compete and win in this journey economy
An overview of each Phase and Step of the
Two-Phase Journey Approach Framework
Shifting Mindset & Actions
Phase 1, Step 1
Journey Approach to Journey “Names” & Metrics
Getting employees to “talk” differently has shown to impact how they think and what they do.
Employees become more customer-centric – improving outcomes and KPIs.
Phase 1, Step 2
Journey Approach to Channels/Apps/Digital
The Reduce Channel Shift Workshop helps the org see how to shift focus from tools (e.g. channels) to journeys.
An outcome is the beneficial shift from tool focused strategies (e.g. channel strategy or digital transformation) to customer focused service journey strategies by channel.
Adding Journey Responsibilities & Accountability
Phase 2, Step 1
Journey Approach to Org Structure
Together we will design your custom journey model including its implementation plan and journey by journey rollout schedule.
Here we add responsibilities and accountability to language and tool improvements already in place.
Phase 2, Step 2
Journey Approach to Mapping Journeys
Now, rather than ad hoc teams temporarily working on journeys, we have a permanent and accountable team measuring, analyzing, and improving journey touchpoints and processes on an ongoing basis.
Journeys aren’t static and as a result need a permanent team to maintain journey efficacy for both customers and the org.
2. Foundational Services
Customer experience (CX) foundations on which to build success
Develop Your CX Strategy
Tied to your organization’s Vision, Mission and Values, my CX Strategy Workshop generates a clear strategy to guide critical CX & org efforts.
Develop Your CX Plan
3. Speaking & Coaching Services
Engaging style with actionable content that inspires, challenges and guides audiences/participants. Expertise and experience to coach/mentor success.
Customized Keynotes
Thought-provoking and actionable content tied specifically to event theme and goals. Entertaining and highly-rated keynotes have delivered value to conferences and their attendees on five continents.
Practical Webinar Programs
Custom content geared to deliver value for the audience and to advance your and/or your sponsor’s objectives.
Engaging Podcast Guest
Productive Coaching
Helping CX professionals strategize, plan, execute and measure while avoiding hard to see pitfalls
Hank Brigman
Consultant
Speaker
Author
Coach
About Me, My Work And How I Can Help You
I am an experienced consultant working globally with select clients to help them compete and win in this journey economy. My journey approach is geared to achieve quantifiable improvements/transformations for customers, employees and the bottom line.
I develop custom customer experience (CX) strategies and/or plans.
I also speak and coach/mentor relating to improving performance and outcomes via customer experience management and a journey approach.
A Background That Prepared Me…
After playing golf professionally I managed what I believe the toughest customer experience business – fine private clubs. After paying an initiation fee, monthly dues, and for the club’s products/services, expectations of private club members are sky high.
It was in this demanding private club environment I first started to develop methodologies to make each and every customer journey easy and pleasant.
In 2002 I co-founded a CX research consultancy that I led through to private equity acquisition. I continued to evolve my methodologies as I found myself on the front edge of what would become a huge wave to use mapping to tactically improve customer experiences and organizational results.
Click here for more information about my background and approach.
Workshops
I offer three different workshops to produce needed and valuable output.
My Journey Approach 1st Step Workshop builds the foundational knowledge and structure for renaming service journeys and measuring their efficacy
Completing my Reduce Channel Shift Workshop provides a matrix that serves as your guide to channel/digital roadmaps and customer communications needed to avoid unnecessary and costly channel shift
My CX Strategy Workshop provides the answers to the critical questions needed for a compelling strategy.
“Hank Brigman is a dynamic and engaging speaker. He is a pleasure to work with and the evaluations of his program were outstanding.”
