Honored to be a guest of Bernie Borges of iQor on Episode 60 of the “Digitally Irresistible” podcast.

Watch the episode here

Bernie and I talked about the I.D.E.A. framework for creating a differentiated experience (DX).

I co-created this framework with “Purple Goldfish 2.0” coauthor Evan Carroll. Credit to Nicole Gobbo for this write-up of the process from the episode:

The I.D.E.A. Framework

Inquire
In the I.D.E.A. framework, an improved customer experience begins with the inquire phase. This phase helps you gather insights to best understand the customers you serve.

Look at things from your customers’ perspective. Think about all the experiences along their customer journey and consider how they relate to you as a brand.

Use the information you gain to uncover gaps and opportunities throughout the customer experience. A gap is a friction point. Opportunities are key moments within the customer experience that you can elevate to create a truly amazing experience.

Design
The design phase provides an outline for identifying the parts of the customer journey you want to address and how you plan to improve them.

First, set your focus on what you plan to address. Identify the most critical gaps you want to fix as well as the most promising opportunities.

Once you’ve set your focus, begin asking big questions to explore different ways you could address the gaps and opportunities. What would you do if you had a year to make the improvements? What if you had a million dollars? What if you had 10 minutes and $10?

Then brainstorm and design ideas that address your gaps and opportunities.

Evaluate
Once you have developed some ideas, evaluate the best ones on your list.

The evaluate phase begins internally to ensure you have the capability to deliver on the idea. Look within the organization to answer questions such as the resources it would take to implement the idea and whether you have the organizational bandwidth.

Once you’ve assessed internal capabilities, begin the external validation process. Test your ideas in a focus group, do surveys, or run them by a customer advisory board.

The third and final step is the pilot phase. Test your solution in a specific market or in a limited fashion to validate its effectiveness. If the pilot is successful then you’re ready for the last stage.

Advance
Advance is where the rubber hits the road.

Incorporate the feedback you learned from the pilot and achieve buy-in. Secure the budget and resources you need to effectively implement the idea.

Plan the rollout by training your team and creating the processes and procedures to carry out the idea.

Determine how you’re going to measure improvement to the experience on an ongoing basis.