his is the second post of a three-part series on creating branded touch-point systems.

My previous article, How to Grow Your Business with Branded Touch-Point Systems, discussed the importance of creating a brand experience and walked you through the process of creating your “before the sale” touch-point system. Today, we’ll be discussing this process for the “during” phase.

How to Create a Customer Experience Map

Step 1: Review your buyer persona profile.

To start, you must get in the mind of your customer. Why have they purchased from you? What types of emotions are they feeling as they move through the process of buying your product or service? In understanding their emotional needs, you will be able to anticipate and address their questions, concerns, and desires. Review your buyer persona profile before starting the mapping process.

Step 2: Create a map of the entire client process.

Get out your easel and marketers or create a spreadsheet to document the entire process your clients go through when working with you. Make note of the operational touch-points (telephone, email, website, customer service, sales department, retail/office site, etc) that your client comes in contact with as they navigate through the process.

Step 3: Identify the key emotional touch-points.

Now that you’ve documented the client journey, it is time to find emotional triggers they may be experiencing each step of the way. Some emotions they may feel include:

• Anxiousness
• Buyer’s Remorse
• Contentment
• Enthusiasm
• Excitement
• Gratification
• Overwhelm
• Relief
• Satisfaction

Step 4: Mark each touch point with your personal brand.

The last step is to review the buyer persona, customer experience map, and emotional trigger points; then, inject your brand’s personality and value proposition into the client process.

For instance, your value proposition may be customer intimacy and your brand personality may center around light-hearted fun. To create a brand experience, include a humorous thank you note with your products. Moo.com does this with their business card reorder. They make up a brightly colored card that says “Hey! So nice to see you again.”

Customer Experience Map Examples

For further reference, check out these articles and customer experience template examples from around the web that you may find helpful when creating your own map:

• What is Customer Experience Mapping?, IntegratedBrand.com
• The Anatomy of an Experience Map, AdaptivePath.com
• How to Map the Emotional Customer Experience, TheOperationsBlog.com

Keep the conversation flowing… Tell us an exceptional brand experience you’ve received.

PS: Have you checked out this month’s free audio class for more personal branding tips, resources, and insights in creating your personal brand? Each month we feature a guest expert that shares their proven strategies and systems for building your personal brand and business success. But it’s only available free until the last day of this month, so check it out now!