Customer Discovery for AU/ NZ Part 6: Wishes and Woes

Mike IarossiCustomer Discovery

In the case of our customer discovery process, we want to understand the biggest pain points within a given experience, but we also want to know where those pain points sit relative to others. In the last article, I talked about the concept of negative reinforcers and how the process of “taking away” a negative stimulus can often lead to …

Customer Discovery for AU/ NZ Part 5: Reinforcers

Mike IarossiCustomer Discovery

In the last article, I shared a session I had during a customer discovery interview where I explained a common scenario that arises when teams have the wrong idea about a customer job, and I demonstrated one way of changing course. In that particular case, we went from learning about the problem to sketching out a solution within about 40 …

Customer's problem

Aussie Customer Experience: “It’s Your Problem” Part 2

Mike IarossiCustomer Discovery

While my tone in the last article may have made me sound pessimistic, I can assure you I’m not. In fact, my position is the exact opposite. There is a huge opportunity here in Australia for the right organisation. Remember, more than 85 percent of businesses in this country are classified as service entities—and I would wager that the majority …

Customer Discovery for AU/NZ Part 4: On the Road

Mike IarossiCustomer Discovery

Last week I introduced what I would consider to be a first-pass approach to framing up an early hypothesis and then talked about how to pull together a simple structure before heading outside to talk to real people. Before we jump into this week’s article, I wanted to take a minute to mention something about the way I am approaching …

Customer Discovery for AU/NZ, Part 3: The Approach

Mike IarossiCustomer Discovery

Welcome back to our Customer Discovery series. This is a series written for executives, business owners, and transformation practitioners who are interested in improving their chances of discovering new markets or discovering new products for new markets that customers will actually buy. The focus this week is on outlining the approach, asking you to make some guesses, and hopefully getting …

Customer Discovery for New Markets in AU/NZ

Mike IarossiCustomer Discovery

Mike IarossiMike is the Founder and General Manager of Redshift Consulting, Founder of Praetorian Code, and Board Member to the International Business TRIZ Association. He holds a Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UMD) and a Bachelors in Psychology and Education (UCSB). He is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (UTS); Certified Practitioner of Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ);  …

How to Build Rapport

PEST Control: Establishing Non-Verbal Rapport

Mike IarossiCustomer Discovery

I’m always asked how we’re able to gain rapport with people so quickly when we’re performing customer discovery. Well…it’s a bit of an art and a bit of a science. I have a Bachelor’s in psychology, and while I was studying pro-social behaviour I developed a shortcut for building non-verbal rapport. I call it PEST Control. PEST is the acronym …

Customer's problem

Aussie Customer Experience: “It’s Your Problem”

Mike IarossiCustomer Discovery

I had a fantastic chat a few weeks ago with author and Theory of Constraints consultant Gordon Dunbar. We were comparing notes on recent trends here in Australia. One of the topics that came up was this strategy of elevation to the supersystem, where, in an effort to cut costs, companies push more and more responsibility for service support onto …

BJJ-immediate-feedback-loop

Feedback Loops: Delusional Reality vs Jiu-Jitsu Reality

Mike IarossiBusiness Improvement, Management

Feedback loops exist in business, just like they exist in sports and in martial arts. Some are much more effective than others. A good question to ask from a business perspective is: Am I getting the right feedback at the right time to allow for countermeasures when an initiative drifts off course? It’s an important consideration, since they often do. …

Redshift Consulting

Blueprint for Innovation™

Mike IarossiInnovation

Mike IarossiMike is the Founder and General Manager of Redshift Consulting, Founder of Praetorian Code, and Board Member to the International Business TRIZ Association. He holds a Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UMD) and a Bachelors in Psychology and Education (UCSB). He is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (UTS); Certified Practitioner of Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ);  …