The Design Thinking approach has changed the way one addresses the challenges faced in the business. Under normal circumstances, sales professional put the problem in the center and look at the solutions from it. However, in the Design Thinking approach, the stake holders in the sales value chain are put in the middle and you gain a larger work, social and emotional perspective by empathizing with the stakeholders and looking at solutions from their perspective.
The experience show that there are significant advantage and benefits that accrues on adopting the user or the stakeholder centered approach to problem solving
Sharing some significant ones
- You are enhancing experience of stakeholders - As the sales operations continue over a period of time, entropy begins to set in. This could be due several factors like availibility, distribution, product return, schemes, reimbursements and so on. By adopting the user centered approach, you are constantly looking at enhancing the experience of the stakeholders in the value chain like the channel partners, customers and the users
- You are not working on assumed problems but on real problems - In sales, when you see a challenge, say a distributor is not meeting his committment, you know what is the problem and you invariably know what is the solution. However, whenever you adopt this approach, you are assuming the problem. The question needs to be asked "Is it the real problem"?. The question is "What is the real problem"
- You are not only addressing the work challenges but also the social and emotive challenges- In operations, work is primary and as sales professionals the focus is on addressing the business or operational challenges. However, there are social and emotion issues that needs to be addressed. Have you wondered why sales committment committed at the start of the month moves to the back burner and one goes on as usual.
- Your problem will not keep coming back - The usual approach to deal with business challenges is the problem centered approach. You look at a problem and solve the problem. In the design thinking approach, you see the people around the issue, the challenges they face and what could be done. Normally when a person's problems in going about his role are addressed, the issues in the ground are addressed
- You are building an innovation culture - In adopting a user centered approach, you are constantly focussing on the HOW aspect of the challenges. "How did this problem emerge? "Who else one can approach it"? "How does it help?". By adopting this approach, you are constantly looking for something extra, something new that will support you in the journey. You are looking for innovative ideas. And yor are supporting in building an innovation culture
- You will be able to launch your market schemes product effectively - Have you ever wondered about the stakes involved and the challenges in the launching of the new products and services for the market. And if your reflect on it, you will realize that you simply buldozed your way through it. In your mind you are very clear - this approach has to be followed to the hilt come what. How about launching the same new products and service from a user centered approach. Make it their product and services, their committment and their story. How will your approach be felt by the stakeholders in the distribution value chain
- A freshness in approach - I have heard sales team members sharing the fact that they have never been asked of what could be done rather, they have been told what needs to be done. And when we asked about their experience on various challenges, they were sharing something that was simply new and some fresh ideas. Being in ground they had significant clarity on what needs to be done. Empathy interviews have been eye openers for many in sales
- There is so much clarity and decision making becomes so purpeseful - While conducting empathy interviews on the various stakeholders in the value chain you get differrent perspective, different thougths and when you collate all the information, you are clear as to what needs to be done. Taking decisions becomes purposeful and smooth
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