using innovation games to find out what customers want

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Today’s agenda:• Overview regarding the power of Innovation Games• Introduce one of my customers, MyFearZapper, and the problem we would like to solve using one of the games• Play one of the games to demonstrate effectiveness

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Goal for today’s session:• Learn through case studies and hands-on play about the power of games

Objective for today’s session:• Help you harness the creativity of your biggest fans – your customers

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

• Innovation Games® founded by inventor Luke Hohmann

• Premise: human beings are hard-wired to express themselves and interact with each other through play

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Problem statement:• You can just ask your customers what they want

• Customers don’t actually know what they want before they see it

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Solution statement (aka: figuring out what customers want through the Games):

• Learn how your customers define success

• Clarify exactly how and when customers will use your product or service

• Understand where your offerings fit into your customers’ operations

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Solution statement (aka: figuring out what customers want through the Games):

• Discover what customers don’t like about your offerings

• Increase empathy for the customers’ experience within your organization

• Uncover unspoken needs and breakthrough opportunities

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Spider WebShow and TellRemember the FutureMe and My ShadowPrune the Product TreeGive Them a Hot TubProduct BoxThe ApprenticeBuy a Feature20/20 VisionSpeed BoatStart Your Day

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Spider Web

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

• Customer & subcontractors stay separate, best they don’t interface• Some subcontractors become customers & are also great referral sources• How many customers realize that a subcontractor has so many touchpoints?• Would be useful to try this exercise w/a potential project to demonstrate the complexity a customer would face if they went p&s route

Spider Web

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Prune the Product TreeGoal: Shape Your Product to Market Needs• Thick limbs represent major areas of functionality within your system. • The edge of the tree – its outermost branches – represents the features available in the current release.• Write potential new features on several index cards, ideally shaped as leaves.

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Prune the Product TreeWhy It Works• Features vary in importance.• And, sometimes too little effort behind the features that are needed to complete the product. • Customers provide input into the decision making process in a holistic manner.

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Product BoxGoal: Identify the Most Exciting Product Features• Customers design a product box for your product that represents the product that they want to buy.

• You’ll learn what your customers think are the most important, exciting features of your product or service.

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Product BoxWhy It Works• Customers want to believe that they’re buying products or services to solve their problems • Customers may not be able to articulate the problems that are driving the purchase of your products

• Product Box gives customers a way to tap into these deep needs and express them when they are selling their product back to us.

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Product Box

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Speed BoatGoal: Identify What Customers Don’t Like About Your Product or Service

• You can ask your customers what’s bothering them in a way that lets you stay in control of how complaints are stated and discussed.

• You’ll find fresh new ideas for the changes you can make to address your customer’s most important concerns.

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Speed BoatWhy It Works

• Few customers are genuinely “against” you or your product, the reality is that they want to succeed in using your product.

• Speed Boat creates a ‘safe’ environment where customers can tell you what’s wrong.

• Gives customers an opportunity to reflect on what is genuinely most important.

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

Speed Boat - How to Play the game…Introducing…Andrea Brady

© Harvest Consulting LLC 2013

If you want more information about Innovation Games –

Email me: scott@harvestconsultingllc.comCall me at 513.373.6972

or visit www.innovationgames.com

THANK YOU!