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Empathy Map Worksheet

The empathy map starts by filling in this key question:

Our customers (users/clients)

need a better way to ____________ Understand their financial situation

because ______________.
They feel overwhelmed by complex financial jargon and struggle to make informed decisions.

The “because” in that statement is crucial! Create your version in the spaces
below:

Our customers need a better way to:

Our customers need a better way to:

Stay connected with loved ones who live far away

because:
They miss the personal interactions and emotional connections that distance often disrupts.

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Getting started
Before you begin gathering research, create a blank empathy map where you
can start to collect notes. Make sure you include any wording the prospect
uses to describe their problem or the solution they’re looking for.

You can create your empathy map:

• On paper

• With collaborative tools like Google Docs

• With a flexible note-taking tool like Evernote

• Using mind-mapping software

The important thing is to capture your impressions in four quadrants:

Thinking Seeing
Quotes/Keywords: Environment:
"I wish there was a simpler way to..."
"It would be helpful if..." Busy workspaces cluttered with papers and files
"I often wonder about..." Constantly checking phones and calendars
Concerns/Considerations:
Complexities in understanding financial terms Interactions:
Difficulty in prioritizing tasks effectively Engaging in online research for solutions
Feeling overwhelmed by competing demands
Desired Solutions: Seeking advice from peers or mentors
Clear explanations of financial concepts Facial Expressions:
Tools for better time management and task prioritization
Strategies to reduce stress and overwhelm Furrowed brows indicating confusion or frustration
Occasional smiles when finding helpful resources

Doing Feeling
Actions: Emotions:
Researching financial management techniques online Frustration with complex financial terminology
Creating to-do lists and schedules Overwhelmed by the amount of work and responsibilities
Attending workshops or seminars on productivity Seeking a sense of control and clarity
Activities: Needs:
Juggling multiple tasks simultaneously Desire for simplicity and ease in managing tasks and finances
Organizing and reorganizing schedules and priorities Longing for relief from stress and overwhelm
Rituals: Craving guidance and support in making decisions
Taking short breaks to alleviate stress
Reviewing tasks and goals at the beginning or end of the day

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Any tool you use will need lots of room for notes and additions. (If you’re
creating the map on paper, sticky notes come in handy!) You’ll probably want
to expand well beyond the spaces created for you in this workbook — this
PDF is just to get you started.

Capture the world view

A valid Empathy Map begins with developing a keen sense of your prospect’s
(and customer’s) world view.

You can begin to collect data on this world view with surveys, one-on-one
interviews, diving into support emails or emails from prospects who have
questions.

Take some notes here about how you plan to collect the information you’ll
need for your empathy map:
To gather information for the empathy map, I'll use:

1. Surveys to collect quantitative data.

2. One-on-one interviews for qualitative insights.
3. Analysis of support emails and queries.
4. Participation in online forums and communities.
5. User testing sessions for direct feedback.

These methods will help understand the prospect's and customer's worldview, their
challenges, and preferences.

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Sharpen your focus on the avatar

This exercise will be most useful once you’ve conducted your surveys or
interviews.

Start by sketching out the basic demographics — age, gender, income, etc.

But be sure to also branch off into personality traits, quirks, habits, customs,
beliefs, routines, etc.

You must develop a specific, distinctive image Develop a specific,

of an individual person that you speak to in distinctive image of
your marketing. (You might well be creating
an individual person
more than one.)
that you speak to in
Not every buying customer will precisely your marketing.
resemble your avatar. Your avatar may be
a woman, but your customer base will also
include men. However, you need to be able to visualize a specific individual
person in order to develop empathy for that person.

You’ll want to take lots of notes throughout the process, but once you’ve
completed your research on world view, it’s time to flesh out a complete
Empathy Map, using the four quadrants. You can use the worksheet that
follows to get started, but you’ll probably find that you want to expand into a
tool that offers more room for notes and details.

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Thinking
Capture the thoughts, concerns, and aspirations of the individual.
Identify their motivations, goals, and decision-making processes.
Note down any questions, doubts, or desires related to the product or service.
Explore their mental barriers and challenges in making purchasing decisions.

Seeing
Describe the environment in which the individual operates.
Observe their interactions with products, services, and other people.
Note their visual cues, including body language and facial expressions.
Identify the visual stimuli that influence their perceptions and behaviors.

Doing
Document the actions and behaviors the individual engages in daily.
Highlight their routines, habits, and rituals related to the product or service.
Identify the steps they take to address their needs or solve problems.
Note any obstacles or barriers that hinder their ability to take action.

Feeling
Explore the emotions and sentiments experienced by the individual.
Identify their fears, frustrations, hopes, and aspirations.
Capture their emotional responses to different situations and stimuli.
Understand how their feelings impact their attitudes and behaviors towards the
product or service.

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Experience Map
Once you have a well-rounded Empathy Map, it’s time to craft the Experience
Map. This describes, step by step, the journey that a prospect takes from
stranger all the way through to loyal repeat and referring customer.

This tends to work best as a team exercise. Gather a representative from every
group that has any contact with your prospective customer. (Sales, Support,
Front Line Product Delivery, etc.)

You’ll also want to bring in all the data you can find, and your Empathy Map
notes.

Begin by collecting every observation the An Experience Map

different teams may have about this avatar.
shows the journey that
Find out what the avatar is doing today,
a prospect takes from
and what could be improved about her
journey as she goes from being a stranger stranger all the way
(unaware of your product or service) through to loyal repeat
through becoming and remaining a happy and referring customer.
client or customer.

A step-by-step outline follows — but don’t hesitate to add steps if that makes
sense for your business.

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How does the prospect find you? What’s the first point of contact? Does she
initiate it, or do you?
Crafting the Experience Map involves:
1. **Team Collaboration:** Gather reps from sales, support, etc.
2. **Observations and Insights:** Note current journey and pain points.
3. **Mapping the Journey:** Start from first contact, outline stages and touchpoints.
4. **Identifying Improvement Opportunities:** Brainstorm solutions and prioritize.
5. **Continuous Iteration:** Update map based on feedback and changes.

This process ensures a well-defined path for prospects, enhancing their journey from strangers to loyal customers.

What does the sales process look like today? Anything you know should
be fixed?
The sales process today involves prospecting, contacting leads, understanding
needs, handling objections, closing deals, and nurturing relationships. Areas for
improvement include streamlining lead qualification, enhancing objection handling,
leveraging technology for efficiency,

What kinds of web-findable content (blog, YouTube channel, podcast, etc.)

are available to the prospect so she can begin to educate herself about your
product or service? What questions are answered? How will that content be
crafted to be both interesting and useful/relevant to the prospect’s problems?
Prospects can find web-findable content such as blogs, YouTube channels, podcasts, webinars, and
social media posts related to the product or service. This content addresses common questions,
provides insights into industry trends, offers tips and tutorials, and showcases case studies. To be
interesting and relevant, the content will be crafted with engaging storytelling, practical advice, and
actionable solutions tailored to address the prospect's specific problems and challenges. It will focus
on providing value and building trust with the audience while demonstrating the benefits and
solutions offered by the product or service.

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What motivates the prospect to raise her hand for permission-based

content, like an opt-in email list? What makes taking that action irresistible
for her?
The prospect is motivated to join permission-based content, such as an opt-in email
list, by the promise of valuable insights, exclusive offers, and solutions to their
problems. Taking action becomes irresistible when the content offers tangible
benefits, addresses their specific needs, and provides a clear path to solving their
challenges or achieving their goals.

What does the prospect need to know in order to make an informed

decision to buy?
The prospect needs to know the benefits of the product or service, how it solves
their problem or fulfills their need, pricing and payment options, testimonials or
reviews from other customers, and any guarantees or warranties offered.

What does she need to believe and experience in order to be delighted to

become a client or customer?
The prospect needs to understand the product's benefits, its problem-solving
capabilities, pricing/payment options, customer testimonials, and any
guarantees/warranties provided.

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What does the actual purchasing experience look like? What are the steps?
How could that process be made simpler and more enjoyable?
The purchasing experience typically involves product selection, adding items to the cart, entering
payment and shipping information, and completing the transaction. Simplifying and enhancing the
process could involve streamlining the checkout process, offering guest checkout options, providing
clear and transparent pricing, and offering multiple payment methods for convenience. Additionally,
minimizing distractions and reducing the number of steps required can make the experience more
enjoyable for the customer.

What happens immediately after the purchase is made?

Immediately after the purchase is made, the customer typically receives a
confirmation email or message confirming their order details. They may also receive
information regarding shipment tracking and expected delivery dates.

How is the product or service delivered today? How could you make that
experience more satisfying for this avatar?
Products or services are typically delivered through shipping, digital downloads, or
service implementation. To enhance satisfaction for the avatar, offering expedited
shipping options, providing clear tracking information, ensuring timely service
delivery, and offering personalized support throughout the process can make the
experience more satisfying.

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What is the plan for staying in touch with this new customer? For ensuring
that she’s having an excellent experience with your product or service?
The plan involves sending follow-up emails, conducting satisfaction surveys,
providing ongoing support through various channels, offering exclusive promotions,
and regularly updating customers on new features or improvements.

How does a delighted customer find out how to refer you to others? What
are the steps of that experience?
A delighted customer finds out how to refer others through clear communication in
post-purchase emails or on the company website. Steps include providing referral
program details, sharing referral links or codes, and offering incentives for
successful referrals.

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High Five Content

Now you’re ready to deliver the right kind of content, to the right person, at
the right time, to keep them moving along their portion of the journey. We call
this “high five” content, it and comes in three distinct flavors.

EDUCATE: What do they need to learn in order to keep going? What do

you need to teach them to begin or continue to do business with you/
your client?

MOTIVATE: Sometimes the issue isn’t whether they’ll buy from you
or continue to buy from you, it’s whether they’ll buy at all. What
encouragement do they need?

CHALLENGE: In certain situations, your prospects and customers/

clients need to be challenged to “up their game” in order to buy from
you or entertain an upsell offer. What kind of content will inspire them
to achieve more, even more than they think they can?

You’ll be creating lots of “High Five” content throughout your content

program, but if you have any preliminary thoughts on pieces you know
you’ll want to create, you can note them here:
Here are some preliminary thoughts on "High Five" content:

1. **Educate:**
- How-to guides on using the product or service effectively.
- Tips and best practices for maximizing benefits.
- Explainer videos demonstrating key features.

2. **Motivate:**
- Success stories and case studies showcasing positive outcomes.
- Inspirational quotes and anecdotes related to achieving goals.
- Exclusive offers or rewards for loyal customers.

3. **Challenge:**
- Interactive quizzes or assessments to gauge knowledge or skills.
- Webinars or workshops on advanced strategies or techniques.
- Challenges or contests encouraging customers to push their limits.

Creating these types of content will help keep customers engaged, motivated, and continuously improving in their journey with the product or service.

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