Job to Be Done (JTBD) Framework: Understand customers deeper than User Persona.

Made a good product ... but why no one uses? The problem that User Persona cannot answer.

Have you ever felt like this? Your team is dedicated to time and a enormous budget to create a new product that is confident that "Yes". Of course, we do a thorough user Persona. Set clear target groups. "Khun May, 32 years old, is the marketing manager, likes to drink coffee and follow the technology news" tight information. Everything looks perfect according to textbooks. But when launching the product ... "Quiet", the customer does not use marketing Sales do not come like the dream. Painful questions are "Where do we miss?" Although we know our customers well, isn't it?

This is a classic trap that many businesses fall. We tend to be obsessed with the "attributes of customers, such as age, sex, or personal preference. Which is what the user persona tells us well, but we overlook that more important is the "behind the scenes" or "motivation" that makes a person deciding "pay" to "our products or services to do" work ". This problem is not born because Persona is not useful. But it may not be deep enough to answer the most important question, "Why" the customer decided to buy separately.

Prompt for illustrations: Comparison graphics between User Persona, which is a picture of a man with various properties (age, career, liking) and the other side that is a picture of a problem that people One is encountering, such as a very messy desk. Or being confused with using many applications to work in one piece

Behind the failure: When we focus on the "who" instead is "why"

The main reason why our products and marketing "Persona are clear because" population characteristics are not the cause of buying. "Yes, May did not buy the app. Manage the latest project because she is 32 or because she is the manager, but she "hires" the app because she is "struggling" and following up the progress of the team that is scattered and needs "progress" to a state. "Everything is organized and controlled"

This is the essence of the concept called Job to Be Done (JTBD). Framework initiated and developed by Professor Clayton Christensen from the late Harvard Business School. "Customers do not buy products or services, but they 'hire' it comes to do 'work' some things" as we hire a mechanic to repair the air conditioner. We don't need a mechanic. But we want "Cool weather" which is the last result This concept changed our perspective from trying to understand. "Customer identity" (WHO) to understand "Customer situation and target (Why and what), which is a true driving force behind the decision Deep understanding of this is an important part of the Discovery Phase process in the development of projects. That will help reduce the risk of not creating things that no one wants

Prompt for illustrations: Easy Infographic images. JTBD's concept is a "hire" person. (Hire) of applications or products. With an arrow pointing to the "desired" result (such as a clean desk, graph) with the word "People don't buy Them to get a Job done."

If still getting lost with Persona ... What will happen?

Sticking only Persona's superficial information without trying to dig deep into the "JOB" of the customer. Will inevitably lead to business pain in business Imagine:

• Lost resources with the creation of wrong items: the development team will take time and energy to create a feature that "Looks good" according to Persona, but no one actually uses Because it does not help the "work" of customers even easier
• Burning money, marketing is worthwhile: the marketing team will create a campaign that communicates the wrong point. Speaking of only features, but not talking about results or progress, customers will receive (outcome), making our message not impacting and unable to compete with other "options" in the minds of customers.
• Lost the opportunity for competitors to understand customers better: while we were in the Democrat Customers' Job "may release products that are simpler, but" responding to "at the point of coming out. And sweep all our customers
• The innovation that is toned: We will be stuck with the original product improvement. One little by little (Incremental Improvement) because we do not see the opportunity to create true innovations. Which is usually hidden in understanding "JOB" that customers still do not do well enough Or no one came to help to accomplish

Letting this situation continue It is no different from our buildings that are beautiful, but no one wants to live. Because we have never asked what the person who will come in to want from this house Understanding the behavior of users with models like Fogg Behavior Model will also be more difficult if we don't know what their true motivation.

Prompt for illustrations: graph showing the route of 2 companies, one company (red), still sales or agreed There is a Persona document icon next to another company (green). Sales are rising. There is a lamp image and the word "JTBD" beside to convey the differences in the results.

The solution is at "Job to Be Done": Start looking at customers in a new angle.

The most powerful solution is to change the lens to look at customers from attaching to "identity" as a focus. "Work that must be accomplished" or Job to Be Done Framework. It is a question from "Who is our customers?" Is a deeper question:

• "What is the struggle with the story?" (The Struggle)
• "Where are they trying to reach? What is the 'progress' that they want in life? "
• "In what kind of situation is this 'work'?" (Context)
• "Today, what methods do they use to solve problems or 'hiring'? This 'work'?"

How to start?

The beginning is easier than you think. It is a change in how to talk to customers from general questions. As a JTBD Interview to find the "The Story of the Last Purchase" story, with the key to understanding. "The Switching Moment", which we can study more from leading data sources such as Clayton Christensen Institute or Intercom , who seriously use this concept.

Understanding the "work" of the customer will help us see the overall User Journey Mapping . Because we will know that in each step of that route Customers are expecting "Progress" in any form

Prompt for illustrations: Infographic, which is divided into 2 parts, the first part is "Old Way" with Persona icons and "Who are they". The second is the "New Way (JTBD)" with a context icon and "What Progress Are The Trading to make?" "

Examples from the real thing: Intercom created ten billion business by understanding "Job"

For example, the company that created the identity and the product from Job to Be Done would not be clear than the Intercom, a communication platform with a famous customer before the Intercom. Communication with online customers is completely scattered.

The Struggle: A business must use one tool to send marketing emails (such as mailchimp), use another tool for Live Chat on the web (such as Olark), use another tool for making new users for new users. And another tool for making a support system. Customer information is separated. Continuous discussion Causing the experience of the customer to be bad and the team is tired

"Job" that no one came to accomplish: "work" that these businesses want "hiring", not "I want Live Chat" or "I want to send an email" but "work" is "I want to communicate with my customers efficiently and continuously in every Points along their path " (I want to have effects, Ongoing Conversations with My Customers Across Their Entirere Lifecycle.

Intercom: Intercom does not just create a better Live chat, but they create a platform that combines every communication in one place. Whether the customer is on the webpage, in the app or receiving email Everything is connected. They create products to do this "work" in particular and use this marketing language that speaks "JOB" clearly.

The result is that the Intercom does not compete with other Live Chat programs, but they become competitors of all marketing tools and support. Because they can do all "work" better than in one place This is the power of product design based on "JOB" as the center. Which directly affects the user experience design Especially in important procedures such as SAAS Customer Onboarding, which must make our customers feel that our products make their 'work' really easier.

Prompt for illustrations: Dai Gram image shows "BEFORE Intercom" with many icons (email, chat) separately and "Aftercom" images with all icons included in one platform. And shows that customer information circulates smoothly

Checklist 5 simple steps for using JTBD immediately.

Read here You would like to try to use Job to Be Done to apply to your business, right? The good news is that you can start immediately with the 5 checklist.

1. Search "Job" through an interview (Uncover the Job with Interviews): Inviting customers who just bought your products or services. But not asking "What do you like in our products?" But ask, "Please tell me. That before using our products Working life/life in the story ... How is it? "" What is the point that makes you feel that you can't bear it anymore? Must find a new helper? "Try to dig deep into his" situation "and" struggle ".
2. Write Job Story clearly (Define the Job Story): synthesize the data obtained from the interview as a "Job Story" that has a clear structure. The popular format is: When _____ [situation], I wan to _____ [Motivation/target], so i can _____ [Expected results]. For example, "When [my team is getting bigger and a complex project], I want to [see the overall progress of everyone in one place], so I can [confident that the work will be completed as scheduled and nothing drops]."
3. Analyze the real competitor ( Identify Whether it is Excel, note on the book, telephone conversation Or even "Not doing anything"
4. Marketing communication in the language of "Job" (Job "," Not the Product): adjust the text on the website, all your new advertisements or content. Stop talking about features ("We have a genius notification system") and turn to talk about "results" and "progress" that customers will receive. ("No deadlines are out of your eyes anymore.")
5. Design products and services to meet the "Job" (Design for the "Job"): "Job Story" is the North Star in the decision to develop new features. Every feature created must answer the question that "It will help the customer to do his 'work' better, how to faster, or cheaper?" This is the heart of the truly effective.

Prompt for illustrations: a large checklist image showing 5 steps (Interview, Job Story, Competition, Marketing, Design) with easy -to -understand icons in each item.

Questions that people often wonder about Job to Be Done

I have compiled a popular question about JTBD to answer. So you can apply it more confidently

Question: Job to Be Done (JTBD), how is it different from User Persona? In a short summary?
Answer: Yes! User Persona will answer the question "Who is our customers?" (Who), focusing on the characteristics and data of population science, such as age 35, is a manager, likes technology, but JTBD will answer the question: "Our customers are trying to make the 'work' successfully?" (Why), focusing on the situation, motivation and goal that customers want to say easily is Persona, "the default". JTBD is "motivation for the crime".

Question: How do we know that we have found the true "Job" of the customer?
Answer: "JOB" that is always emotional energy (Emotional Energy) is always hidden. It's not just a function of use. But it is a feeling of "relief", "confident", "look professional" or "liberation from the chaos". That's it. It's a good sign that you are close to "JOB".

Question: JTBD can only be used with the development of B2B saas products?
Answer: No! JTBD is a universal concept that works for everything. From consumer goods (People do not buy He hired it to "Making holes on the wall") to various services (People do not go to a coffee shop to buy coffee, but he may "hire" that place to "Change working atmosphere" or "meet friends"). It works with every business that wants to understand the customers more deeply.

Q: In the end, should we leave the user persona?
Answer: Not necessary. Both tools can work together very powerful. We can use Persona to help see a wide picture. That we should go to "talk to" to find "Job", but when it's time to design the product and market, use "Job Story" as a north star Because it is more powerful in predicting purchasing behavior

Prompt for illustrations: Image icons, large question markers surrounded by small icons related to Persona, Product, Marketing and customers to convey the answer that many people are wondering.

It's time to change the perspective: stop selling "products" and start helping the customer "work" successfully.

At this point, I believe that you can see that Job to Be Done Framework is not just a cool marketing theory, but it is a major "Mindset Shift" to unlock the potential of your business. It is our focus from what "We want to sell" to what "customers try to accomplish" in their lives.

Understanding "Job" makes every decision easier and sharper. From feature designs, settings, to writing every line of advertising messages It helps us create "yes" for customers, not just what "It seems to be" according to the superficial population information. Time investment to understand JTBD is the most worthwhile investment. Because it will help you save resources from creating things that do not answer. And build a strong relationship with customers who feel that "This brand really understands me."

The last question I would like to leave is ... Today, do you know "Job" that customers hire you to do well enough?

If you are ready to search for answers and create products that customers "must hire", don't wait! Begin to bring the 5 checklist that we have to do immediately. And you will find that understanding the customers is deeply more powerful than you have ever thought of!

Prompt for illustrations: Powerful graphics Showing the hands of the customer is submitting money (hiring) to the hands of the business that submitted the solution. (Product/Service) provided with the backdrop of the image (confused, messy) and After (organized, happy) that convey the "progress" that occurs.

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