3 Reasons Why CEOs Should Fall in Love with Journey Mapping

“Understand the customer’s journey and you’ll understand how to win.” – Bernadette Jiwa (author)

When researched and implemented correctly, journey maps are an invaluable communication tool for any organization for the simple reason that EVERYONE has a shared understanding of the customer journey, no matter where they work in the organization. Insights are no longer locked away in one or two people’s heads, scattered across PowerPoint decks, or tossed about anecdotally in hallways and Zoom rooms.

That said, journey maps have big-time financial value, too. Journey mapping can make the hearts of CEOs and other executives go pitter-patter for 3 big bottomline reasons…

  1. Churn Reduction: By understanding the reasons why customers are leaving or canceling their subscriptions, organizations can take steps to address these issues and prevent further churn.
  2. Increased Revenue: Journey maps can help identify opportunities for cross-selling and upselling, as well as potential areas for product or service expansion.
  3. Cost Reduction: By identifying inefficiencies or bottlenecks, organizations can make process improvements that reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.

Journey Mapping Begins with Metrics

To be effective, CX teams must not only activate the insights gained but tie the results of these efforts to business outcomes. That is, it’s critical to show how journey mapping helped the organization achieve specific business goals, such as increasing customer retention, reducing customer complaints, or boosting revenue.

Before starting a journey mapping exercise, establish clear objectives and KPIs to ensure that the effort is focused on addressing specific business problems and outcomes (e.g., set realistic goals for reducing customer wait times, improving first call resolution rates, or increasing customer satisfaction scores). 

Determine the metrics that matter most to your business and align them with your customer experience goals, for example: 

  • Set specific CX goals that you want to achieve. For example, if your current customer churn rate is 10%, you may set a goal to reduce it to 5% within a specific time frame.
  • Use surveys and customer feedback to gather data on how customers are responding to the changes you have made based on the journey mapping. This data can help you determine whether you are on track to achieve your goals. For example, track the customer satisfaction impact of improving the booking process and flight status updates on the mobile app.
  • Conduct A/B testing to test different versions of a solution and see which one performs better in terms of business outcomes. This can help you refine your approach and optimize for better results.

The Power of Mapping: 5 Success Stories

Forrester found that companies that prioritize customer journey mapping generate a 15% increase in revenue compared to companies that do not. (Forrester Consulting, The Business Impact of Investing in Customer Experience, 2016.)

A healthcare provider saw a 20% increase in patient satisfaction and a 22% increase in patient retention after implementing changes based on journey mapping. (Walker Case Study, Improving the Patient Experience through Journey Mapping.)

Aberdeen Group found that companies that use journey mapping see a 54% greater return on marketing investment over those that do not. (Aberdeen Group, Journey Mapping: Actionable Insights Take You Where Your Customers Want to Go, 2015.)

A retail chain that used journey mapping to improve its checkout process saw a 20% increase in customer satisfaction and a 10% increase in revenue. (CX Journey Inc. Case Study, Journey Mapping for an Improved Customer Experience.)

Qualtrics used journey mapping to improve its customer onboarding process and saw a 30% increase in customer retention and a 20% increase in revenue. (Qualtrics Case Study, Journey Mapping Increases Customer Retention and Drives Revenue Growth.)

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Author: Kristine Remer

Kristine Remer is a CX insights leader, UX researcher, and strategist in Minneapolis. She helps organizations drive significant business outcomes by finding and solving customer problems. She never misses the Minnesota State Fair and loves dark chocolate mochas, kayaking, escape rooms, and planning elaborate treasure hunts for her children.