We must be clear that the map of empathy is not a tool for concise, accurate answers, but rather a better understanding of our client.


As mapping of empathy









Whether you are a professional or an entrepreneur, currently need to know how to earn income and stay in the market. Not stop to listen that the key to success is to know your customer. But how to do it. You need to know the tools that use the most innovative organizations such as Business Design Thinking. They are simple, practical, Visual and with great creative potential.


The empathy map serves to understand, in a simple way, that concerns are our customers, what are their needs, aspirations and desires, such as their behavior, environment, etc. This will be very useful to decide which products or services direct to our customers, channels use to make them available, that kind of communication will be used with them, etc.

Although the marketing already takes into account questions such as those mentioned above, novelty provided by this map of empathy lies in the moment in which they come into play. Questions already not be formulated once created the business with the aim of creating the target customer needs, but they are formulated in an earlier phase, to create harmony with the customer and, somehow, to establish a relationship of collaboration rather than dependence or supply. Is not an idea or create a business and fit it in the target market, but of reversing the process: first the client and then, the business adjusted to their needs and cognitive ability model (what it perceives, feel and express customer is what determines how to approach business model).




The customer empathy map was developed by the XPLANE company and integrated into the design methodology of business as a simple and complete tool models; in order to define the demographic characteristics of the client and understand their environment, behavior, concerns and aspirations.



The aim of this tool is to transform customer segments in people, thus achieving a better understanding about them. The aspects taken into account are:
 • who are real?
• What use the? time?
• Who are your friends?
• What value proposition can you expect?
• How much are willing to pay for it?
• What relationship are willing to establish?
• What is influencing them?
• What do say that you guide their behavior?
• What really guide your behavior?
• Through what channels want to operate?







How do we do it? Let's go step by step.


1. A person should act as the "Coordinator of the exercise", must be who guide others and asks the questions.


2. The image of the Center is your username, your potential customer, we will put you name... Why are you going to name it? Because talk of "user or customer" is somewhat abstract and generic, something we do not link emotionally, but strategically, and today, go to the emotional, and for that, we're going to name it, we are going to humanize to make us easier to empathize with her. Let us imagine that we call him Carlos. Carlos is someone whom we do not know, is someone who is there, in our top of the "funnel", among other thousands of potential users, that we need to know, so we know your world... Let's start with the questions, putting ourselves in their shoes... And remember, if you put on your shoes, do you think that the first thing you will be thinking is in your business or product? No, so forget about you and here go: 3. what thinks and feels Carlos? We must be able to understand what is important for Carlos, what makes you get up every morning, what are their concerns, their dreams, their ideals and aspirations.


4 See Carlos? Carlos is not isolated, within a community that surrounds it and a culture and society affecting it, how is that environment? Who are their friends? What is their referential world? What is exposed every day?


5 What hear Carlos? If we know who are your friends... what they say you? What information do arrive you? What or who can influence you? And from which channels the transcendent information arrives?


6. What it says and does Carlos? What is his address? Attitude and opinion is? It's really what you think, or it may not be saying really what you think? Like acts and interacts? What have others? At this point, it is essential to reflect a little on what they say and do what we have defined as such to know him better.


7 At the bottom, we find two sections: efforts and benefits. What efforts does Carlos? What are their frustrations? What risks it dare not run? What fear you? What are the main obstacles that prevent you from getting what you need and want?
8. And finally, do the rewards get Carlos? what you would really achieve? Do you evaluate its accomplishments?


 Empathy maps
We must be clear that the empathy map is not a tool that will give us precise and concise answers, but rather a better understanding of our client. This tool would work as the means, not the end. To get to that end, it is advisable follow these approaches: segment: first, identify who are the customers. This should group them in a traditional way, based on a series of common attributes (from demographic up how to use the product).


In the end, we will be "x" segments (preferably few) on which work. That will give us an idea of the groups or segments of customers with whom we must focus our efforts.


Humanize: can you name? Where do you live? What will you do? We should, at this stage we need to prepare a list of questions that we would like to ask for a better understanding of aspects, such as their motivations for purchase, its criteria... etc.


Empathize: Here is where we begin to build the empathy map, which we will try to learn more about our client, making us a series of questions about it.
Validate: You should go beyond just imagine how is the customer. We must go out and validate that all scenarios that we raised about what motivates the customer are real.
 Empathy maps