Hundreds of millions of employees and entrepreneurs are at their desks today, innovating, marketing, selling, and supporting solutions to everyday problems.
Unfortunately, most will never get to see what happens after their stakeholders use what they’ve built.
They’ll never get to celebrate, What Happens Next?
Let’s fix that starting right now…
Start by asking, ‘What happens after our stakeholders use the products and services we work so hard to bring to their lives?’
Assuming your planned benefits are strong, your users will experience REAL-WORLD IMPACT—ongoing, small and large changes in multiple areas of their lives…
Asking WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? is one of the most powerful strategies to increase stakeholder engagement, loyalty, and revenue.
When users experience REAL-WORLD IMPACT, they’re far more likely to come back for more and tell all their friends about you and your offerings.
The key is to measure, maximize and capitalize on your REAL-WORLD IMPACT, and that’s why I keep writing about it.
Last week, I shared the first of Five Components of REAL-WORLD IMPACT: INITIAL IMPACT, with real-world examples of What Happens Next??? (links in comments).
Now let’s look at the second component: IMPACT RIPPLES.
IMPACT RIPPLES are best understood through the well-known metaphor of the “Pebble in a Pond.”
When we toss a product or service into someone’s life, it hits them the same way a pebble hits the water…
The pebble (product) creates an INITIAL IMPACT (splash), which then creates a series of IMPACT RIPPLES.
IMPACT RIPPLES are the ongoing, differences, changes, results, outcomes, events, and experiences that occur in people’s lives after they receive the INIITAL IMPACT of a product or service.
The more powerful the product, the more IMPACT RIPPLES will appear over time, the more REAL-WORLD IMPACT users will experience, and the more they will buy.
Following is one of my favorite real-world examples of IMPACT RIPPLES (excerpt from my latest book, What Matters Matters Most®)…
“Tameka, I assume your Age-Reducing Smile Balm was purposefully designed to create a measurable difference in users’ lives, yes?”
“Yes,” Tameka confirmed.
“Okay,” the Impact Lady instructed, “do you know the INITIAL IMPACTs your customers experience after receiving the planned benefits of Age-Reducing Smile Balm?”
“Yes, we made a list of those last week,” Tameka reported.
“Good,” the Impact Lady affirmed. “Now, assuming your customer needs to use your product on a regular basis, can we expect cumulative, positive impacts to their skin?”
“Yes,” Tameka confirmed, “At least, that’s the goal.”
“Okay, how long does it take for your planned benefits to kick in?” the Impact Lady asked.
Tameka sat thinking for a moment, then looked up.
“We tell customers it takes six weeks for them to achieve the full effect of Smile Balm, but most people start seeing results in the first 24 hours, so we’re good with INITIAL IMPACT starting after that.”
“Great, let’s continue,” the Impact Lady directed. “Now, think about a typical user and ask yourself ‘What Happened Next?’ What is the INITIAL IMPACT after your planned benefits?”
Tameka quickly looked at the list her team had given her. “Got it!”
“Okay,” the Impact Lady continued. “After the first 24 hours of your INITIAL IMPACT, what will your customer see, think, feel, and do as their skin changes in response to using the product?”
Tameka quickly scribbled another list. “Got it!”
“Now,” the Impact Lady continued, “please tell us everything you’ve figured out, beginning with your INITIAL IMPACT and then IMPACT RIPPLES.”
“Sure!” Tameka began. “The INITIAL IMPACT is increased moisture, softness, and smoothness around and on the lips.
“If customers follow instructions and apply Smile Balm twice each day, they will likely experience IMPACT RIPPLES of increasing fullness, smoothness, moistness, softness, improved coloration of their lips, less cracking, increasing evenness of lipstick application, reduction of fine lines around their lips, and a more youthful appearance overall.
“I believe most people who buy a product to improve their smile begin with a degree of self-consciousness about the smile they had before they used Smile Balm.
“So logically, a revitalized smile would create IMPACT RIPPLES of increased self-esteem, feeling more comfortable in their own skin, and a greater willingness to put themselves out in the world.
“This would likely create IMPACT RIPPLES of opportunities for personal and professional connections, which could lead to IMPACT RIPPLES of new adventures, new relationships, new learning, more joy, more success, more love, and more pride when they look in the mirror.”
“Just hearing you makes me want to use the stuff,” Mae laughed.
“Brava Tameka!” Amy smiled.
— End quote —
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??? is one of the most powerful questions we can ever explore.
When we research INITIAL IMPACT and IMPACT RIPPLES and share the results with internal and external stakeholders, we consistently see significant increases in engagement, loyalty, and revenue.
And that’s only the first two Components of REAL-WORLD IMPACT!
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT???
The next three components of REAL-WORLD IMPACT enable stakeholders to form impassioned perceptions of the value, desirability, and trust of your products, services, and organization.
I’ll tell you about the third component next week, and in the meantime, why not take a few minutes to list your potential IMPACT RIPPLES?
Begin with your INITIAL IMPACT, then keep asking WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??? and you’ll discover your IMPACT RIPPLES.
Share your IMPACT RIPPLES list below so we can all celebrate you…
And if you missed any of my articles or posts on REAL-WORLD IMPACT, you might want to start with the articles listed below (in the comments).
The impact we make together will be far greater than any we’ll ever make alone!