One, always stay alert, thinking about the user
First of all, deep inside, build up this awareness.
That is, no matter how experienced and sophisticated we are, no matter what industry we are in, what position we are in, we should recognize and remember in our hearts that there is a difference between our thinking and user thinking, and we should be cautious, vigilant and in awe of users and user thinking.
In every link of product design, operation and promotion, we should reflect on whether the user's thinking is truly reflected and whether the user is always in mind.
Two, go to life, constantly improve the user's thinking
User thinking is not innate, nor can it be completely mastered in a moment.
This not only needs to be gradually improved in daily work, but also needs to observe and think in daily life at any time and anywhere, and carefully experience and analyze whether a product and business design is appropriate, whether it reflects the user's thinking.
It is said that one minute on the stage, ten years of work under the stage.
Why emphasize "kung fu exercises in daily life"?
Because only then do you use the product or service designed and offered by others as a user. At that moment, you are not the designer, so there is no curse of knowledge and you will not be too patient. Only in this way, is in the experience of real user thinking.
For example, let's look at an example of a gas station selling mineral water.
When you drive to the gas station, you will notice a lot of boxes of mineral water beside the refueling machine.
Have you ever wondered why you sell mineral water here?
In fact, a little analysis, you will understand that in the gas station sales boxes of mineral water, is the embodiment of the user's thinking.
Why?
First, the owner has the need to purchase mineral water by case. In the gas station, accurate users come to the door in droves.
Secondly, in other scenarios such as roadside convenience stores or large supermarkets, it is inconvenient to purchase water. Either the car wasn't driving, or the car was parked far away, and it was troublesome to carry a whole box of water.
It can be seen that only when the gas station, the sales scene is the most perfect - goods and consumers, goods and vehicles close at hand.
Then, I would like to say a case that I have seen with my own eyes, "skillfully begging with user's thinking".
A few years ago, I was driving at an intersection outside Beijing's fifth ring road, waiting for the traffic lights. Because of the heavy traffic and long waiting time, this place has become an excellent place to post small advertisements and beg for money.
At that time, I saw from a distance a thin old man began to beg by car. To my surprise, I found that all the cars in front of me were paid without exception.
The secret is not how pathetic he looks or how articulate he is, but that he has the user mindset to do things for you first.
He walked to the front of each car, said nothing, waved his feather duster and brushed the hood and front windshield to remove dust. Then he walked over to the driver and nodded and smiled through the window.
The quiet act of cleaning up your car leaves drivers defenceless and scrambling for change. I was also moved to prepare the money before he swept it away. Then I looked in my rearview mirror for a moment and saw that all the cars behind me had paid.
The reason why this old beggar has been successful repeatedly is that he has the user's thinking and thinks from the perspective of others. Because if you do nothing and ask for it crudely, most people will refuse. But he serves you first, so everyone feels indebted, sorry, and pays.
Therefore, we should observe and think more in our daily life, and you will find that user thinking is everywhere.
Go into the product and use it in various scenarios
It's very easy to get into trouble if you're sitting in the middle of the office designing a product and you don't use it that much.
Also, use the product not only frequently, but in a variety of real-world scenarios.
Here is an example of a navigation product.
As we know, in the past few years, the navigation software should prompt the driver to turn right at the intersection, which is similar to the voice prompt: "turn right at the traffic light 500 meters ahead". This tip sounds very clear. The distance and direction are given. It should be ok for the driver. But when you actually drive, you find it difficult to accurately judge whether you have reached "500 meters" or not. Chances are you'll make the mistake of turning right before you reach 300 meters.
Therefore, most of the prompts have been changed to "turn right at the second traffic light 500 meters ahead", and "passing the first traffic light" when you should not turn right. With such thoughtful design, you can hardly go wrong.
Likewise, for marketing campaigns, you need to test them. The case of "xiaomi mobile phone outdoor launch" mentioned above is a typical example.
4. Go to users for more research and return visits
Product managers and company managers should use and experience more products, but after all, there are only a limited number of users, so they cannot exhaust all scenarios of all users.
Therefore, it is necessary to pay close attention to the use of products by the majority of users, and do more user research and telephone return visit. Only in this way can we accurately grasp the user's thinking.
Here is an example of user requirements selection for mobile security products.
Now, if I ask you, among the several demands for mobile phone security, such as "payment security, clearance acceleration, harassment and interception", which one do you think is the most important?
It is estimated that many people choose "payment security" without thinking, and many security product r & d personnel and market operation personnel also choose this way.
Indeed, the choice is both common sense and logical. After all, losing money on your phone must be more important than any of the others.
But when we went to all parts of the country, and hundreds of users from all walks of life communication, research, but came to a surprising conclusion - "cleaning up speed" is more important! There are several reasons as follows:
Losing money on a mobile phone is a rare occurrence, and "slow speed and insufficient storage space" are a constant annoyance to users.
Users do not feel that security software is more secure than the payment tool itself.
Rely on the person is inferior to rely on oneself, user has his prevent clever move. Some people only have a bank card with a small balance, while others only use payment software on their iPhone and never install other software or connect to any public WiFi.
It can be seen that we cannot have such user thinking without face-to-face communication.
In addition to doing user research, it's important to call back later.
In the case of philips purifier mentioned above, if the enterprise had a telephone return visit mechanism, such problems would not exist on a large scale and for a long time.
However, the reality is that not only many large enterprises do not have the mechanism of telephone return visit, but even some start-ups with immature businesses never make telephone return visit, which is extremely dangerous.
conclusion
As can be seen from many cases and in-depth analysis above, it is very important to master the user's thinking.
User thinking is not only reflected in product design and marketing planning, but also runs through all aspects of daily life.
First of all, we should realize that it is really difficult to master the user's mind, which is caused by the following reasons:
The curse of knowledge: once one has acquired knowledge or experience, it is difficult to feel without it.
Influence of human nature: people are generally impatient, so they make judgments intuitively and subconsciously.
Missing tests: inadequate or missing tests that lead to problems.
Secondly, although it is difficult, we still have ways to gradually cultivate our users' thinking ability:
Always be alert: always have the user in mind and always acknowledge that we are different from what the user thinks.
Go to life: in life, stand in the user's perspective carefully observe, seriously think, constantly hone user thinking.
Go into products: use your products often and go out of the office to test them in various scenarios.
Go to users: do more user research and return visit to understand the real thoughts of users.
Only in this way can we deeply understand the user's thinking and gradually master the user's thinking.
Only in this way can you achieve success in product and marketing without alienating users; Only when you put yourself in others' shoes and put yourself in others' shoes all the time can you have a happy life.
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