When you need to organize your thoughts or ideas, concept mapping can be the most effective way to do so. Although concept maps can be useful in a variety of circumstances, they are particularly valuable when you are working with clients.
Whether you are running your own business, heading up a team, or stepping up as a project manager, using the best tools can improve your own performance, increase client retention, and optimize outcomes. To find out why concept mapping should be a core element of your work, look at these seven benefits of using concept maps with clients:
1. Facilitates Collaboration
Working with clients is often a collaborative process, both in terms of in-house personnel working on a project and the clients themselves. Digital concept maps facilitate real-time collaboration, which makes it easier to share ideas and information. With each party able to add or edit information on the concept map, you can align your strategies more efficiently and access the updated data you need at any time.
As well as enabling users to add or modify content on a concept map, digital tools can also allow you to add comments, links, and much more to a map. This makes it even easier to collaborate with multiple users and share ideas. With the potential to create a detailed concept map while collaborating with your client, you will find that working with external partners becomes increasingly efficient and far less complicated.
2. Share Important Information
Many people find that visual information is easier to process, understand, and remember than data presented in alternative formats. While clients may not read a lengthy white paper or report, they are likely to absorb the information when it is presented visually.
As concept maps offer a visual representation of information, they are a great way to capture clients’ interest and ensure they retain the information you are delivering. From project updates to project workflows, it is worth using concept mapping to present any information that you want your client to remember!
3. Simplify Complex Processes
There are many processes that require lengthy verbal or written explanations, but which can be showcased visually in an instant. When you are undertaking complex projects on behalf of clients or working on something that incorporates numerous elements, a concept map allows you to present the information in a simple yet meaningful way.
This ensures that clients identify and understand potentially difficult subjects and topics, without needing to spend a large amount of time explaining them. Not only does this increase efficiency in terms of project updates, but it also enables you to focus your time on undertaking the work, rather than creating complex reports or conducting time-consuming face-to-face meetings.
4. Understand the Client’s Needs
When you begin working with a new client, understanding his/her needs and/or business and industry are critical to success. Of course, some clients will present more complex issues than others, while others might operate in niche or complicated industries.
Using concept mapping as part of the client onboarding process will enable you to access the information you need swiftly and effectively. By asking your client to add information to a shared concept map, you will find out what he/she thinks is most important, which can help you to identify appropriate solutions and services.
5. Align New and Existing Concepts
If you are working with a client, the services you deliver should enhance the client’s position and/or improve his/her operations. Often, this involves building on existing concepts and strategies to move the client forward. If you are delivering a social media campaign, for example, you might devise a new campaign strategy based on an existing marketing campaign or use existing brand values to shape the content of a new campaign.
Continuity is extremely important when it comes to branding, so the client will want to see that new concepts do not conflict with established brand principles. With a concept map, it is easy to integrate new concepts with existing themes. By doing so, you can ensure that new and existing concepts are aligned and that your work for the client satisfies his/her needs and achieves pre-defined goals.
6. Create Clear Lines of Communication
Miscommunication can have a devastating impact in a business setting and can even cause a significant loss of revenue. When you are working with an external client, it is vital to establish and maintain clear lines of communication at all times. Ideally, this should be part of your onboarding process so that both parties are aware of how to communicate with each other.
Fortunately, concept mapping gives you another tool to use when creating clear lines of communication with a client. When you present information in a simple, logical, and ordered manner via a concept map, you can be confident that the client will understand the points you are making and vice versa.
7. Choose from Multiple Map Styles
Every client is different and should be treated individually if you want to deliver the best service and retain his/her custom. This means taking a unique approach to the methodologies and tools you use when working with a client and concept mapping allows you to do just that.
There are four main types of concept maps: spider maps, flow charts, system maps, and hierarchy maps. When working with a client, you can determine which type of map is most suitable for use, depending on the particular project or task that you are undertaking.
With a variety of concept map styles to choose from, it is easy to find the right tool to share information, collaborate, and liaise with your clients.
Using Concept Maps
With so many benefits associated with concept maps, it is easy to see why they are such popular tools. As more people begin working from home and launching their own businesses, digital concept maps are likely to be even more valuable in the future. By integrating them into your projects and workflows now, you can ensure that you have access to the tools you need when working with clients and external partners.
