​​Unlock Customer Understanding: How Any Business Can Leverage the Jobs To Be Done Framework

This post will explore how any business, regardless of size or industry, can leverage the JTBD framework to gain a deeper understanding of their customers and drive growth.

What is Jobs To Be Done?

At its core, JTBD focuses on the job a customer is trying to get done, rather than the product or service itself. It shifts the focus from what you sell to why customers buy it. A "job" is the progress a person is trying to make in a particular circumstance.

The key principle is that customers "hire" products or services to help them make that progress. This progress can be functional (e.g., "I need to get from point A to point B"), emotional (e.g., "I want to feel more confident"), or social (e.g., "I want to impress my colleagues").

How to Apply JTBD to Your Business:

1. Identify the "Job":

Start by understanding the core job your product or service helps customers accomplish. Don't focus on the features of your offering, but rather the outcome the customer desires.

1. • Example: Instead of saying "We sell accounting software," consider "We help small business owners gain control of their finances and reduce stress related to managing their books."

2. Conduct Customer Interviews: 

The most effective way to uncover the "job" is by talking directly to your customers. Focus on understanding the context surrounding their purchase:

2. • Ask about the "struggling moments": What were they doing before they decided to hire your product/service? What problems were they facing?

   • Explore the "forces of progress": What pushed them to seek a solution? What were they hoping to achieve?

   • Investigate the "forces of inertia": What held them back from making a purchase earlier? What anxieties did they have?

Use open-ended questions like:

2. • 1. "Tell me about a time when you were trying to…"

     2. "What were you hoping to achieve by…"

     3. "What were the challenges you faced before…"

3. Develop Job Stories:

Once you've gathered enough insights, create "job stories" that describe the context, motivation, and desired outcome of the customer. A job story follows this format:

3. • When… (the situation)

   • I want to… (the motivation)

   • So I can… (the desired outcome)

Example: "When I'm managing my small business finances, I want to easily track income and expenses, so I can understand my cash flow and make informed decisions."

4. Analyze the Competitive Landscape: 

JTBD helps you understand who you're truly competing against. It's not just direct competitors offering similar products, but also other solutions customers might "hire" to get the same job done.

4. • Example: A food delivery service isn't just competing with other delivery services. It's also competing with cooking at home, going out to restaurants, or even ready-made meals from the grocery store.

5. Apply JTBD to Different Areas of Your Business:

   • Product Development: Focus on developing features that directly address the customer's core job.

   • Marketing and Messaging: Craft messaging that resonates with the customer's motivations and desired outcomes.

   • Sales: Understand the customer's context and position your product as the best solution for their specific job.

   • Customer Support: Address customer issues in the context of the job they're trying to get done.

Benefits of Using JTBD:

1. Deeper Customer Understanding: Gain a more nuanced understanding of customer motivations and needs.

2. Improved Product Development: Create products that truly solve customer problems.

3. More Effective Marketing: Craft targeted messaging that resonates with customers.

4. Increased Customer Satisfaction: Deliver solutions that effectively address the customer's "job."

5. Competitive Advantage: Identify new opportunities and outmaneuver competitors.

Conclusion:

The Jobs To Be Done framework offers a powerful way to understand your customers beyond traditional methods. By focusing on the "job" customers are trying to get done, you can unlock valuable insights that drive product development, marketing, and sales. Start by identifying the core job your product or service fulfills, talk to your customers, and use job stories to articulate their needs. This will empower your business to create better solutions, connect with customers more effectively, and achieve sustainable growth. At Massively Useful, our team has real-world application experience with implementing and using the Jobs To Be Done framework in the context of product marketing and brand positioning from startups to enterprises. Talk to us today about how we could help you apply this to your business to help it thrive.