Setting the stage for transformation experiences
In 2010 a friend and I went backpacking through Asia. The second stop on the list was South-Korea. What are you going to see over there? Of course, we went to the DeMilitarized Zone (DMZ). We heard a lot about it on the news. So we wanted to see it.
We had to sign up ahead of time. Because of the security checks. A non-liability agreement had to be signed. When all of the paperwork was done we were cleared to go there with the guided tour.
This experience is etched into my memory for life. You go there by bus. We drove under 4 or 5 bridges loaded with dynamite to get there. If North Korea decided to invade they would blow the bridges to delay the tanks. You feel like you are going into a war zone. Like they can invade any minute.
First, we got a presentation of the DMZ. There they explained how the DMZ came to be and some facts. The first surprising fact was that it the world largest wildlife reserve. Harboring thousands of endangered or extinct animals. The beautiful pictures of tigers, bears and spotted seals took our breaths away. The second surprising fact is that is also the world largest minefield. Maybe the two are connected?…..
“We drove under 4 or 5 bridges loaded with dynamite to get there.”
Second on the list were the tunnels. They dug the tunnels to get to Seoul. They found out through a defector that they were digging them. The tunnels are now sealed with concrete. But there are still military with machine guns on guard. Just in case.
Third on the list was the military outpost. The view was spectacular. You could see the abundant green of the DMZ with Kijŏngdong (the peace village) in the middle. The big red line contrasted with the concrete outpost floor. The ominous line was guarded by a military guard. The guide told us that he had to make sure that we did not take pictures behind the red line. She went on to tell us that North and South Korea had a race of who had the biggest flag. North Korea had won and we could see the flag from the outpost. After seeing the DMZ, the flag and the peace village she told us that every morning an North Korea still recites the demands of surrender to South Korea. Even after all this time.
The last item on the list was the train station. A state of the art train station was built on the South Part of the border. They build it so that when they were reunited they could connect the train station to the trans-Siberian railroad. A mural described the feeling of a reunited Korea best. The hope of being one again.
The unification of the Germany has been studied into detail to create plans for when Korea reunites again. How they can be one again without the economic and social troubles Germany had.
The overarching feeling was that they are temporally separated.
We visited the worlds largest minefield, tunnels dug to conquer the capital and we had seen the place where surrender was demanded every morning. What was our feeling? We felt good, we felt their friendship. The overarching feeling was that Korea was temporary split and they would reunite.
If they can create a positive experience around the worlds biggest minefield then you can create the perfect experience around your product or service.
They have an unprecedented stage. Full of negatives emotions but they communicated their wish for the future in such a way that we where engulfed by it. The customer journey was set. Safety regulations did not allow it to be altered. By using our emotions and interest we were pulled through the experience. We never had the experience that we were being pushed through it. It did not feel rushed or staged.
How can you set the stage for a positive experience?
- Be aware of your surroundings. When you work there you will not notice everything. Your customers do.
- What is the core of your business? Focus on it, relentlessly. Fulfill this 100% and nothing else and you will win.
- Emotions beat everything. And I mean they beat the hell out of everything. You can develop the best customer journey but if your employees are not empathic you will fail. Hire on empathy.
The DMZ’s Main Message was: “we are separated for now, not for always”. It was the main message, the script. You were the main star. Not the DMZ. It was about you and their message.
How do you use your main message to create a framework for your employees? So that can pull your guest through the experience.
Find my main message at www.jaaphoeve.com
North & South Korea as service theater was originally published in The Ascent on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
