Before the project: understanding client needs and selling the solution.
MSc in Digital Marketing: this enables me to analyse customers and channels, and to judge the commercial value of products and services.
The problem
A company can develop a product with a clear technical advantage, yet customers may still not understand it, trust it or adopt it. This problem is common in university enterprise centres, and just as common in product development companies and consulting projects. Developing the technology is one task. Understanding market needs and winning market acceptance is a separate task that needs its own dedicated effort.
Based on publicly available information, this report sets out how my personal capabilities and experience could help KPMG create more value for its clients at the early, middle and late stages of a project. On that basis, it presents evidence of my skills and of my ability to contribute to the firm's financial growth.
Drawing on my education and experience in product design and digital marketing, I can support the project process at the following three levels:
During the project: balancing product design with the client's real commercial value.
Undergraduate degree in Product Design: systematic training that helps me understand how physical and digital products are conceived, used and experienced.
After the project: presenting and marketing the solution.
My work at Charge-M8: in day-to-day business I translate technical specifications and product performance into commercial value that customers can understand. This has helped the company move from the transition stage of a new product launch into a stage of growing brand influence and continued sales of the new product.
These three points correspond to the three key moments in a consulting project's delivery chain where the consultancy interacts with the client: pre-sales diagnosis, solution development, and delivery and adoption.
Background: the gap between technology and the market
When a product is technically strong but poorly connected to the market, several typical problems arise:
- In the early stage, when gathering insight into client needs, the team cannot fully grasp the client's commercial goals, and the case is unconvincing when the technology or product is first sold to the client.
- In the middle stage, development lacks an understanding of users and the market, so much of the value of innovative technology is not fully converted into the best commercial outcome.
- In the later stage, when the solution is presented to the client, the technical solution is not linked to its practical economic benefits, so the client does not take in all of the solution's commercial advantages.
My knowledge, way of thinking and experience can help the team "translate" the technical advantages of a new solution into market value that clients, whatever their background, can easily understand. During early-stage selling, even minor friction or a small gap in understanding can cost the firm the deal. When the solution is presented later on, an underwhelming presentation of its value can also leave the client less than satisfied with the service.
More importantly, the staff who use most companies' platforms and digital tools tend to work in sales and marketing. A team member with marketing knowledge and work experience can therefore add an important commercial perspective to the design of the solution. This raises the economic value of the solution as a whole and moves it towards greater client satisfaction.
Once the gap is closed, the same technical advantages are understood by clients more quickly, sales materials can be reused across different clients and channels, the product is easier to find at the search and comparison stage, and there is a foundation for converting orders. In the end, customers are satisfied because they understand all of the information and benefits.
Case study
I joined Charge-M8 in August last year, and in September we launched a new product, the EV Kube. My job was to turn technical specifications, structural and compliance evidence, and installation requirements into customer-facing value propositions, product pages, comparison guides, leaflets, manuals and partner materials.
The work included designing the product leaflet and instruction manual, designing social media campaigns, redeveloping and redesigning the entire website (brand design), designing the EV Kube page, designing information pages on materials and structure, SEO and keyword optimisation, and writing press releases, among other tasks.
Results within one year of launch:
Key search terms for the EV Kube went from having no first-page ranking to appearing an average of five times in first-page product listings.
Low-budget Google Ads brought in more than 3,000 website visits a month.
Organic LinkedIn followers grew to 233.6% of the figure a year earlier, and the engagement rate is three to four times that of industry peers.
Since the product launch, marketing activity has supported more than 1,000 sales orders.
Bringing the product to market quickly and building brand influence within just one year is clear evidence of my ability to turn material about an innovative product into content the market will accept. It also shows that I can get to grips with a new industry quickly, identify a product's commercial value accurately, and judge correctly what the core marketing messages for a product should be.
2. How my experience relates to KPMG's business
KPMG UK's publicly listed services in this area include customer, brand and product strategy, customer experience, service transformation, and innovation workshops. My experience maps onto these services as follows:
Experience
Undergraduate degree in Product Design (Wuhan University of Technology)
Capabilities developed
Product design, design entrepreneurship, user research, product service design, interface and information interaction design
Corresponding KPMG work
Product development, customer experience design, the relationship between design and business, service journey design
Experience
MSc in Digital Marketing (Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester)
Capabilities developed
Market research, consumer behaviour, integrated marketing, UX and web analytics
Corresponding KPMG work
Customer and brand strategy, market entry plans
Experience
Communications and marketing at Charge-M8
Capabilities developed
Translating technical value, B2B digital marketing, website development, channel and partner communication
Corresponding KPMG work
Solution presentation, marketing-informed recommendations, go-to-market and solution presentation support
Experience
Product sales at Linkwills Education
Capabilities developed
Dealing directly with customers, understanding purchase decisions
Corresponding KPMG work
Pre-sales communication, solution selling
Experience
General Manager at The Outdoor Collaborative
Capabilities developed
Running operations independently and coordinating the team
Corresponding KPMG work
Moving projects forward, cross-team collaboration
Viewed across the three stages of a consulting project, the work I can strengthen is as follows:
Project stage
Pre-sales and early diagnosis
KPMG's work at this stage
Assessing the current state, identifying customer and employee experience issues, building the case for change
Work I can strengthen
Organising customer research and market information; reframing technical capabilities as business problems and opportunities; helping to prepare client briefs and proposals
My evidence
Researching the needs of customers in the EV charging industry; turning information on the EV Kube's design, materials, dimensions and weight into customer value in transport, installation and environmental terms
Project stage
Solution and product development
KPMG's work at this stage
Designing customer engagement platforms and service journeys
Work I can strengthen
Mapping user journeys, synthesising requirements, designing value propositions; helping the team confirm what problem each feature solves, who will use it and how it will be measured
My evidence
Study and training in product design; identifying user needs and pain points, and designing and developing new products with the resources available
Project stage
Delivery, go-live and adoption
KPMG's work at this stage
Delivering the platform, integrating processes, training staff
Work I can strengthen
Preparing different versions of explanations for management, staff and end customers; producing presentations, guides and training materials; linking the solution's results to business metrics
My evidence
B2B marketing at Charge-M8: designing different presentation materials, product manuals, exhibition displays and partner content
3. How my way of working aligns with KPMG's values
The fit between my working personality and KPMG's values lies as much in how I work as in the professional services I can provide.
| Value | How I work |
|---|---|
| Togetherworking across disciplines and multiple workstreams | At Charge-M8, my role sits at the centre of product development, technical information, sales agents and commercial partners. I start by clarifying what each party needs, then organise the information into materials that everyone can understand and use. Because my work covers many areas, I designed my own task management system. It lets several workstreams run in parallel and ensures everything is delivered on time. During my Master's degree, my design background meant I was often responsible for summarising proposals and designing presentations. On my final project, I led the team, coordinating tasks and communication with our supervisor. I then brought every member's contributions together into a concise strategy and presentation focused on the key points. |
| Excellencecombining high standards with practical delivery | I put objectives and communication first. When a problem arises, I focus on resolving it. When tasks become complex, I establish deadlines and relative priorities, and identify which conversations need to happen first. For any task involving collaboration or communication, I contact stakeholders as early as possible so they have enough time to review and respond. I keep building on, refining and applying efficient working habits like these. |
| Integrityfacing facts with objectivity | I believe in facing the facts, whether they reflect well on me or not. I do not let a single failure make me doubt my ability, but I acknowledge where I have fallen short and I accept the responsibilities that are mine. My colleagues and I all have strengths and weaknesses. Reviewing everyone's work objectively, and constructively pointing out where a proposal could be stronger, is part of our responsibility to clients and to our own long-term development. |
| Couragetaking opportunities when they arise | Since arriving in the UK in 2024, I have regularly attended innovation and entrepreneurship events, emerging technology forums and local business events in Manchester. I make a point of talking to people from different countries and backgrounds, learning about their cultures and hearing how professionals in other industries work and what they think. This has steadily broadened my global perspective. |
| For Bettercontinuous learning, tested in practice | My work follows a closed loop: research → design and delivery → evaluation → continuous improvement → learning. Learning and development never stop. I aim to do every piece of work as well as I can, and where I lack a skill, I work to close the gap quickly. Alongside my day-to-day responsibilities, I study in depth the areas that matter to the company's growth and that I find genuinely interesting. |
On the cultural side, consulting projects require people from different disciplines to deliver together. My work has always sat between product, technology, sales and customers, and I am used to first working out what each party wants, then organising the information into a version everyone can use. My native language is Mandarin and I am fluent in English, so I can support projects involving Chinese- and English-speaking clients or partners.
4. Case insight: KPMG × Skipton Building Society
Below, I use this case to explain in detail where and how my capabilities could improve the work on this project, or bring new insight and value. What follows is my own reconstruction of the project process and work. It may be inaccurate and incomplete; my aim is simply to use the project's steps to show which parts of the work my capabilities could improve.
Within the overall solution, the steps I could contribute to are those before and after the platform itself that involve customers and staff directly:
Swipe sideways to see the full table
| Solution step (from the case) | Specific tasks I could take on | Relevant capabilities | Evidence from experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Assess the current state, define the vision and build the case for change [1] | Collecting and organising customer, market and competitor information; writing up system and process issues as business problems management can understand; helping to prepare the diagnostic report and proposal presentation | Market research and analysis; translating technical information into business language; preparing proposal materials | Training in market research and consumer behaviour on the MSc in Digital Marketing; at Charge-M8, turning technical specifications and structural and compliance evidence into customer value propositions; using AI-assisted research to compile lists of UK customers and European distributors within two days |
| 2. Talk to staff to understand their roles and needs in the customer journey [1] | Designing interview guides, taking part in interviews, synthesising staff and member pain points; turning feedback into a prioritised list of requirements | User research methods; requirements synthesis; stakeholder communication | User experience research training in my undergraduate Product Design degree; a final-year project that started from user research and delivered an integrated product, service and UI design; at Charge-M8, talking with installers and channel partners to understand what different buying roles care about |
| 3. Design the sales, lead management and service journeys [2] | Mapping current and future user journeys; clarifying what problem each feature solves and who uses it; taking part in interface prototyping and content testing | Product service design; interface and information interaction design; Figma prototyping | Undergraduate study of product service design, interface design and information interaction design; a final-year project connecting user needs, product functions, service processes and digital experience into a single whole |
| 4. Unify member profiles and deliver personalised recommendations across marketing, sales and service to improve lead conversion [2] | Designing communications for different customer segments; helping to define metrics such as lead conversion and channel performance, and tracking the data | Digital marketing and channel strategy; data analysis; CRM thinking | Responsible for SEO, Google Ads, email and social media at Charge-M8; Google Ads bring in more than 3,000 visits a month, and marketing activity has supported more than 1,000 orders; proficient in GA4 |
| 5. Build AI knowledge management for more than 1,000 staff [3] | Organising and structuring knowledge content, and arranging information around how staff look things up, so content is easy to find and read | Information architecture; technical content writing; content structured for AI search | Maintaining the Charge-M8 website with WordPress, Elementor and HTML, and organising product and technical information for user journeys, SEO and AI-assisted search; key EV Kube search terms rose to roughly positions 3 to 6 on the first page |
| 6. Training and enablement, so new processes become part of everyday work [3] | Producing separate explanatory materials, how-to guides, training presentations and short videos for management, frontline staff and members | Presenting content for different audiences; visual and video production | Producing product manuals, comparison guides, leaflets and partner materials; joint presentation materials for EV Post and Teltonika; exhibition displays; proficient in InDesign, Illustrator and Premiere Pro |
| 7. Embed the change in culture and capability [3] | Supporting internal communications, gathering usage feedback on an ongoing basis, and adjusting materials and processes based on data | Cross-team coordination; continuous data-led improvement | At Charge-M8, continually improving the user experience based on customer needs and website data; promoted to General Manager at The Outdoor Collaborative, overseeing operations and the team; responsible for coordinating meetings and progress on the SEN project during my Master's |
Note: [1] Understanding client needs and selling the solution; [2] Balancing product design with commercial value; [3] Presenting and marketing the solution.
My place in the team
On a project like Skipton's, I could work as a consulting analyst in customer experience or product and brand strategy, linking the technical team with customers and staff. In the early stage, I would organise the requirements and set out the case for change clearly. In the middle stage, I would make sure the service journey design fits the people who will actually use it. In the later stage, I would prepare materials that staff and members can genuinely use, and track adoption.