This post was written by Steven Keith, Founder of CX Pilots

As the discipline of Customer Experience glides firmly into the mainstream and nearly everyone across marketing, e-Business, and operations are now talking about CX, and how to extract maximum value from it, a few interesting (and potentially dangerous) things are playing out.

First, we’re noticing a lot of hasty and ill-prepared strategies leading the efforts, which can put CX programs at risk. Second, in many organizations, CX is being “installed” as a standalone entity siloed off from the rest of the organization, which isn’t the best of all alternatives. Third, ambitious CX leaders are rushing in to create the necessary momentum within their organizations without taking the appropriate time to rationalize the true nature of customer experience and how it needs to be designed, embedded into the culture of the organization and managed over the long-term.

Here are a few important facts we have learned by installing dozens of successful CX programs.

  • There is no shortage of ways that Customer Experience leaders can structure and manage their CX programs. It all depends on your unique organization and culture.
  • Contrary to what we all read, there is no “one size fits all” approach that will magically move every CX program out of the cost-center and into the profit center.
  • CX can be fraught with organizational politics. Successful organizations understand this and counter political friction with math and economics that comfort doubters and paint an obvious value picture that makes moving forward a no-brainer.
  • On the technology side, sorry Adobe, but Experience Manager still has a long way to go and won’t be integrated without a few years of uphill battles and whatever the IT version of duct tape might be.
  • CX is far more of a people problem and organizational challenge than a technology challenge.

With all that said, there are a few steps CX leaders inside ambitious companies should be taking to quickly multiply the fruits of their labor. But, it seems very few companies seem to be taking these steps for one reason or another.

In this second eBook from CX Pilots, we explore the ‘12 Easiest Mistakes to Avoid in CX.’ In it we share twelve often overlooked steps (mistakes) CX leaders should focus on to help transform their Customer Experience programs—in ways that make sense to them and their unique organizations. For example, you will learn:

  1. How to dovetail a CX initiative into the organization’s current marketing strategy. We look at both a 40,000 foot and 10,000 foot view of how to integrate CX into marketing.
  2. How to evaluate current total marketing spend as a means to establish CX budgets.
  3. How to consistently grade the experience your customers and competitors’ customers are having across all channels.
  4. How to refine ideal customer attributes to become more intimate with those who you’d like to be serving with more strategic CX programs.

We wrote this eBook to be pragmatically useful, valuable and easy to understand. Download it, share it across your organization and start making the strides that can transform your company through intelligently integrated Customer Experience.

Cheryl Treleaven

Cheryl Treleaven

Principal

Engaging your customers is at the heart of successful marketing programs. For more than 20 years, Cheryl has been building and executing content and thought leadership strategies designed to do just that. She is excited to be applying that well-honed skill to a help companies like Microsoft, Cisco, 3M, Intel, Capital One and Barclaycard tap into their stakeholder communities and build sophisticated content strategies.

Her experience base spans a range of industries – from technology and financial services to retail, travel, consumer products and healthcare. Cheryl has served as an integral member of her clients’ marketing teams, providing counsel on marketing and brand strategy, thought leadership, media relations, product introductions, and event management.

Prior to joining ComBlu, Cheryl spent 10 years leading corporate marketing for large, complex organizations.