Customer Experience Strategy

Your company doesn’t need a bigger Customer Success department. It needs a Customer Strategy. 💥 Let’s be honest. Most companies don’t need a massive Customer Success department. They need a Customer Strategy. Here’s why 👇 We built “Customer Success” to close gaps between Sales and Product, between promises made and promises kept, between what companies sell and what customers actually need. And yes it worked… for a while. But over time, CS became the catch-all for everything no one else wanted to own. 🩹 “Support is overwhelmed? Give it to CS.” 🩹 “Product feedback is messy? CS can handle it.” 🩹 “Renewals are unpredictable? CS should fix that.” Sound familiar? We’ve turned one of the most strategic disciplines in the business into a safety net. And it’s time to stop. 💡 The future isn’t about bigger CS teams. It’s about smarter customer systems. Customer outcomes aren't "designed" to live inside one department. They should live across every department. ✅ Sales owns the clarity of the promise. ✅ Product owns the proof of value. ✅ Marketing owns the amplification of success. ✅ CS connects, measures, and accelerates them all. Not just as a separate department, but as the architect of the customer strategy. When that happens, renewals and expansion stop being CS metrics and start being company metrics. 🧠 So what does this mean for you as a leader If your company’s “customer strategy” begins after the contract is signed, you don’t have a strategy. You have a reaction plan. And if your CS org spends more time fixing than designing, you don’t have Customer Success, you have Customer Survival. It’s time to evolve. Here are a few steps we can all take. 1️⃣ Dissolve the walls. Stop isolating customer outcomes within a single org. Build systems that connect Sales, Product, Marketing, and Success around shared customer metrics. 2️⃣ Redefine CS as the strategy layer. CS should architect the customer operating model, the connective tissue that drives growth, value, and trust across functions. 3️⃣ Elevate leadership accountability. Renewals, retention, and expansion aren’t just “CS numbers.” They’re proof of how well the whole company delivers on its promise. The companies that win the next decade won’t be the ones with the biggest Customer Success teams. They’ll be the ones where every team is built around Customer Success. #Leadership #CustomerSuccess #CustomerStrategy #BoldMoves #CreateTheFuture #DISQO

Nine years ago, SAP sued one of its largest customers for $600 million. Not for pirating software. Not for unpaid invoices. AB InBev was sued because it used its own data, inside a system it had paid dearly for, to integrate with Salesforce and other third-party applications that SAP had not sanctioned. At the time, most people filed it away as a licensing technicality. Today it is the single most important question in enterprise architecture: who decides how your data may be used? Because everything executives now want depends on the answer. Composable ERP. Best-of-breed bolt-ons. AI agents that reach across systems. All of it requires moving data in and out of the system of record freely. And SAP has moved in the opposite direction, instituting API policies that restrict integration with third parties unless SAP approves them. My view is straightforward. If you have spent tens or hundreds of millions of dollars on a platform and filled it with your own transactions, your own customers, and your own financials, you should be free to do whatever you want with that data as long as you are not breaking the product. That should not require anyone's permission. Three implications every SAP customer should be thinking about: 1. Vendor lock is now a board-level exposure, not an IT concern. Consolidated data, embedded AI agents, and restricted integration rights stack into a level of dependency very few boards have consciously approved. 2. Costs will rise. AI capabilities are being priced as loss leaders across the industry. Once the workflows are built and switching is impractical, pricing normalizes upward. 3. Rigidity is the real risk. SAP pioneered the integrated ERP model and it served a generation of companies well. But it is a 51-year-old company still operating in many ways like it did in the 1970s, at a moment when Microsoft and even Oracle are building openly. This is not an argument against S/4HANA. It is an argument for implementing it differently: move on your own timeline rather than SAP's 2030 deadline, treat SAP as your system of record rather than your everything, map the sanctioned and unsanctioned APIs before you sign, and use whatever negotiating leverage you have while you still have it. AB InBev had deep pockets, sophisticated leadership, and a massive SAP footprint. It still ended up settling. Answer the data ownership question deliberately and in writing, before signature, and you will be in a far stronger position than they were. Full breakdown in this week's newsletter. What are your thoughts? #SAP #S4HANA #ERP #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseAI

I don't believe top-down or bottom-up prioritization is a decision to make. Often, it feels like one of the two prevails in a business. But the real reason is that there is no connection between the two modes. 👇Setting goals and KPIs is done top-down, and everyone has a process for it. 👆Bubbling up opportunities from research, data analyses and customer insights is a bottom-up process every company practices. And yet, we hear stories about fabricating OKRs in a way so my project gets the green light. Or ignoring churn for a year, because we simply couldn't agree which opportunities to tackle first. The key to linking both worlds is to align them using the customer journey context. Your bottom-up process should define 'where in the customer experience' and your top-down process should define 'where in the business' Top-down 1. Business goals 2. Key metrics for each 3. Link to the customer lifecycle Bottom-up: 1. Research data (qual & quant) 2. Synthesized into insights in every journey 3. Summarized on the customer experience level 4. Defined opportunities in the journey context The key to the castle is using the opportunities from the bottom-up prioritization to inform the top-down delivery process. Make sure you can answer both, and repeat this across teams. You'd be surprized how well aligned your quarterly plan becomes #strategy #businessprocess #cx #journeymanagement #agile

We have the 5 Forces of Competitive Strategy -- but what about the 5 Forces of Customer Experience? They're related: (1) CX strategy is a competitive strategy, and (2) the place to start is to situate yourself in context - your competitors, dynamics, rationality, buyers, sellers, etc. This is a way to answer the question: "Where do I start when building a customer data & tech strategy?" For my new book "Customer 360," written with Andrea Lin, I propose this new 5 Forces of Customer Experience framework. The forces pivot around two axes: ->> The Business -- from the inside out, the ways you reach customers and the specifics of your technology stack. Front End --> Back End. ->> The Environment -- from the outside in, considerations are customer expectations and the realities of your world (laws, budgets, etc.). Inside (Customer) World --> Outside World. And finally, right in the middle, is: ->> The Data -- data as an asset and its limitations Now clockwise from the top: (1) Touchpoints - How do you reach customers, literally? There aren't all that many ways: websites, apps, messaging, ads. Channels of choice are dictated by what you offer - that is, your internal capacity to support the touchpoint - and consumers' preferences. (2) Expectations - What do consumers in your industry expect? This can be derived from competitive intel, syndicated research, testing. Customers bring assumptions to their interactions with you, set by their own #Disneyland, and you ignore these at your peril. (3) Environment - What are outside factors that impact your business? This force makes life interesting but forecasting difficult. Of course it affects competitors too, but you're in a different position to respond, either better or worse. Included here are the economy, politics, regulation, sentiment, even weather, which is changing everything. (4) Technology - What technology is available, and what can you use? The tech picture includes your existing (legacy) tech stack and contracts, and also what is available - state-of-the-art - and what you might use. Also your particular organization's ability to make use of said tech, which is a gate. (5) Access - What customer/account data do you have and how available is it? We all know the importance of customer data, esp. 1st party and Zero party, in the Customer 360 - but to be useful it must be accessible. How do we calculate Access? Voila the 3 Sub-Forces of Customer Data Access: ->> Availability - What data exists? Is it organized for use, e.g., using a #CDP like Salesforce Data Cloud? ->> Authority - What permission do you have to use it? This reflects rights as well as expectations. ->> Authenticity - How accurate and timely is the data? Inaccurate data is actually worse than no data at all for obvious reasons. For more on this - and many related topics - pre-order a copy of "Customer 360" from Amazon today at the link in the comments.

SAP’s move to acquire Dremio and Prior Labs is going to change the game in customer experience and enterprise technology. The deal helps SAP to solve one of the biggest problems inside large companies because customer data usually lives systems like ERP, finance, supply chain, billing, contracts, service, sales, product, marketing, employee systems, and a pile of custom workflows. For years, companies have been trying to improve customer outcomes by adding more feedback tools, more dashboards, more survey programs, more CRM fields, and more AI features on top of systems that don’t really understand how the business runs. Dremio helps SAP bring SAP and non-SAP data together in a more usable way for analytics and AI. Prior Labs brings strength in tabular foundation models, which are built for structured business data. SAP has also said it’s investing more than €1 billion over four years to build Prior Labs into a leading AI research lab focused on this kind of data. For CX leaders, they'll be able to see the operational causes of customer pain earlier and act before those issues become churn, complaints, escalations, or lost revenue. For CIOs, if SAP can make operational data, customer data, business rules, and AI work together inside the systems companies already depend on, then a lot of standalone tools are going to have to prove they’re more than reporting layers. The data platform players are obviously going to feel some pain: Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, Google BigQuery, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Redshift, Oracle, and others fighting to own the enterprise data layer. The customer and marketing data players will also feel it: Salesforce, Adobe, Twilio Segment, Tealium, Treasure Data, and the CDP category more broadly. Then come the CX and service platforms: Qualtrics, Medallia, ServiceNow, Genesys, NiCE, and others that have built strong positions around feedback, service workflows, sentiment, and customer interaction data. I’m not saying any of these companies are suddenly in trouble tomorrow. But if the most important customer signals come from operational data, and if AI starts working directly against that data inside core enterprise systems, then a standalone platform that only tells leaders what customers said after the fact becomes less strategic. This is also why CX leaders and CIOs need to be in the same room for decisions like this. CX leaders understand where customers are getting stuck. CIOs understand where the data actually lives, how messy it is, and how hard it is to connect without creating another expensive layer nobody uses. This is about who owns the business data layer where customer decisions are made. And that’s going to be one of the biggest enterprise tech fights of the next few years. #customerexperience #cio #ai

One of the greatest opportunities I see for the next generation of client-facing professionals: Being the ones who can read and exercise the norms, whether with colleagues or clients, and still infuse their own personality into the work. Those who can master this will be the ones who build stronger relationships and ultimately win more business. Sure, the pendulum has swung hard toward AI efficiency. And proficiency in it will likely be an essential skill. But over-relying on it? That comes with a hidden cost: it can dull the skills of empathy, discernment, and human connection. I suspect it might become tempting to believe that the safest path to employment and promotion is to keep your head down in automation:  Follow the prompt exactly, never straying from the template, and assume that originality is too risky. But customers can feel when you’ve disappeared behind automation… and it seems that they don’t love it. According to Salesforce, 52% of customers say they’re willing to pay more for a great customer experience, and they define that experience as one that feels more personal and less automated. That means the professionals who keep showing up with genuine connection won’t just feel different (in a good way!), they’ll be the ones winning more trust and more business. This humanness will be the differentiator. Some easy ways to practice this is to start by noticing the social norms, and then thoughtfully adding personality to them. Like: ☑️ Pay attention to how experienced colleagues communicate with clients. What tone do they use in emails, how do they open conversations, how do they handle pushback? How can you use that as a framework and then infuse your personality into it? ☑️ Notice how client meetings start. Do they jump right into business, or spend a few minutes building rapport? What do you know about the client that you can chat about beyond asking about the weather :)  ☑️ When you send a recap or follow-up, include a warm line or a small personal detail you remembered, instead of relying solely on a template. Because if more than half of your customers are willing to pay more for an experience that feels human, it’s a skill worth exercising to make sure they get it! #YouthSkills

We map customer journeys for a living. The moments customers rate worst are usually the ones with a human in them. Not because the people are bad. Because of where we put them. We take our most expensive, most empathetic resource and we station it at the queue, the hold music, the "let me check with my colleague," the answer that changes depending on who picks up. Then we call that the human touch and charge a premium for it. Customers do not experience that as touch. They experience it as waiting and inconsistency. The human there is not the warmth in the interaction. The human is the friction. Here is the part we get wrong. "Human touch" is two different things wearing one name. One is presence: judgment, empathy, the hard conversation, the moment that decides whether someone stays. The other is processing: looking things up, routing, answering the same question for the four hundredth time. We bundled them, called the bundle premium, and spread it evenly across every interaction. Agents are very good at processing. They are fast, consistent, and they never have a bad morning. Put them on the processing moments and something useful happens. Complaints drop, and the humans you freed up can finally be present where presence actually matters. So the move was never to remove the human touch. It is to stop wasting it. Most of it was being spent in places that needed speed, not a person. The human touch is not the default setting. It is the expensive one. Spend it where it changes the outcome. #ai #cx #agent #transformation #strategy

"𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫" In today's data-driven business landscape, developing a single view of customer (SVC) is no longer a luxury - it's a necessity. But where do you start on this complex journey? Let's break it down: 🔹 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬: Begin by clearly articulating what you hope to achieve with your SVC. Is it to enhance personalisation, improve customer service, or drive more effective marketing? Your goals will shape your strategy. 🔹𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: Take stock of all your customer data touchpoint - CRM systems, marketing platforms, sales data, customer service interactions, etc. Understanding what data you have and where it resides is crucial. 🔹𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: Before you start consolidating data, ensure you have robust governance policies in place. This includes data quality standards, privacy protocols, and compliance measures. 🔹𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲: Select a platform that can integrate your various data sources and provide a unified view. This could be a Customer Data Platform (CDP) or a custom-built solution, depending on your needs. 🔹𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲: Begin with a pilot project focusing on a specific segment or use case. This allows you to test your approach and demonstrate value before scaling up. 🔹𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: SVC isn't just an IT project—it requires buy-in and input from marketing, sales, customer service, and other departments. Create a cross-functional team to drive the initiative. 🔹𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Implement processes for data cleansing, deduplication, and ongoing data maintenance. Poor data quality can undermine even the best SVC strategy. 🔹𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Your SVC strategy should evolve with your business. Regularly review and refine your approach based on new data sources, changing customer behaviors, and emerging technologies. Building a single view of customer is a journey, not a destination. It requires ongoing commitment and investment, but the payoff in terms of improved customer experiences and business outcomes can be substantial. Are you on the journey to developing a single view of customer? What challenges have you encountered, and what strategies have you found effective? #CustomerData #DataStrategy #SingleViewOfCustomer #CustomerExperience

The More You Automate, the More You Need to Humanize! Technology is often seen as the ultimate sales multiplier, but what if its true power lies not in replacement, but in augmentation? Perhaps the more we automate, the more we need to lean into the one thing that technology can't replicate: the human touch. 🤔 Reflect on this: 1️⃣ Where are you relying too heavily on tech to close deals? 2️⃣ How can you use automation to free up time for high-touch, high-value interactions? 3️⃣ What's the most human thing you can do today to build a connection with a customer? 💡 Tips for sales & marketing leaders: 👉 Use tech to augment, not replace, human connection: Leverage technology to enhance and support personal interactions, freeing humans to focus on high-value relationships and emotional intelligence. 👉 Focus on empathy and understanding, not just efficiency: Prioritize building genuine connections by actively listening, asking insightful questions, and showing compassion to create a deeper sense of trust and rapport. 👉 Make the most of moments that require a human touch: Capitalize on opportunities that demand emotional intelligence, creativity, and complex decision-making, using human skills to add value and build meaningful relationships. Don't let the pursuit of efficiency erase the power of human connection. #abm #marketingstrategy #saas #thoughtleadership #thethoughtleaderway

Why B2B marketing needs a B2C makeover: Since 2021 B2B marketing has entered a new era. This is driven by The “Growth at all costs” strategy failing & The demands of digital-first buyers— Many of whom bring the expectations of their personal lives into the workplace. These modern buyers value → Seamless → Engaging → Consumer-like experiences This signals that B2B marketing must also evolve. Here’s how: Embrace consumer-like experiences: → B2B buyers expect intuitive, mobile-first experiences like personal shopping. → Generic, overly technical messaging no longer appeals. → They want interactions that are as conversational & not a sales pitch. Invest in creativity and omni-channel personalization: → Personalization is a must but how you do it will make the difference → 63% of marketers tailor messages to individual business prospects across channels. → Using video & creative messaging, companies can build relevance & engagement at scale. Harness AI for dynamic content: → AI isn’t just for automating tasks. → It’s a tool to create impactful, on-demand video & personalized experiences to captivate & retain attention. → Platforms like Shuffl, which generate video content from website data, offer fresh ways to engage decision-makers creatively. Balance consumer-centric tactics with business fundamentals: → While consumer-style engagement is powerful, it’s only one piece. → B2B buyers still need detailed, data-backed white papers & case studies to justify decisions. → Supporting digital-first buyers with substantial, informative resources enables them to advocate internally. Prioritize testing for smarter campaigns: → In B2B, disciplined testing has often been overlooked. → With affordable digital media, regular testing of audience segments, offers, & creative strategies is now more feasible & effective. → This results in refined approaches that better connect with target audiences. B2B marketers adopting these B2C tactics can better meet modern buyers' expectations. Consumerization is here to stay & adapting to these shifts isn’t optional. It’s essential for continued relevance and success. What do you think? Comment below.