Getting off to the Right Start
Fundamentally, all organizations want to attract and acquire new customers while retaining and maximizing the value of its current (customers, members etc.). [I’m using customers in general terms. In your case, you may be speaking of members or users of a particular channel ie. digital v. contact center]. There is a causal relationship between a great customer experience and desired business outcomes ie. returning, recommendations, purchases and becoming the primary source for a particular product or service.
To drive those desired outcomes, a thoughtful customer experience strategy needs to be implemented. Just like any other evolving key aspect of business, great CX needs a plan.
Where to Start
Getting the CX strategy takes time, collaboration, deep and broad discussions, a vision, but there are some questions you can begin to ask leaders and stakeholders. The primary focus should be on outcomes:
- What do we want people to do as a result of their experience with us?
In the private sector, the quick answer is “Buy!” That may be the case, but remember people are on a journey. Maybe the website visitor is just doing research and not in the buying process. . So maybe the desired outcome would be to get the visitor to simply Come Back!
Teams need to take the time to dig into some key areas that will facilitate the alignment of vision and reality:
- What is our Brand Promise?
- What do we do really well?
- How do we differentiate our brand, products and service?
- How would we like to see our customers interacting with us in the perfect scenario?
- Who is involved in that scenario?
A Strong CX Strategy is Key
The primary objective of the CX Strategy phase is to align the executives, project team and stakeholders on a strategy that clearly articulates the experience the organization wants to deliver in alignment of the organization’s brand and mission. The CX Strategy will be used to guide decisions, prioritization and serve as the team’s commitment to follow an agreed to set of steps, to ensure project objectives are met.
Dave Lewan 