Compelling CX Strategies: It’s the Stories They Tell that Make the Difference

As I’m reflecting on the talk, I realize that, while I shared my thoughts and details about the four critical artifacts that make up a compelling CX strategy, I didn’t really talk about how they do this. I think we can all agree that there are very few corporate environments where having a compelling CX strategy—if you have one at all—isn’t important. It’s not enough to have a smart, comprehensive, or resilient CX strategy, although these qualities are critical. If a CX strategy isn’t compelling, it’s likely to end up sitting on a shelf with other good work that points to but never amounts to real change.

We said that a compelling CX strategy is a good CX strategy; it is grounded in customer needs, focused on deepening customer relationships, and practical “enough” given a company’s current offerings. Beyond this, a compelling strategy also has the buy-in and momentum needed for a company to take the necessary steps to bring it to fruition. Insights, journey maps, a vision, and illustrative scenarios are the keys to this, but why?

These four artifacts, taken together, do two things.

1. Insights and journey maps build empathy within a company for its customers, allowing a glimpse into their [collective] lives and exposure to the very real frustrations they have in areas where the company might be able to make a difference for them.
2. A CX vision and illustrative scenarios inspire companies with something that feels real to them, whether a recommitment to or evolution of the value they can provide as partners to customers, or a rendering of what that might be like with the right people, processes, and tools in place.

So, in short, companies that prioritize these four artifacts can see where their customers need help, and how they can be the ones to provide it. The artifacts, taken together, tell this story. They build emotional connections between companies and their customers, as well as between companies and themselves, as they shape their futures. These emotional connections and direction suggested by the vision and scenarios can be exactly what’s needed to ensure that good strategy isn’t forgotten or deemed too abstract.

Another note: At the end of the webinar, we identified these artifacts as “living.” For a CX strategy to remain compelling over time, it has to remain relevant. Technology changes; new competitors emerge; people’s expectations and perceptions of “normal” evolve—and CX strategies need to stay aligned with these things. This means that they need to be revisited continually, in small ways, over the course of projects they influence, and comprehensively at an appropriate cadence (likely every 2-5 years, depending on the industry). A CX strategy is only as good—and as compelling—as a company’s willingness to revisit it as customers’ contexts and preferences shift. 

If you missed the #1NWebinar or would like to refer back to the conversation, see the recording and slides.

Photo Credit: Paul Blenkhorn | Unsplash