This document provides 7 action items for marketers to transform their company and deliver a powerful customer experience. It summarizes the key points from presentations and research by marketing experts Ernan Roman and Sandra Finn on how to make customer experience a priority through listening to customer feedback, prioritizing customer centricity, piloting programs, and measuring results. The document outlines common barriers to becoming more customer-centric and provides tips on overcoming issues of ROI, time constraints, knowledge gaps, structural challenges, and measuring success.

1. Transform Your Company to
Deliver a Powerful Customer
Experience:
7 Action Items for Marketers
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2. Ernan Roman
President
Ernan Roman Direct Marketing Corp. (ERDM)
Inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame for creating three
transformational methodologies: Integrated Direct Marketing, Opt-In Marketing, and Voice
of Customer Relationship Research.
Named to “B to B’s Who’s Who” as one of the “100 most influential people”
in Business Marketing by Crain’s BtoB Magazine.
His latest book on marketing best practices is titled, “Voice of the Customer Marketing”.
Author of the widely read blog, “Ernan’s Insights on Marketing Best Practices”,
(www.erdm.com).
ERDM provides Customer Experience Marketing consulting services for companies such as
IBM, MassMutual, QVC, NBC Universal, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Symantec Corp.
ERDM has conducted over 9,000 hours of in-depth interviews with customers and prospects
of these clients to gain an in-depth understanding of their expectations for a high value
customer experience.
Also authored “Opt-In Marketing” and “Integrated Direct Marketing”.
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3. Sandra C. Finn
President, Cross Country Home Services
Sandra C. Finn is the president of Cross Country Home Services
(CCHS), where she promotes a culture of creativity, strategic vision and
teamwork. Under her leadership, CCHS has achieved double- digit revenue
growth, national recognition for innovative direct marketing techniques, and
the successful launch of new product lines across multiple distribution
channels. Finn has focused on a customer-centric business model, applying
both qualitative and quantitative approaches to drive success.
Finn has been repeatedly recognized as one of Florida's most prominent female
executives and has received the Spirit of Excellence Award from the American
Business Woman's Association.
Prior to joining CCHS in 1999, Finn served in executive roles at Cendant
Corporation and held various management roles at E.F. Hutton & Company.
Finn holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and an MBA from New
York University.
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4. Delivering a powerful
Customer Experience
is NO longer optional
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5. Customer Experience Expectations
Based on 125+ VoC Research efforts*
 Consumers choose companies that engage them
and act on their input
 They expect improved customer experiences across
every point of contact with your organization
 Applies to all elements of the media mix and
all departments in your organization
 Quality experiences must be maintained
throughout the customer’s lifecycle
(not just during Acquisition and Renewal)
*Source: Ernan Roman Direct Marketing, 9/25/12
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6. Samuel Adams Crowd-Craft Project:
Customers created “B’Austin Ale”
 Invited Sam's Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ friends to
provide their preferences to help create a new beer
 Asked to make their choices about the beer's malt profile,
hops selection, yeast type
 Per Steve Greenlee, at 99 bottles:
“Man is it good”
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7. Customer Driven Experience
Music Concierge matches your day, time, device
and situation to an expertly-curated playlist
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8. Customer Driven Experience
 Surprise & Delight:
CSRs are trained to
actively engage with
members and
empowered to
surprise & delight
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9. Marketing is the Driver
Marketing is uniquely positioned to
drive cultural change
But, this is bigger than marketing
Customer Experience must be delivered across
every point of contact with your organization
You need to engage every part of your
company
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10. Cross Country Home Services
Provides coverage for:
Air conditioning
Heating
Kitchen appliances
Laundry appliances
Plumbing
Electrical
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11. Customer Experience Challenges
 Limited control of initial sales process
 Customer expectations and education
 Quality control when product is a service
 Control of “moment of truth” at service delivery
 Slim margins/usage is costly
 Technology
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12. Goals of the VoC - Project #1
 Tactical
 Significantly increase
profitable renewal rates
 Improve the customer
experience across all
segments
 Invest resources where
they are most impactful
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13. Learnings from VoC 1
Based on in-depth insights provided by customers:
 Renewing is not solely based on Renewal promotions
 It’s about how they are treated from the
moment they enroll
 How customers are treated during the Claims
process, not just the claim dollars paid, significantly
impacts renewal behavior
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14. Results:
Increase in
average renewal rates:
*
* Updated 8/15/12
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15. Driving Change
with VoC
Listen
Change Prioritize
Customer
Centricity
Pilot
Measure
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16. CCHS Customer Experience Journey
Preference-driven
Experience Ongoing
Research/NPS
Voice
of
Partner
Rethink Corporate
Culture
Voice
of
Customer
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17. Marketing as the CHANGE AGENT
for Transformation
7 Barriers You Must Overcome:
1. I know what our customer
wants/needs
2. The ROI trap
3. Don’t have time for this
4. Don’t know how
5. Structural barriers
6. Changing corporate culture
is impossible
7. Too hard to measure
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18. I Know What Our Customer
Wants / Needs
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19. I Know What our Customer
Wants / Needs
Do you want to be…Intuition driven…or Data driven?
“By creating a process that allows organizations to
engage with, listen to, and learn from customers and
prospects, companies can harness the wisdom of the
customer…and generate consistent double-digit
increases in response and sales.”…Ernan Roman
Tip: if you have not re-calibrated your marketing
in the past 12 months, your strategies may
be out of date
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20. The ROI Trap
“We cannot afford to do research this year.”
“We cannot afford to give our customers more...”
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21. The ROI Trap
We found that being customer
centric does not mean “being a
doormat” or that we need to
provide additional financial
incentives.
In fact, doing what customers told
us led to significant financial
improvements.
Tip: It’s not about no –
it’s about how to
improve the customer
experience
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22. The ROI Trap
Present your business
case - Use your
company’s financial
objectives to
demonstrate ROI in the
requested investment
Tip: Start small and leverage
results
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23. Don’t have time for this
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24. Don’t have time for this
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25. Don’t Know How
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26. Don’t Know How
Listen to your customer
Don’t Know How
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27. Don’t Know How
Listen
Change Prioritize
Customer
Centricity
Pilot
Measure
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28. Mktg. Sales Call Center Product
Structural
Barriers
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29. Structural Barriers
Marketing is
the driver
Build allies
through
engagement
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30. Changing Corporate
Culture is Impossible
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31. Changing Corporate
Culture is Impossible
Everyone says they are customer centric
Few are
Only way to be customer centric:
Listen to the Customer
Tip: Trick is to listen to the
VoC and launch a Pilot!
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32. Changing Corporate
Culture is Impossible
Result of VoC:
CCHS
Customer Driven
Brand Promise: To make home management
easy by delivering hassle-free
services
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33. Changing Corporate
Culture is Impossible
Marketing is uniquely
positioned to drive
cultural change  Prove this works and you
will get support
 OR, start at the top to get
a sponsor
Culture rarely changes overnight
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34. Too Hard to Measure
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35. Too Hard to Measure
 Establish a formal baseline
 Measure multiple indicators:
– Cost (service, product, staff)
– Revenues (referrals, repeat
purchases, renewals, price)
– Satisfaction (impact, NPS, social,
employee)
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36. Results: Numbers
 Renewal conversion: 35%
 Phone handle time: 4%
 Claim cost: 4%
 NPS: 8 pts. (and rising)
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37. Results: People
“You do everything you say
you will do in your
brochure!…”
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38. 7 Take-aways for Marketers
1. Be humble!
You probably do not know what your customers
expect.
2. Don’t fall into the “ROI Trap”
3. There is no better use of your time than learning
the expectations of your customers.
4. Don’t know how?
Follow these steps:
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39. 7 Take-aways for Marketers
5. Structural Barriers:
 Marketing is the driver.
 Build allies through engagement
6. Changing Corporate Culture is impossible:
 The most effective way to change culture is to
leverage Voice of Customer insights.
7. Measure multiple indicators
 Cost
 Revenue
 Satisfaction
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40. Questions
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41. Thank you
Contact Information
Ernan Roman: ernan@erdm.com www.erdm.com
Sandi Finn: sfinn@crosscountry-home.com
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