2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 1
Do You Have an
Executi ve Empathy
Program?

by Curtis N. Bingham

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 2
Do You Have an Executi ve Empathy Program?

Curtis N. Bingham
Founder and Executive Director
Chief Customer Officer Council

cottls 8loqbom ls tbe tecoqolzeJ ootbotlty oo cblef costomet offlcets ooJ tbe fltst to ptomote tbls tole os o cotolyst
fot competltlve oJvootoqe. ne ls tbe cteotot of tbe ccO kooJmop, o qtoooJbteokloq wotk cootololoq 100- ctltlcol
sttoteqles esseotlol fot costomet ceottlclty. As oo lotetootloool speoket, ootbot, ooJ coosoltoot, cottls ls posslooote
oboot cteotloq costomet sttoteqy to sostoloobly qtow teveooe, ptoflt, ooJ loyolty.

l've been worklng wlLh chlef cusLomer offlcers for nearly a decade now and one of Lhe Lhlngs LhaL
perpeLually hampers CCCs and oLher cusLomer execuLlves ln Lhelr efforLs Lo become cusLomer focused
ls Lhe sLruggle for CLC buy-ln. 1here are a number of reasons for Lhls lack of supporL, lncludlng Lhe
dlsLracLlon of oLher prlorlLles, a lack of awareness LhaL a problem exlsLs or of lLs severlLy, or Lhe lnablllLy
Lo ouLwelgh Lhe seemlngly guaranLeed 8Cl of more LradlLlonal lnvesLmenLs. Powever, Lhey all boll down
Lo Lhe same rooL cause: becomlng cusLomer cenLrlc ls noL a sufflclenLly hlgh prlorlLy ln Lhe CLC's mlnd.
Lmbarklng on an execuLlve empaLhy program ls a sure-flre way Lo elevaLe cusLomer cenLrlclLy Lo a
sLraLeglc lmperaLlve. 1he purpose of Lhe program ls Lo brlng Lhe cusLomer lnLo Lhe boardroom, boLh
flguraLlvely and llLerally, by uslng daLa, cusLomer anecdoLes, and flrsL-hand experlences Lo show
execuLlves Lhe naLure and scope of cusLomer lssues and, mosL lmporLanLly, Lhe negaLlve lmpacL on Lhe
buslness of malnLalnlng Lhe sLaLus quo. Solld daLa ls a prerequlslLe for Lhls program. WlLhouL daLa
showlng Lhe frequency, severlLy, and lmpacL of cusLomer lssues, prlorlLles wlll noL be reallgned.
Assumlng Lhls daLa ls ln place, here are seven recommendaLlons Lo expose execuLlves Lo cusLomer lssues
and creaLe more passlonaLe supporL for your efforLs on behalf of Lhe cusLomer and buslness:
1. lay selecLed audlo excerpLs from call cenLer calls durlng execuLlve commlLLee meeLlngs
2. LlLher vldeo cusLomer lnLervlews or lnvlLe cusLomers Lo record Lhelr own vldeos descrlblng Lhelr
challenges wlLh your producLs, servlces or lnLeracLlons and play Lhem back ln execuLlve
meeLlngs
3. SlmulaLe cusLomer lnLeracLlons Lo hlghllghL convoluLed or broken processes
4. SelecL a cusLomer wlLh a complalnL represenLaLlve of a sysLemlc lssue and ask an execuLlve Lo
call Lhe cusLomer, llsLen Lo Lhe lssue, and commlL Lo address lL durlng Lhe monLh. Pave Lhe

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 3
execuLlve wrlLe abouL Lhe experlence, Lhe lssue, and Lhe resoluLlon on an lnLernal blog. Lngage
each member of Lhe execuLlve Leam each monLh
3. 8rlng a sLrongly dlssaLlsfled cusLomer lnLo Lhe execuLlve commlLLee meeLlng Lo Lell hls or her
sLory personally
6. ln advance of an execuLlve reLreaL, asslgn each execuLlve Lo shadow a fronL-llne employee for a
day, wlLhholdlng [udgmenL of personal skllls and commlLLlng Lo come away wlLh one key lssue or
process LhaL harms cusLomers or hampers fronL-llne employees from servlng cusLomers, share,
prlorlLlze, and commlL Lo resolve durlng Lhe execuLlve reLreaL
7. Asslgn execuLlves sponsorshlps of key accounLs, wlLh responslblllLles Lo meeL face Lo face wlLh
declslon makers Lo dlscuss key lndlcaLors of relaLlonshlp healLh, uncover dlssaLlsflers, and
commlL Lo flx wlLhln one monLh.

1here are many more ways ln whlch execuLlve empaLhy can be culLlvaLed. Pow else are you dolng so?
Loglc makes people Lhlnk, buL emoLlon makes Lhem acL. Show compelllng daLa Lo geL Lhelr aLLenLlon.
1ell Lhe cusLomer sLorles uslng powerful and compelllng vehlcles Lo make Lhem acL.
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Copyright Notice: All content contained in this article is copyright protected material. Reproduction, in whole or in
part, in any form or medium, without the express written permission of the Chief Customer Officer Council is strictly
prohibited.

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 4
About CURTIS N. BINGHAM
As LxecuLlve ulrecLor of Lhe Chlef CusLomer Cfflcer Councll`, CurLls 8lngham ls
Lhe recognlzed auLhorlLy on chlef cusLomer offlcers and Lhe flrsL Lo promoLe Lhls
role as a caLalysL for compeLlLlve advanLage. Pe ls Lhe creaLor of Lhe CCC
8oadmap, a groundbreaklng work conLalnlng 100+ crlLlcal sLraLegles essenLlal for
cusLomer cenLrlclLy. As an lnLernaLlonal speaker, auLhor, and consulLanL, CurLls ls
passlonaLe abouL creaLlng cusLomer sLraLegy Lo susLalnably grow revenue, proflL,
and loyalLy.

About THE CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
1he CCC Councll ls a powerful and lnLlmaLe gaLherlng of Lhe world's
leadlng cusLomer execuLlves from wldely dlverse lndusLrles. 1he
Councll helps execuLlves achleve ob[ecLlves fasLer and more easlly by
leveraglng besL pracLlces. lL helps valldaLe and reflne sLraLegles and
lnlLlaLlves Lo avold experlmenLlng aL cusLomer expense. Membershlp
ls by lnvlLaLlon only, and purposefully cross-polllnaLed wlLh Lhe mosL
forward-Lhlnklng companles, large and small, so as Lo help cusLomer
execuLlves dellver solld, cusLomer-cenLrlc buslness resulLs. lor more
lnformaLlon, emall lnfo[ccocouncll.org or call 978-226-8673.


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toke o JeslteJ octloo. 5o bow Jo yoo locteose yoot ootbotlty ooJ bettet ose tbe
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losltloool, 8ottoweJ ooJ otoeJ, yoo'll olso leoto flve woys to bottow ooJ foot
woys to eoto qteotet ootbotlty, wltb speclflc exomples of eocb.
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