Starting a CX Program? First, get grounded in your vision and goals.

Take a second before reading this to think about your favorite place to shop. It could be online or in-person. Now, think about why you keep going back to that same place time and time again. Something about the experience has created consistent positive interactions that will, in time, be extremely difficult to replace.

Creating great customer experiences and brand loyalty isn’t just luck. It’s thoughtfully planned out. It’s building a CX foundation by getting grounded in a vision and set of goals that connects with leadership, employees and most importantly, your customers.

Your CX vision and goals don’t have to be complex. In fact, some of the most customer-focused companies on the planet keep it simple. When Amazon launched in 1995 it strived to “be Earth’s most customer-centric company”, and it still rings true today. The key is landing on something that relates to both customers and employees. In other words, you want your customers to connect with your CX vision.

If the vision is the connection, think of the goals as the measurement. Goals are something that each employee can engage in. I would encourage every employee at all levels to have at least one CX goal as part of their annual goal setting process. Each of them will play a pivotal part in enabling customer success.

Casting a Vision and Setting Goals

I get it… Personas, Customer Journeys, and CX Measurements are critical and fun. I personally like helping my clients in all of these areas. But it’s super important to establish a solid foundation before sprinting ahead. Here are a few tips:

• Start internally: What does the company stand for and does it align with external expectations?
• Be authentic: Do your customers connect with who you want to be as a company?
• Connectivity is key: Can executives and employees at all levels connect with your vision and goals?
• Measure what matters: Can your CX goals be measured and tracked over time?

The Why Matters

I encourage you to use your company why statement to help set the CX vision and goals. From executive leadership to all levels of the organization, the values and mission of the company should be shared and understood. In fact, this foundation is critical to understand why you serve customers. Get grounded here during your vision and goal setting exercise.

A longtime CX mentor of mine would start every internal meeting with a simple set of questions:

• Why are we doing this?
• How will it impact our customers?
• What does this mean for our employees?

Consider answering the same questions when launching your CX program. Our favorite brands think about it daily. That’s why we keep going back.