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By Randy Ksar, CX Champion & Podcaster
In this latest episode of the Conversations That Matter podcast, I had a great conversation with Nate Brown, the Chief Experience Officer of Officium Labs and the Co-Founder of the CX Accelerator, about mission-driven CX and why it matters for organizations today.
Or, as Brown says, “Ultimately, we all want to develop relationships with companies in the same way we do with other people. We gravitate towards those we can trust and who act in a manner consistent with our own values. Purchasing decisions in today’s marketplace are often less about what and more about who.”
“Who are we? Is this clear?” Brown asks during our conversation on the podcast. “If somebody looks at us, are they going to want to be in a relationship with us?”
Mission-driven CX is all about building a brand and an experience aligned with customer journeys and intent. By understanding the context behind customer interaction with your brand, your business can develop deeper and more meaningful connections that translate into value for customers.
What Is Mission-Driven CX?
Today’s customer expects a different customer experience (CX) from customers in the past, and improving CX requires a mindset shift for many organizations. Customers are looking for CX that embodies their personal values. So the companies that act out these core values in their operations, marketing, corporate personality, and identity are seen by customers as being in alignment with their expectations.
Demonstrating your corporate values, rather than representing a risk, can actually be beneficial for your company. (For more information about why this is the case and what you can do about it, be sure to check out Nate Brown’s recent blog post about mission-driven CX.)
Essentially, mission-driven CX is reshaping how customers and brands interact in several key ways, changing the expectations companies have to deliver every day.
Customer Journeys, Not Just Touchpoints
We all have touchpoints with brands where we interact with them, but your customer is not calling your contact center just to chat with your team. Understanding your customers’ mission can help you see which channels, strategies, and values your company should advance as part of your brand.
So, for instance, let’s say you know your customers’ intent is to check their order status and that your contact center is not an ideal channel for communicating order status information. What you know about the customer journey tells you that a self-service portal may be a better way to provide this service. By looking closely at the contexts behind customer journeys, your organization can facilitate your customers’ movement towards their mission.
As Jeannie Walters put it in a previous Conversations That Matter podcast episode, technology and humanity go hand in hand in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Customers Are Looking for Values-Driven Organizations
Claiming that life is now more important than time or money isn’t just a values statement. This claim is increasingly true to many of today’s consumers. Ignoring this new aspect of customer reality imperils organizations’ relevance in many industries.
Consumers want to patronize brands that represent their values, and one of the most important values today reflects social, environmental, and life responsibility. In the past, many customers might have prioritized this a bit differently. Companies stayed neutral to avoid risking their reputations and possibly upsetting some consumers.
Truthfully, though, not everyone can (or should) be your customer. Having clarity around your values and consistently communicating them draws a segment to you but will also push away others.
To find the audiences that will promote your brand and take your mission-driven message to others, you have to find your values and commit to them throughout the entire customer journey.
Sincerity Is Having a Moment Right Now
“It’s amazing what can happen even as a brand-new organization when you have that clarity of purpose. You can still lay some serious market share from behemoth organizations with these legacy reputations.” – Nate Brown
Small, new, nimble organizations that understand how mission-driven CX works are winning compared to legacy brands who haven’t caught on yet.
Your customers can tell if your brand isn’t sincere, and they will hold you to the values that matter to them. Off hand, for instance, you can probably count several brands that have well-known values today.
Taking a stand as an organization is no longer as dangerous as it once was. Today, your customers probably expect you to do so. And if you don’t actually practice those values, they can see that.
Create Memorable Customer Experiences with Mission-Driven CX
For your organization to relate effectively with your customers, you have to pay attention to the values you’re communicating through the experiences you create for customers.
Beyond marketing materials and contact centers, your company should also be thinking about the positions you take and the personality your brand shows. Embracing mission-driven CX can help you transform your interactions with customers and connect with them in new ways that drive value.
To know more about how Uniphore can help you provide mission-driven CX, get in touch with one of our experts today.
Listen to the podcast below:
Notes about the podcast:
About Officium Labs
Helping organizations deliver exceptional customer experiences is what Officium Labs is all about. Its global team of experts and industry leaders provide people, products, and practices that transform customer service into a growth engine for the companies it serves.
Together with the Officium Foundation, Officium Labs is on a mission to build future CX leaders through mentorship programs and scholarships. Learn more about Officium Labs by visiting officiumlabs.io.
About CX Accelerator
CX Accelerator is a support community for CX professionals to share best practices, great resources, and transformative knowledge. For CX pros, there’s no reason to go it alone. CX Accelerator offers the mentoring, support, and networking to give you everything you need to advance your CX results and grow your career.
Learn more about the CX Accelerator and how to join this virtual community at cxaccelerator.com. Here, you can connect with other CX professionals and become a more effective champion of customer mission.