Customer Experience Sells with Arun Shastri

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This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

1. Why is including sales important in the overall plan for customer experience? 
2. How can sales and customer service teams work together to make customers happier? 
3. Why is digital technology key for a smooth customer experience? 
4. What role does human interaction have in today’s changing customer experience world? 
5. How can companies create a customer-focused experience from before a purchase to after? 

Top Takeaways

• Customer experience is the overall perception customers have based on their interactions with a brand, from the first web search to after the purchase. Ensuring a positive customer experience means simplifying and enriching every aspect of the customer’s journey, product, and service.

• Salespeople play a crucial role in shaping the customer experience. They help customers discover what they need, educate them about solutions, and build trust. 

• In both B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) industries, customers expect seamless and convenient experiences. Since we are all customers, B2C interactions often serve as a benchmark for B2B expectations. Customers are not only comparing you to your competitors. They are comparing you to the best customer experiences they have had from brands in every industry. 

• Digital technology serves as a valuable ally in improving customer experience. While digital channels can provide quick answers, they can’t fully replace the need for human touch in more complex situations.  

• Brands should prioritize making every interaction efficient to respect and save the customer’s time. Businesses that can reduce or eliminate time-wasting steps in a customer’s journey will enhance their overall experience.  

• As customers evolve, so should businesses. Companies need to be attuned to the changing expectations and preferences of their customers so they can meet them effectively. 

• Plus, Shep and Arun share how salespeople and customer support teams can become trusted advisors to customers. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“Customer Experience is about the overall perception through every interaction between a customer and all aspects of the brand before, during, and after a purchase.” 

“Customer experience is not just a single moment. It’s about the entire journey that the customer might go through.” 

“The fundamentals of customer experience really haven’t evolved. It has always been about the relentless focus on making sure that we are solving the key pain points for the customer.” 

“Time is the most valuable commodity that drives customer experience. If you can reduce or eliminate one more mundane thing that the customer has to do, you’re already winning.” 

“Customers are looking at your brand versus all the other brands that they engage with. If you want to differentiate yourself, think about how your customers are evolving and running to grab it and meet it.” 

“There’s 20% of the companies who are leaders. If you find yourself in that 80%, don’t consider yourself a laggard. We are in a digital and AI-driven world where we can leapfrog.” 

About:

Arun Shastri is a principal at ZS and the author of The Harvard Business Review Sales Management Handbook: How to Lead High-Performing Sales Teams. He is the cohost of Reinventing Customer Experience podcast and a teacher for sales executives at Kellogg. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.