Today’s customer expects self-directed, real-time problem solving on demand in unquenchable quantity and lives (along with you and I) in an experience culture where they are in control and expectations at every touchpoint along the customer journey are increasing daily. As markets cycle and turbulence in domestic and global economies demand more discipline in your operational and go-to-market processes, these 7 steps will give you a framework to build your strategy and alignment around customer experience in every silo.

1. 7 Steps to Survive (and Thrive) in 2016*
(*if you market to humans in a digital world)

2. Today’s customer expects
self-directed, real-time
problem solving on demand
in unquenchable quantity.

3. AGENDA
Let’s get started.
2 Commitments to Make For 2016
5 Competencies to Embed In 2016
Customers Define Modern Search
Thank you
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss

4. Chris J Snook
Brand Humanizer At-Large
At Ethology I am tasked with helping client brands audit and strategically
develop/implement a consumer-first (humanized brand) roadmap. I am
responsible and accountable for our commercial strategy, client
experience, and business development. I help connect the dots between
marketing & sales, product development, IT, finance, people, and
operations to insure that the company optimizes a client-centric
experience that drives business growth and market share.

5. In 2016 commit to two things:
Customer experience reliability.
Customer experience innovation.
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss

6. Customer Experience Reliability
Your customer is in a fluid state of relationship with your brand and offering (and competitors)
throughout their buyer’s journey. By making a commitment to reliability you are choosing to see this
relationship through the lense of how every decision you make impacts your core asset (The
Customer).
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss

7. Customer Experience Innovation
Your brand and offering is facing unprecedented external threats to stability in 2016 (shifting
consumer values, market forces, indirect competitors, etc.)
Innovation cannot be reserved solely for the product design silo. Innovate around your customer
experience as you go to market in 2016 or you are vulnerable to losing ground slowly then suddenly.
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss

8. In 2016 Embed
These 5 Competencies.
MANAGE customers as assets.
ALIGN everything around CX.
BUILD unified customer listening paths.
CULTIVATE audacity and innovation.
ESTABLISH accountability around CX .

9. Manage Customers as Assets
Shift attitude from numbers/sales-centric to client asset nurturing and growth. Connect experience
with business impact across the silos. Measure ROI by increased new customer sales, trust, renewals,
and referrals. LAND the right new customers the right way, and seamlessly earn the right to EXPAND
and retain that business year over year.
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss
Expansion of existing clients
and new clients
Associated KPI/ROI:
Net gain or loss of the
customer segment-by volume
and value
Rigorous lost customer outreach
Segmentation of promoters
and recommendations
Connect ROI to experience

10. Align Everything Around CX
Shift from silo priorities to customer/client experience-centric journey priorities.
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss
Create empathy mapping
around your customers
Associated KPI:
Net gain or loss in NPS and
eNPS scores.
Identify gaps vs. optimal
experiences at moments of truth
Strategic
Partnership
Service
Support
Service
Delivery
SOW
Contracts
Solution
Dev
Assess
Review
Awareness
Research

11. Align Everything Around CX
Does each stage of the journey present a “one company” experience?
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss
Do I believe
and value
the promises
“Your Brand”
makes me?
Is
“Your Brand”
there for me
to provide the
client
experience
and results I
desire?
Does “Your
Brand”
clearly
demonstrate
a plan for
me get what
I need and
give my
customers
what they
want?
Did “Your
Brand”
implementatio
n and service
delivery
exceed what I
expected? Has
a partnership
begun?
Does “Your
Brand” make it
easy for me to
do business
with them?
Do they think of
me and how I
work/run my
business? Does
“Your Brand”
anticipate my
needs, wants,
and work with
my culture?
Is “Your Brand”
my partner? Are
their solutions
and channel
partner
providers the
only ones I
want?
Strategic
Partnership
Service
Support
Service
Delivery
SOW
Contracts
Solution
Dev
Assess
Review
Awareness
Research

12. Align Everything Around CX
Recognize the Defector Pipeline.
RESCUE customers at risk • GROW revenue • EMBED relationship
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss
Seek Other
Options
Benefit
Grow
Use
Optimize
Buy
Implement
EvaluateDiscover
Follow up to
request info
Onboarding
followup
Less than X% of
purchased
services are in use
Follow up to
NPS detractors
Followup during
and after
contract
experience
After X number
of calls to
support
for help
Follow up
and pursue
lost clients
Prerenewal
contact:
Proactive review
of business and
experience

13. Build Unified Customer Listening Paths
Integrating feedback into daily decisions-connected to prioritize ‘client experiences’ not just silo work
streams
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss
Listening category alignment
Inventory and optimize our
listening systems
Associated KPIs:
NPV (gain or loss) in Volume and
Value and LTV of your client base
Net gain or loss in organic referrals
Closed loop client feedback pilots
Minimum of 12 per year
11 125 6 7 8 9 103 421
Strategic
Partnership
Service
Support
Service
Delivery
SOW
Contracts
Solution
Dev
Assess
Review
Awareness
Research

14. Cultivate Audacity and Innovation
Drive proactive operational accountability and focus at our priority customer touch points to give us
predictive reliability to the health of our business looking ahead.
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss
Operational KPI
dashboard and goals
Cross Company:
focused and fluid client-
experience improvement,
redesign, and service
innovation
Associated KPIs:
Speed of Inquiry Response
Contract Success Rate
Recovery time on client issues
Ratio: Production dates met/missed
Cross company issue resolution

15. Establish Accountability Around CX
Leading and delivering a “one company” experience to our clients requires unified leadership, clarity
of purpose to unite decisions and accountability to collaborate across the silos and embody the
“YOUR BRAND” culture for the sake of consistently raising the bar on our internal service standards.
Adapted from customerbliss.com © Jeanne Bliss
United clarity of purpose.
Associated KPIs:
Everyone is held to
“experience” accountability
People are enabled to ‘act’
One unified executive team
Decision making lens:
“Why” and “how” we will grow.
Employee engagement.
Leadership permission
regardless of the title.
One-company accountability, leadership and culture.

16. Modern customers see modern search
through the human understanding of self-
directed, real-time, problem solving on
demand.
If you are not 100% confident that you are
exceeding this expectation we should talk.

17. A Modern Search Agency
One focus: great customer experiences.
No politics. No jerks. No drama. Only accountability.

18. Thank you for taking the time to give this a thorough review and we look
forward to a discovery call and discussing any needs you may have to
implement your strategy or modern search tactics with these two
commitments and five competencies in 2016.
Thank you!
Chris J Snook
chris.snook@ethology.com
858.883.7529 Cell
602.734.5934 Ext 3036 Offi