Following our first well perceived post with advises from Joe Pine, Jo Boswell, Jim Tincher, Katie Stabler, Nate Brown and Leslie O'Flahavan we are happy to publish the next collection of statements.

Again these recommendations are the result of asking some very knowledgable people -  always to answer us the same following question:

What should CX managers focus on in 2023?

Getting in action and adding value to customer that is important and pays off - is very much the heart of the recommendations in this list of statements.Once more this also aligns with the call from the German CX expert discussion we had at the Shift/CX Trends event in December.

To understand where the action is need we need better insights for better decisions.

Fred Reichheld, Keynote Speaker & Bain Fellow

Fred Reichheld is an expert on customer and employee loyalty, known as the "high priest" of loyalty by The Economist. He created the Net Promoter System℠ (NPS®) and is the author of five best-selling books on the topic. He is also a fellow at Bain & Company and the founder of their Loyalty practice, which helps companies achieve success through customer and employee loyalty.

In his testimony, he makes a clear call for clearly measurable business metrics as evidence of the success of CX efforts: 

If CX executives care about demonstrating the value of their role, they will move beyond survey-based Net Promoter Scores and focus on actual referrals and repeat purchases to gauge progress.

Jeannie Walters, Experience Investigators

Jeannie Walters is a highly accomplished professional in the field of customer experience and the founder and chief experience investigator at Experience Investigators. She holds the title of Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) and is a charter member of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA). Dedicated to making it easier for businesses to improve their customer experience Jeannie has written thousands of articles on the subject in reputable publications such as Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR.

In her statement she clearly states that CX managers need to take actions with a profound foresight:

Customer experience needs to be defined by CX leaders. Never assume - use a mission statement, define what success looks like, and know how you'll measure real outcomes for your business. Lean into your mission.

And in today's world, prepare for what's next with AI, machine learning, and other innovations that will have an impact on your customers' expectations and your employee experience.

Dan Gingiss

As the author of “The Experience Maker” he is on a mission to elevate organization and brands to become customer-centric experience leaders. He  is an international keynote speaker who believes that a remarkable customer experience can be your best marketing. He helps businesses and executives how to create experiences that customers and employees can’t wait to share with their friends and followers. 

His key recommendation for 2023 is for companies to be more empathetic and take action towards their customers:

2023 will be, again, the Year of the Customer. Companies can no longer use the excuses of a pandemic, economy, supply chain, climate disasters, or anything else for not delivering consistently superior experiences. Instead, companies must become customer-centric in everything they do, viewing every business problem through the lens of the customer.

Megan German, SAP

Megan Germann is a seasoned professional in customer experience with nearly 20 years of experience. As the Senior Produt and User Insights Manager at SAP she brings the voice of the customer to life through XM feedback, research, and storytelling. She has worked in both consulting and client roles, serving both B2B and B2C businesses. 

In her advice shie points out the importance of the right mindset to get the job done right:

As CX professionals, it’s important that we think with a customer-centric mindset. Part of that focus on the customer is putting on their shoes and understanding what is important to them. To that end, given the current economy, I think it’s important that CX Leaders focus 2023 efforts on what they offer that provides the most value to their customers. And improving that experience.

The bottom line matters this year; focus on how your organization adds value to your customers and work to improve those experiences.

Peter Lavers, Customer Attuned

Peter Lavers is a leading expert in customer experience management and CRM for both B2C and B2B. He is a top global influencer and has experience in both industry and consulting, working with businesses in various sectors to improve customer experience and profitability through stakeholder engagement. He is the co-founder and Director of Customer Attuned Ltd and is also an IBM Futurist in CRM and customer experience management.

Peter emphasizes the importance of an systematic and a strong insight-led approach for the CX activities in 2023:

I'd recommend 2 things, which are about not losing sight of the bigger picture / strategy of CX. The first is to be champions of true customer centricity - thinking and acting systemically and breaking down the silos and short-termism that do so much damage to the CX. 

The second is to get ever-more insight-led - markets are in distress and it is critical to identify, understand and respond to customer behaviour in real-time. Invest in data and behavioural scientists!

We are again very thankful for the participation the above listed expert in our statement initiative. From this round of recommendations we conclude that for 2023 it is very important to come into action and to better serve the customers based on good customer insights.