leadership buy-in

Paul Banco makes the case for why leadership buy-in is critical. Drawing from decades of experience, Paul explains how partner alignment, executive involvement, and presenting a clear vision are key to gaining leadership support.

He also outlines how to get executives on board, involve them in shaping the strategy, and secure their ongoing commitment.

Hear insights on overcoming challenges, evaluating metrics, and maintaining commitment during difficult times.

Chapter markers:
(01:19) Guest Intro
(03:33) How do you suggest partnership leaders within the organization communicate the importance of partner programs to their C-Level leaders who may not see the value?
(04:56) Getting internal support to run a partner program
(05:58) What's the role of support from C-level executives in a partner program
(08:07) What are some more specific parts of the strategy one should focus on when setting the stage in attempting to convince leadership? Should a compelling value proposition for recruitment of potential partners be a top consideration?
(09:27) What about technology platforms, collaboration tools, or dedicated personnel for partner management. Is it important to have all that figured out before attempting to get your leadership on board?
(10:30) How do you think support from C-level can influence decision-making when it comes to a partnering strategy?
(12:00) Once you get the leadership to commit and support the partner program, what do you think they can do to foster a culture of collaboration and get the whole team on board to support the partnerships dept within the organization?
(13:28) What other ways would you recommend for leadership to contribute to the growth and development of their partnerships?
(15:11) What metrics or key performance indicators should C-Level leaders focus on when evaluating partner program success?
(17:22) What’s involved in maintaining a long-term commitment to partner programs, even during challenging times? How can we prepare for such a situation?
(20:04) How do we convince the C-level to keep faith in the original vision for the partner program?
(22:05) What about the partner experience – how does strong C-level support affect the partners themselves? What benefits might the partners experience when this backing is present?
(23:10) Can you share a specific example of a vendor’s partner program that benefited significantly from the backing of high-level leaders in their company?
(25:46) What is the most essential element for setting the direction of your partner program and ensuring it continues operation for a long time to come?

This production is brought to you by Magentrix ✨💜
Magentrix is a pioneer in platforms for partner ecosystem management and partner relationship management 🤝

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Podcast Credits:
Host: Paul Bird
Executive Producer: Fereshta Nouri
Content & Research: Fereshta Nouri
Graphics & Branding: Fereshta Nouri

❔"Are there differences in how to approach member experience versus customer experience?"❔

Are you ready to define what customer experience success means for a nonprofit organization, association, or even a professional development organization? In this enlightening episode, Jeannie Walters places a spotlight on customer experience (CX) in member-based organizations and shows how you can use best practices and tools from the CX toolkit.

With a focus on the individuals your organization serves, let's navigate the member experience journey and discover how CX can help you understand and fulfill the promise that you've made to your members. Anybody who calls themselves a member of something feels a certain sense of belonging. We want to respect that and make sure that we are inviting them to belong in all the right ways. Together, we'll tackle the conventional ways of tracking success and uncover why they may or may not be the best fit for your organization. Tune in, engage, and let's revolutionize your member experience.

Resources Mentioned:
Learn more about CXI® Flight School -- cxiflightschool.com
CX Mission Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-mission-workbook
CX Success Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-success-workbook
Experience Investigators Learning Center -- experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

❔"I love how you discuss the difference between customer service and customer experience. I work with people who really believe they understand customer service so there's nothing to worry about. How do I get them to see that we should focus on customer experience, not just customer service?"❔

We need both customer service and customer experience to have a successful business. Customer service is essentially a reactive process. Customer experience is about being proactive and intentional. It's about designing the journey for our customers so they can get what they need and achieve their goals in the most delightful and effortless way possible. When we do this well, we all win – customers and businesses! Customer service is just one piece of the puzzle. In this episode, Jeannie Walters shares how you can help your colleagues understand that customer experience is a fundamental business strategy that provides a holistic approach beyond reactive problem-solving.

Resources Mentioned:
YouTube: Jeannie Walters at Experience Investigators -- bit.ly/jeannieyt
Get the Weekly Letter: bit.ly/jeannie-letter
Experience Investigators Learning Center -- experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

It is a challenge many companies face today. How do you make sure your messaging for your internal audience, your employees, resonates and gets buy-in before you head out the marketplace to sell your service or product? In this episode of “Can You Hear Me?”,  co-hosts Rob Johnson and Eileen Rochford discuss “Unheard Voices: Bridging the Internal/External Communications Gap.”

Recommended Read:

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Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Stay connected with us:

• Follow us on LinkedIn!
• Follow our co-host Eileen Rochford on Linkedin!
• Follow our co-host Rob Johnson on Linkedin!

❔"I'm new to the idea of customer experience, and while I think it's great, I can't seem to get others at my software startup to really get it. I do what I can by bringing up the customer whenever I can, but I don't really know how to get others to care about it. Any ideas you can share?" ❔

We are so excited to have a new Customer Experience (CX) Change Agent in the world! Someone who has started connecting the dots between why CX is so important, what they can do about it, and what it can achieve — results like improved retention and referrals, increased revenue, reduced costs, and competitive advantages. Helping others in your organization understand the power of CX can be a challenge. In this episode, Jeannie Walters, CCXP shares some ideas about how to talk about CX and tools you can use to get others on board.

Resources Mentioned:
CX Mission Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-mission-workbook
Customer Journey Mapping Workbook -- bit.ly/cjmworkbook
Experience Investigators Learning Center -- experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

❔"How do you find the budget for customer experience initiatives, and who owns it? And how do other companies do this?"❔

Customer experience is not just a 'nice to have,' even though that's how it's viewed in many organizations. It really is a must-have in today's competitive, digital world. Customers have more choices and more expectations than ever before. If we don't make customer experience a strategic priority and a source of competitive advantage, somebody else will. Customer is also not a one-time project or department, but sometimes that's where we have to start. In this episode, Jeannie Walters discusses building a case for investing in customer experience and thinking like a business leader. This investment will have a positive impact on the bottom line and the long-term growth of your organization. She shares a few ideas for securing a CX budget, so you can get the resources you need to succeed.

Resources Mentioned:
CX Success Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-success-workbook
Experience Investigators Learning Center -- experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

❔"I represent CX in my organization. Although I try to be a change agent regarding the CX perspective, my organization continues to use NPS as a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for the entire organization. What are your recommendations for promoting change in an organization where there is a high focus on the NPS and a lack of openness to alternate thinking?"❔

If you are asking this question, you are already on the right track. Often when we talk about customer experience (CX), the first instinct is to measure. From surveys to feedback, many CX leaders are looking for that one magic metric. It just doesn't exist. We are dealing with complex humans, and reducing their experience to one metric misses out on huge opportunities to look at nuance and discover wonderful ways that we can really deliver for customers.

In this episode, Jeannie Walters talks about:
• Getting people on your team to buy into a cross-functional, holistic view of CX
• What NPS (Net Promoter Score) means, and how it can be used to change the conversation
• Creating a new formula for CX success and better business results

Resources Mentioned:
CX Mission Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-mission-workbook
CX Success Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-success-workbook
Experience Investigators Learning Center -- experienceinvestigators.com
Learn more about CXI® Flight School -- cxiflightschool.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

❔"What do you recommend to organizations who have customer pain points but do not have the necessary data? ... How should someone representing CX pursue resolution of the pain points when facing limited data? And, should these pain points go unanswered or be addressed later when data maturity allows for it?"❔

While it may be the logical approach for leaders to ask us to justify everything we do for customer experience (CX) with appropriate data or at least include the data to make decisions, it often limits our actions. To expand our options, we must open our minds to what data can be. Let's get creative!

In this episode, Jeannie talks about:
- building a case for anecdotal data and storytelling
- examining the goals of data gathering
- helpful tools for data collection and organization
- prioritizing CX goals and efforts

Resources Mentioned:
Article: How to Use Imperfect Data to Deliver a Perfect Customer Experience -- bit.ly/imperfectdataforCX
CX Mission Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-mission-workbook
CX Success Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-success-workbook
Join the Waitlist for the CXI® Flight School -- cxiflightschool.com
Experience Investigators Learning Center -- experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

❔"Are there guidelines for how much a small firm should spend in an area like CX?"❔

In any client meeting, in any situation, you can almost always ask the question, "Yes, but how will this affect the budget?" Especially if you are a small business or in a growth stage, budgets and goals are very important. Our host, Jeannie Walters, CCXP, is ready to provide a few guidelines for investing in customer experience (CX).

In this episode, Jeannie talks about:
- Investing in both new AND long-term customer experiences
- Thinking about CX beyond tools and technology
- Examining the employee experience
- Establishing CX Foundations

Resources Mentioned:
CX Mission Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-mission-workbook
CX Success Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-success-workbook
CX Charter Guidebook -- bit.ly/cxcharter
Experience Investigators Learning Center -- experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

❔If we align our customer experience to the goals and ambitions of the business, where do our customers fit into the strategy?❔

Customer experience is exciting! Yet, when we start approaching customer experience thinking solely about making customers happy, we often don't know where to invest our time, resources, and efforts in the right ways. Of course, we want to treat our customers well and ensure their moments on the journey are magical and wonderful. However, if we ONLY did that, we wouldn't be running our business and organizations very long. At the end of the day, we need to have a successful organization to continue serving our customers. So, while customer experience is squarely focused on the customer, it's also about the organization and helping it succeed.

In this episode, Jeannie talks about:
- balancing what's right for the customer and what's right for the organization
- defining how your customer experience efforts will serve your company's larger objectives
- tracking the success of your customer experience program

Resources Mentioned:
CX Success Statement Workbook -- bit.ly/cx-success-workbook
Experience Investigators Learning Center -- experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

❔"How do we get leadership or executive sponsorship for CX initiatives that we want to tackle?" ❔

This is an AMAZING QUESTION! And a Jeannie favorite. The key to this answer is leadership buy-in.

As a Customer Experience Leader, we know that investing in and executing customer experience is a winning strategy for business goals and objectives. But if company leadership isn't invested, all of our efforts can seem like they aren't working.

In this week's episode, Jeannie talks about actionable ways that you can speak to your business leaders about customer experience, tips for getting them to buy-in and ways you can help achieve your business goals at your company. Remember, we're all in this together!

Resources Mentioned:
Download the free CX Charter Guidebook -- https://bit.ly/cxcharter
Get a year of free Customer Experience Resources -- https://www.YearofCX.com
Experience Investigators Website -- https://www.experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Proving employer brand impact might sound difficult, but we’ll share examples of the hard data you can gather to gain leadership buy-in (and funding). Plus, we’ll dig more into culture and how employer branding is the key to creating clarity.