While webinars have become a staple in the corporate landscape, they can occasionally risk inducing an involuntary trance or two. Despite the valuable information shared, sometimes these sessions can become lengthy, intricate, and, let’s face it, a tad monotonous. Breaking free from the mundane, however, the recent webinar from the Customer Experience (CX) team, “Next Steps in Your CX Lifecycle Journey,” transported participants into the vibrant realm of CX, injecting energy and a change of pace to the traditional webinar experience. Hosted by Joseph Vlajcic, Director of Customer Experience at TD SYNNEX, and Carl Paul, CX Team Manager at TD SYNNEX, the webinar aimed to inspire and engage using a unique format and something easily on-hand for most distribution partners: the Webex Whiteboard.
As the role of CX continues to evolve to fit today’s consumer needs, CX practices have become more than just a requirement (those partners looking to achieve Cisco Global Gold status must complete one of the Customer Experience Specializations), but a key determinant of sustained success for partners at every point in their journey.
One of the main steps in building a profitable CX practice involves identifying lifecycle services that offer tangible value to customers. A common struggle faced by partners is articulating the value proposition of CX services. Many partners struggle with identifying lifecycle services that not only enhance customer value but also bring additional billable value to their clients. One common hurdle is the perception that customers may resist paying for certain services. The key here is to understand the concept of “value” in CX. As Gautam Mahajan recently put it in an article, “Customer value is the perception of what the product or service is worth to a customer versus the possible alternatives.”
Partners must work at helping clients recognize the value of the services being offered. CX services may face initial resistance, but the goal is to showcase tangible benefits over time. Vlajcic discussed the growing popularity in the subscription business. Although he said these often come to the customer ready to use, “the way I add value to that transaction might not be my traditional integrator work; it might be things that I do post-production, that I add additional.” Paul followed up, saying, “As times goes on…we start hitting that, ‘What do we do now?’ So, this is a way for us to continue to stay involved with that customer, which is what Cisco wants us to do throughout CX.”
The value of CX services can be provided in a number of ways, including reducing task completion time, enhancing customer satisfaction through application customization, and ensuring the adoption of new features throughout a solution’s lifecycle. Partners can explore innovative ways to add billable value to their offerings.
Often, the best CX involves being proactive. Vlajcic said a common question from partners is, “This is great, but how do I know what customers want?” Even though customers may not have asked for something, he says there are still services that would improve their experience, that they may not even be aware of. “I don’t know that they necessarily have the vocabulary to ask for specific deliverables there.” Paul agreed, explaining that “maybe a little coaching in the idea of making sure our customers understand what we can do and understand the value of those things, helps them to understand and see what they’re getting from the solutions overall.”
CX is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it requires a deep understanding of customer needs, expectations, and the ability to provide services that bring everything together seamlessly. For those eager to delve deeper into the intricacies of building a profitable CX practice, the webinar “Next Steps in Your CX Lifecycle Journey” offers a valuable opportunity. By exploring real-world scenarios and sharing insights, the webinar helps equip partners with the knowledge needed to unlock the full potential of their CX journey.
Learn more by watching the full webinar here.
