CX Framework
Work through the first four elements in order. These need to be completed for you and your team to make more client-centric business decisions.
Select additional elements to build and support the intentional client experience that you want to create. All companies should create accountability by measuring key metrics that are important to them and outlined in “Financials & Metrics.”
CX Mission Statement
Ideal Client
Client Journey Map
Client Segmentation
Client Leadership
Client Success Plans (service, SaaS businesses)
Client Delight (Tiny Moments of Wow)
Health & Feedback
Periodic Reviews (Quarterly, Bi-Annual, Annual)
Managing Risk & the CX Risk Framework
Key Financials & Metrics
CX Mission Statement
- Why and how
- Define the experience you want clients to have
- Create a concise statement highlighting this experience that clarifies your objectives, core values in CX, and the impact you intend to create
- Should highlight your commitment to both a client-centric focus and your unique value proposition
- It serves as a guiding north star for all client service–related decisions
- Should be evergreen
Ideal Client
- Create an ideal client profile by defining who you most want to work with and why by defining the common characteristics or attributes that comprise your “best” or most valued clients
- Cannot be everything to everyone
- Set a threshold for which you will commit to signing/not signing new clients
- Can change as business changes/pivots
Client Journey Map
- This is a visualization of the end-to-end experience that your clients have with your business and team
- Map each touchpoint and stage, then align to person or department for ownership as it currently exists and as a reflection of your intended client experience
- Creates clarity, alignment, and a seamless client experience
- Highlights strengths and opportunities by stage or touchpoint
- Should remove gaps and “expectations” that lead to frustration
Client Segmentation
- Division of clients into groups based upon shared characteristics/attributes, needs, processes, or strategies
- Helps to create greater alignment, more intentional experiences, more tailored products and processes
- Allows for more easily measuring outcomes and success
Client Leadership
- A proactive approach to client service that guides clients through each phase of the engagement, anticipating challenges and offering solutions to create a seamless and effortless experience
- Lead client to success; teach client to work with you
- Creates a unique sense of partnership that rivals the security and feeling of support fostered by in-house teams
- Use powerful questions and active listening techniques
- Invest in the client (through onboarding and discovery)
- Create focused processes tailored to addressing FAQs, teaching the client, and building support for your particular ICP and client segments
- Build teams and hire with intention; align to client profiles
Client Success Plans (service, SaaS businesses)
- Strategic roadmaps that align service providers and clients on shared goals, responsibilities, and timelines. These plans outline the outcomes to be achieved, specifying who is accountable for each task and when they must be completed.
- This is a living document meant to be updated in a pre-defined and regular cadence
- Co-created and shared with the client
- Align processes to plans
Client Delight (Tiny Moments of Wow)
- Small actions that create greater connection and show your client you think about them and genuinely care, beyond just the partnership
- Allows you to celebrate wins and highlight the value of the partnership
- Highlight your proactive leadership in the relationship
- Examples: Personalized touches, celebrating wins, customized reporting, time for connection, growth & education
Health & Feedback
- Client health involves using data and feedback to better understand how your clients experience your services and if you are fulfilling the agreed-upon definition of a successful engagement
- The client feedback loop is the process of collecting feedback, analyzing it for trends and opportunities, taking action based on the insights, and communicating those actions back to your clients
- Use the data to identify trends, resolve unknown issues, and adjust the approach as needed. Use feedback to upgrade services and have clients feel seen and heard.
- Metrics to track: Churn, retention, renewal rates, NPS, LTV, CSAT, CES — as whole and by segment
Periodic Reviews (Quarterly, Bi-Annual, Annual)
- Structured meetings with your client, set at a regular cadence, to assess the client’s success plan, establish KPIs, and gather performance feedback
- The intent of this meeting should not be muddled with the information or intent of regularly scheduled client meetings or with conversations around scope and pricing
Managing Risk & the CX Risk Framework
- Understanding the risks associated with the loss of a key partner/relationship throughout the client’s lifecycle can help to better identify and mitigate the realization of churn
- A CX (client experience) Risk Framework equips your team to better identify key risks, determine their causes, and implement strategies to minimize potential losses
- Identify controllable vs. uncontrollable risks and how to handle each
Understand predictability vs. causality and where you need to understand or make use of each - Key types of risk include: Readiness, Onboarding, Fit, Competitive/Loyalty, Product Experience, Adoption, Acute vs. Persistent
- Can use playbooks to help train and support the team to handle key risks
Key Financials & Metrics
- Gross and net churn
- Gross and net retention
- Expansion
- ROI/ROA
- Gross margin
- Effects on the financials, cash flow, and your overall business strategy
- How to use the data to make better business decisions