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“🚀 The Next Chapter in Customer Engagement: Beyond QBRs to Customer Value Reviews

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It’s clear we’re on a transformative journey when we look at how to deliver real value to our customers, but how do we effectively implement this shift?

1️⃣ Customised Value Pathways: It’s about creating tailored review schedules that resonate with each customer’s unique journey, not a one-size-fits-all approach.

2️⃣ Deep-Dive into Customer Worlds: Stepping into our customers’ shoes, understanding their challenges and ambitions, and aligning our services to support their strategic objectives.

3️⃣ Ongoing Value Assessment: Continuous interaction is key. We’re talking regular check-ins, not just quarterly reviews, to ensure we’re constantly adapting to and meeting evolving needs.

4️⃣ Accurate Trend Analysis: Keeping a close eye on business trends and progress is essential. It ensures that the value we deliver is not only current but also predictive and proactive.

This evolution in our approach is more than just a change in schedule; it’s a fundamental shift in mindset. What steps are you taking to make your customer reviews more dynamic and value-driven?

Explain what customer success 🛃 is to a 10 year old – care of ChatGPT… 💻

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“Alright, let’s break down what customer success is in a simple way:

Helping Customers: Imagine you’ve bought a new video game. Customer success is like having a friend who helps you understand how to play the game, so you can enjoy it more.

Listening to Problems: If you have trouble with the game, this friend listens to your problems and finds ways to solve them.

Making Things Better: They also suggest new games or updates that can make your gaming experience even more fun.

Keeping in Touch: This friend keeps checking in with you to make sure you’re still having a good time with your game.

Happy Customers: The goal is to make sure you’re really happy with your game and help you get the most out of it.

So, in a job, customer success is about making sure people who use a company’s products or services are happy and getting the most out of them.”

Then asked if it was really about keeping customers happy and…

“Customer success is more than just keeping customers happy. Here are a few key points:

Achieving Goals: It’s about understanding what customers want to achieve with the product and helping them reach those goals.

Building Relationships: Developing a strong, trusting relationship with customers is crucial. It’s not just a one-time interaction but an ongoing partnership.

Feedback and Improvement: Listening to customer feedback and using it to improve products and services is a big part of customer success.

Proactive Support: It involves anticipating customer needs and problems before they even arise and addressing them proactively.

Customer Retention: Keeping customers using the product for a long time is important. It’s not just about making them happy once, but ensuring they continue to find value.

Educating Customers: Teaching customers how to use the product effectively so they can get the most benefit from it.”

Not too bad a start – one mention of value and none of outcomes. Now to test it out with a 10 year old – or one of the “not so little” Nobles.

Unlocking Customer Lifetime Value: The Key to Long-term Success

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Introduction:

Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) holds the key to long-term success in business. Unraveling the potential of CLTV is crucial for building lasting relationships and driving sustained revenue growth.

Understanding CLTV:

Customer Lifetime Value is not solely about revenue but about fostering enduring value for customers. It is a vital metric for gauging an organization’s growth and prosperity. For instance, consider a subscription-based service like Netflix, where a loyal customer who subscribes for years contributes substantially to the company’s CLTV.

Viewing Value from Different Angles:

CLTV is more than just revenue; it encompasses different perspectives of value. Identifying and aligning with the customer’s definition of value is crucial. An example could be a luxury car brand that offers exceptional customer service, providing value that extends beyond the purchase.

Applying CLTV in Practice:

Measuring CLTV beyond revenue involves assessing advocacy, referrals, and recommendations, which are immensely valuable. Forecasting CLTV requires a careful consideration of customer segments and past profiles. For example, a software company may analyze user adoption metrics to predict long-term value.

Great quotes from Olympic athletes

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The ultimate quotes – inspirational, motivational and more – from Olympic athletes…

  1. “Falling in life is inevitable, staying down is optional” ~ Carrie Johnson
  2. “Never put an age limit on your dreams” ~ Dara Torres
  3. “When anyone tells me I can’t do anything, I’m just not listening anymore” ~ Florence Griffith Joyner
  4. “The only way to overcome is to hang in” ~ Dan O’Brien
  5. “If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren’t willing to do” ~ Michael Phelps
  6. “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey” ~ Missy Franklin
  7. “Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work” ~ Andre Agassi
  8. “Everything that I’ve ever been able to accomplish in skating and in life has come out of adversity and perseverance” ~ Scott Hamilton
  9. “The potential for greatness lives within each of us” ~ Wilma Rudolph
  10. “Have fun, because that’s what life is all about” ~ Ryan Lochte

And a link to another blog (“parents desk”) with some more great quotes.

Truly inspirational.  The motto for the London 2012 Olympics was “Inspire a generation” – I think they’ve gone way beyond this and inspired generations.

London does it best.  I can’t wait for the Paralympics and we’ve got tickets.  Super humans and even more inspiration.

London does it best…!

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Yes we’re there.  London 2012 is here now and we’ve got another amazing week to go.  The last 7 years of planning, moaning about costs, getting the transport infrastructure sorted out, training for all the athletes, buying (or in most cases trying to buy) tickets and everything else Olympic related has finished and we’re now celebrating in great British style.

The opening ceremony was something else.  A great show, showcasing the amazingness that is this great island country and less of the spectacle that Beijing 2008 was.  Some parts maybe missed if you’re not British but they were genius!  The Mr. Bean bit had us in complete stitches.  Classic.

We had our own Olympic party to watch the ceremony and all got into the spirit of it in true British style…

And then the games began.  Unbelievable achievements everywhere for all countries.  Some stunning events – including gymnastics (what these guys can do with their bodies defies belief), weightlifting (how much can they lift?), athletics (my favourite) and much much more.  The training, focus and everything all the athletes put into it, is a real inspiration to us all.

We had tickets to see the rowing early in the week which was amazing.  Standing seats (?) only but a great atmosphere.  Seeing the boats going past along the 2km course is very cool, with the crowd cheering for them.  Living in Twickenham we were lucky enough to see the cycling time trials come through here – over and done with in 8 seconds (going past you) but again great to see.

      

Paralympic athletic and judo tickets also for us, so more amazingness to see in a few weeks time.

Mrs. Noble managed to see the Olympic torch coming through Richmond – exactly where I was working until the end of last year (typical) and then again going up the Thames to the Olympic Park for the opening ceremony.  Daddy was working so didn’t get to see them!

   

We headed up to Heathrow Airport the week before the Olympics to spot athletes coming in and we did.  We got to see the teams for Australia (rowing), Japan, India (table tennis), UAE, Mongolia, Estonia and a few others.  Very cool to see them arriving.

On the opening weekend we had to venture up into London – without event tickets (on the off chance that we could have bought some – fat chance, the whole ticketing system and process has been a complete and utter shambles; you couldn’t do it worse and whoever built – ha! – the actual online system needs a severe talking to; but that’s for a different post – to be titled something about why testing and planning is important).  And complete with friends up from the South coast.  Great fun, getting the buzz everywhere.  No tickets, not even close but good to be up in the middle of it all.  And seeing our great British armed forces on patrol – filling in brilliantly where G4S abysmally messed up – was the ultimate in re-assurance.

   

Our London 2012 mascots are everywhere in London and all very nicely themed.  Now I’m working in the city (near Bank) I’ve done some great great runs around the city at lunchtime and even better to Vauxhall – part of the way home – in the evenings.  The run across Tower Bridge, along the South Bank, across the Millennium Bridge (what was the wobbly bridge), past London Bridge, past Waterloo and the great London Eye is unbelievable.  What a run past some of the greatest sites in the world.

Amazingly the London transport system is doing very well under the immense pressure that this many more people brings.  There are signs at all the train stations pointing you in the right direction to the different Olympic venues, tube train maps have been updated showing you the right stops to get off at, Olympic volunteers are everywhere to help and daily updates are sent out (by e-mail) to let you know busiest stations that day.  It’s all working and well…

Go Team GB.  An awesome achievement so far and more to come.  14 gold medals (as of now) and 3rd in the medal tables behind the USA and China (both much much bigger countries in terms of land sizes and populations).

A great stat below from a friend on Facebook today…

London doesn’t get much better than this.

Yes dad does know everything – Happy Fathers’ Day

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As a little boy you grow up convinced dad knows everything there is to know.  He answers all the questions you have, with what seem plausible answers and nothing throws him.  Nothing.

As you grow up and perhaps study more specialist subjects – e.g. physics like me – dad knows the bits around the edges but less of the details, but still a lot.

Then as you start working and start a family of your own, you begin putting all the stuff that dad taught you to good use and hey it works!  And yes when you have your own little ones, dad still knows a lot – he brought you into this world – but he’s letting you have a go now and taking a back seat and watching (no doubt with a smile).

Then as your little ones grow up and they ask you the same questions – and yes they are tricky – you suddenly become the dad that knows everything.  That’s part of the job.  And if you don’t know something straight way you find out – now a whole lot easier with Google and team.  How did my dad figure out things he didn’t know?

Recently my dad’s blown me away with answers to things that I’ve been pondering.  Some major stuff and thought provoking and others facts that I needed to know and didn’t.

Infinity

The major stuff – the size of the universe.  Having studied physics at one of the best colleges there is (Imperial College) and being fascinated by the subject, probably even more since college, I like to think I have a good all round understanding of it.  But infinity throws me – and the ideas that the universe isn’t infinite or is infinite.  Neither answer makes sense.  And either answer leads to more questions and mind blowing thinking.  How can the universe have an edge?  What’s on the other side?  And if there’s no edge and it goes on forever that can’t be right, can it?

In steps dad – now retired and enjoying life to the full but still the font of all knowledge.  A chat with dad about all sorts and we started talking about this, as you do.  Not an issue for dad, it’s simply our lack of understanding of what an infinite universe is.  We don’t yet understand the answers properly.  Genius.  That actually makes sense.  We’re just not there yet in how we think about this.  I’m happy with this explanation – time to move on.

1500m

The race. Why do we run this distance?  It doesn’t make sense – why not 1600m which is pretty much a mile?  Why this odd distance?  A call to dad… 19th century international politics is the answer.  100m we understand, ok it’s Metric, the British weren’t, but it’s a nice number.  200m is just 2 x 100m, 400m is 2 x 200m and 800m is 2 x 400m – logical steps.  So the next one would be 1600m yes?  No. 1600m is just under an official Imperial mile at 1609m, so pretty much a mile!  And a mile is an Imperial (British) measurement – and there was a need for an international compromise on something close – so 1500m was picked.  Not too dissimilar from why some countries drive on the left – like the UK – and others on the right.  But that’s for another post!

So yes dads do know everything and then soon after you discover that grandad’s know just as much if not more!

Happy Fathers’ Day dad and to all dad’s everywhere!

“A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms even when his hands are empty.”

60 of the best photos from the Jubilee weekend

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Some very cool photos from the long weekend we’ve just had in the UK celebrating 60 years of The Queen on the throne, thanks to LBC 97.3.  Not just one of the great radio stations out there – with some pretty amazing presenters and talk shows (and no music), and great great conversations, sometimes controversial, sometimes very funny and sometimes way out there.

And it wouldn’t be complete without some photos from the BBC as well would it – click on the Union Jack below (or the Union Flag to use it’s correct technical name – as Mrs. Noble keeps telling me).

In true UK style it rained for the Thames Pageant but millions were out in support, lining the banks of the Thames.  Some pretty amazing shots showing the number of people and all in very very patriotic moods with flags flying!  Sadly we weren’t in the crowds – we were in the Royal Albert Hall doing our bit with a Jubilee sing-along concert and had a amazing afternoon.  A very very feel good weekend for Britain.  No-one does ceremony like we do!

What makes Britain so brilliant? Care of a Carling ad.

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Reading the Metro yesterday on a work trip up to London town and the cover pages read “WHAT MAKES BRITAIN BRILLIANT”.

Hours away from a 4 day weekend celebrating The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and seeing Union Jacks all over the streets, you can’t help be more patriotic than normal and get in with the spirit of the celebrations.  With this headline grabber – even though it’s an ad for beer (mind you, a fine celebratory drink for the weekend) – and then 2 full pages with what make Britain brilliant, you can’t help but read it.  Some more on the funny side and made me laugh out loud on the train and tube, which is always a good sign.

 

So here they are in ascending order…

  1. Marmite.  Mmm…yuck.
  2. Our devotion to our wonderfully gripping soap operas.
  3. Vivienne Westwood’s heels.  It’s worth the pain.
  4. The Earl of Sandwich’s groundbreaking concept of putting a savoury filling between two pieces of bread.
  5. Glastonbury – mud and all.
  6. Our modesty – we never boast how great we are, apart from today.
  7. The pound and our reluctance to adopt the Euro.
  8. The best selling music artists in the world, are our very own; The Beatles.
  9. Our politeness – no matter how irritated we get, we are always too British to say anything.
  10. Kate Middleton and her sister.
  11. The Great British Summer (don’t forget the brolly).
  12. Driving on the left (the right way to do it).
  13. No matter where you are in Britain, you’re never far from a pub.
  14. Any excuse for a cup of tea.
  15. Curry, the unofficial national dish, with a pint of cold lager.
  16. We don’t moan because we are miserable, we moan because it makes us happy.
  17. Our international language.  Travelling abroad is a doodle.
  18. The Queen and her graceful wave.
  19. The Great British countryside, when you’re not stuck behind a tractor.
  20. Freedom of speech.
  21. Deep fried food, Fish, sausages, Mars bars…  absolutely anything.
  22. Some of the very best museums and galleries on the planet.  Free.
  23. The national tendency to cheer the underdog and ridicule the mighty.
  24. We apologise way too much.  Sorry about that.
  25. Crisps.  We eat more of them, in more varieties, than the whole of Europe put together.
  26. Shakespeare.  When thou can understandeth it.
  27. Sir David Attenborough and his soothing voice on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
  28. British strawberries, perfect with cream.
  29. Our cobbled streets, watch your heels ladies.
  30. Chips with fish, or cheese, or beans, or pies, or steaks, or curries or in a sandwich.  Chips with pretty much everything.
  31. We know the importance of a good queue.
  32. Beans on toast, brilliant no matter what your age.
  33. Court room wigs.  Our great way of making very smart people look very silly.
  34. Pantomimes.  The jokes never seem to get old.
  35. No matter how cold it gets, it will never keep us from our nights out.
  36. HP sauce.  Chuck it on everything.
  37. The 3pm Saturday kick off.
  38. Cream teas.  In case you are wondering, Cornish is jam first, Devon is cream first.
  39. Jellied eels.  And jelly.  Though not necessarily together.
  40. Beer gardens.  Because we love our beer and we love our gardens.
  41. Saying ‘I’m fine’ no matter how we feel.
  42. A love of mowing the lawn.
  43. Plugs with switches.  Amazingly nowhere else seems to do this.
  44. Tolerating nearly everything, but banning hosepipes.
  45. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in North Wales.  Just wait till your sat nav tries that one.
  46. World Cup, 1966.  We’ll be clinging to it forever.
  47. Egg and soldiers.  Those brave and tasty souls.
  48. The BBC.  The only time you’re not constantly reaching for the fast-forward button.
  49. Our British seasides.  Watch out for the seagulls.
  50. Archie Gemmill’s goal against Holland.
  51. Prime Minister’s Question Time.  A no-holds-barred, public bashing for whoever’s in charge.  Every week.
  52. The Full English breakfast.  Served all day.
  53. The weather.  Although we get less of it than almost anywhere, it’s still the major talking point.
  54. The 99 flake.
  55. Morris dancing.  We know how to move it 15th Century style.
  56. Allotments.  Our very own little patch of the countryside.
  57. Our love of anything pickled.
  58. Carry On films.  Oooer Missus.
  59. Our talent.  Be it our artists, musicians, directors, actors or just dancing dogs.
  60. Carlsberg.

Pure genius.  A great ad, and you actually finish reading the ad thinking why not – so it works!  Clever, funny and makes you proud.  We invented HP Sauce!  There’s something in the list for absolutely everyone.

Have a great long (in the UK) Jubliee weekend.  And no mention of running!