March 2012 Expert Opinion offers fresh and provocative ideas from a diverse group of experts. The 1to1 Community is the platform for insights and analyses from the many voices that are championing the customer cause. These contributed columns gives readers the chance to tap into the vast knowledge and expertise of – not just 1to1 experts – but other analysts, practitioners, vendors, academics, and more.

Current Articles:

Optimize the Online Customer Experience To better understand the customer experience, it is important to track certain key performance indicators (KPIs). By closely monitoring these KPIs in real time, companies can spot service degradations and possibly preempt their impact on customers.
Marketing Can Be a Corporate Profit Center Labeling the marketing department as a cost center is leaving badly-needed money on the table for your company. At the same time, leadership is not pushing the marketing team to deliver real value or a return on investment to the company.
5 Ways to Capture Customers’ Attention Online Personalization in search goes hand in hand with other ways people are already experiencing more customized encounters, including localization, social media, and the virtual “personal shoppers” who know exactly what brands customers’ prefer, their purchasing history, and personal style.
The Dos and Don’ts of Direct-Response Marketing In her recent book, Maximizing Lead Generation, Ruth P. Stevens highlights the dos and don’ts for developing targeted direct-response programs that encourage audiences to embrace the offers that grace their screen.
Turning Data Into Actionable Insight One of the key challenges facing service executives in today’s increasingly connected world is having the right information to make informed business decisions. The problem isn’t the lack of data, since most service businesses collect a myriad of data points ranging from basic financial information, to CRM information, and more recently, an explosion of information from social media.
Marketing in the Post-Email World The jig is up. Maybe it seems like just yesterday that your company axed its print media ad budget and pulled its 20-second spots on cable TV, fully transitioning its marketing team to email-based outreach. Well it’s a fast-paced world, and it’s time again to push ahead.
5 Landmines for CRM Professionals to Avoid in 2012 This is the year the economy turns the corner, there are just as many landmines that can destroy customer relationships in a growing economy as there are in down markets. Here are the top five that I believe will trip up organizations that aren’t authentically customer-centric.
Five Steps to Successful Customer Communication Today, consumers’ needs and preferences are as varied as their fingerprints, and the companies that will succeed will effectively cover every customer demographic. As consumer preferences broaden and change, brands need to not only understand the steps to keep up, but also to capitalize on this trend and grow their business.
Customer Trust and Employee Loyalty Are Business Growth Engines Michael Rosenbaum gives six tips that business leaders can learn from Bruce Halle, an underprivileged boy who became a wealthy business owner.
The One Employee Trait That’s Essential to Customer Retention In his book The Welcomer Edge: Unlocking the Secrets to Repeat Business, Richard Shapiro highlights a group of frontline employees who provide the type of engaging customer experience that leads to retention and loyalty: true customer focus.
Don’t Let Your Customer Experience Efforts Stall If you’ve tried repeatedly to get a focus on customers, customer loyalty, and customer profitability inside your organization with less than stellar results, you’re far from alone. Most companies jump in without evaluating how the organization works together, whether the CEO is truly committed, and if the patience exists for the long road ahead.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? When tailoring your sales messages, consider the following three tips to deliver conversations that better resonate and create more action from prospects.
6 Ways to Enhance the Customer Experience With Packaging Design We’re seeing a real trend with brands upping the ante to maximize consumer interaction, hone and develop personalities, and connect with consumers on emotional levels through their packages.
What Companies Can Learn From Their Customers Companies can learn important things from their customers, frontline employees, and key operations. In their book Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change, Chris Zook and James Allen say by listening to their customers, organizations can get crucial information about their clients’ expectations, allowing them to iterate successes and make changes where needed.