Key Takeaways from Obsession Summit 2023

Insights for Driving Customer Marketing

I recently had the opportunity to attend the #obsessionclgtour in San Francisco last week, a gathering of industry experts and thought leaders in customer advocacy and marketing. The event was filled with valuable insights and strategies for harnessing the power of customer advocacy to drive business growth. Here are some key takeaways from the summit:

1. Leveraging Data and Metrics: Gal Biran from Base

Gal Biran , Co-Founder and CEO at Base - Customer Led Growth , emphasized the importance of data and metrics in measuring customer marketing and advocacy, and tracking customer success. By leveraging data effectively, companies can make informed decisions, optimize processes, and enhance customer experiences.

Gal shared an exciting update about the upcoming revenue-influenced dashboard in the Base platform ?? ??. This new feature promises to provide marketers with valuable insights into revenue impact and customer retention, empowering us to make data-driven decisions to drive growth.

2. The Buying Process and Prior Experience: Vinay Bhagat - TrustRadius

Vinay Bhagat , an industry leader from TrustRadius , shed light on the evolving nature of the buying process. He highlighted the increasing importance of prior experience in purchase decisions. According to Vinay, more than half of technology buyers consult user reviews during their buying journey. As marketers, it is crucial to focus on generating authentic and relatable reviews that resonate with potential buyers.

Vinay also discussed how buyers have become more risk-averse and prioritize products that provide a clear return on investment (ROI) and time-saving capabilities. Additionally, he emphasized the growing involvement of C-suite decision-makers in the buying process, necessitating a strategic approach to engage and influence key stakeholders.

3. Mitigating Churn and Cross-Functional Teams: Jean Chapin - Malwarebytes

Jean Chapin , a customer experience leader from Malwarebytes , presented valuable insights into mitigating churn through cross-functional teams. He shared his experience in predicting churn 120 days in advance with an impressive 85% accuracy rate. By orchestrating cross-functional retention teams and identifying critical moments in the customer journey, companies can proactively address the core problems that lead to churn. Jean stressed the importance of federating teams with a common goal and closely monitoring deployment times, as delays in deployment often indicate potential renewal delays.

4. Harnessing the Power of Data: Robert Solby - Adobe

Robert Solby , a data-driven marketer from Adobe , not only emphasized the importance of data in customer marketing but also highlighted the significance of other key aspects: storytelling, relationships, and questioning the status quo.

Storytelling: According to Robert, effective storytelling is a powerful tool in customer advocacy. By crafting compelling narratives, companies can make people care both internally and externally about how their products or services make customers feel and support the work they do.?

Relationships: Building strong relationships is crucial in customer advocacy.?

Questioning the Status Quo: Robert encourages a mindset of questioning the status quo. He believes that mistakes foster growth and innovation.?

By incorporating these insights from Robert, we can enrich our customer marketing efforts and create more impactful experiences for our customers.

5. Customer Advocacy as a Banyan Tree: Steve George - GitLab

I was honoured to be invited as a speaker at Obsession San Francisco. I likened Customer Advocacy to a Banyan tree, which initially appears as a tangled mess of roots and branches. However, upon closer inspection, one realizes that this interconnected network is what fuels the growth and success of the tree, or in this case, the business.

In my presentation I outlined three crucial steps:?

• Developing a clear strategy and objectives
• Building the necessary skills within the team, and?
• Investing in appropriate technology.?

By focusing on these pillars, companies can effectively scale their customer advocacy efforts and transform them into a revenue-generating engine.?

The Obsession Summit provided a wealth of insights and strategies for driving customer advocacy and harnessing its immense potential. From leveraging data and metrics to understanding the buying process and mitigating churn, the event showcased the importance of customer-centric approaches in today's business landscape. And I'm yet to watch the sessions in the parallel track ?? ?? ??.

I honestly believe, by embracing these key takeaways and implementing the recommended strategies, organizations can elevate their customer advocacy initiatives, enhance customer experiences, and ultimately drive sustainable growth. Remember, customer marketing is not just about keeping customers but also about increasing their value through cross-selling, upselling and expansion opportunities.

So, let's leverage the power of data, foster cross-functional collaboration, harness the potential of customer stories, and build a strong foundation for customer advocacy.