Four common challenges — four recommendations I wish someone had give me:

1. “We’re struggling to sell the benefits of CX/UX/whatever to the business.”

Let’s be honest, you’re probably crap at selling — after all, you’re not in sales! My advice — read Keenan’s Gap Selling and you’ll be better at selling than most sales people.

2. “We can’t prove ROI / get budget.”

Here’s the brutal truth — you probably don’t have a clue about ROI calculations or how finance allocate resources. Why would you, you’re not a CFO! Fear not. When you’re done with Keenan, read Financial Intelligence by Berman & Knight and your acumen will increase 1000%.

3. “We can’t move the needle on loyalty.”

Sorry to break it to you, but there's a strong chance that what you know about loyalty and satisfaction is bunk. The good news is by reading Tim Keiningham’s books — Loyalty Myths and The Wallet Allocation Rule — you can get straightened out.

4. “Our CX programs aren’t helping us build or grow our brand.”

One last slice of humble pie — you probably don't know much about brand building and growth, but why would you unless you're from a marketing background? Start plugging the gap with Byron Sharp's classic — How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know.

I promise you'll thank me later!

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