Learn more about Colin Shaw: Join over 80,000 people on our LinkedIn Newsletter list or visit our website for more great podcast episodes. Listen to the podcast: Once upon a time… These four words are the unmistakable beginning of a story, and if there is one thing we humans love, it’s stories. We love them in our news, in our dinner conversations, and even in our commercials. Storytelling is an essential part of communication with customers, too. Today, we examine why storytelling is a powerful tool in a marketer’s toolbox. Our love of stories has to do with attention and memory. Narratives ..read more

  “Did I tell you about the time I …” These seven words are one of many ways we signal one of our favorite things is coming next: a story. We can’t get enough of stories and look for them everywhere, from news to conversations to the commercials we can’t avoid on TV. Stories are an essential part of the human experience. In today’s world, storytelling is crucial in various aspects of business, including marketing. Human fascination with narratives stems from their ability to captivate attention, evoke emotions, and aid memory retention. Stories provide context, making information easier ..read more

Learn more about Colin Shaw: Join over 80,000 people on our LinkedIn Newsletter list or visit our website for more great podcast episodes. Listen to the podcast: Personalization is a key element in doing business today. However, getting too personal can be off-putting in some situations. So, today we are going to look at how you can strike a balance between personalizing your interactions and offerings for customers without freaking them out. The idea for this episode came from my recent trip to a fishing supplier near my home in Florida. It’s called Discount Tackle, and the manager knows me ..read more

  Personalization is an excellent tactic for your marketing efforts. However, only some people like this personalization; some feel they’re being watched. Therefore, it is important to remember that context and who’s doing the personalizing matter. Picture this: Colin’s at his go-to fishing store, Discount Tackle. The manager knows him, we chat, and he recommends a lure. Even though Colin can snag it cheaper elsewhere, the personalized touch keeps him coming back. We’ve all got our versions of this – the local diner, your loyal barber, or maybe a small biz that fuels your hobbies. Small ..read more

Learn more about Colin Shaw: Join over 80,000 people on our LinkedIn Newsletter list or visit our website for more great podcast episodes. Listen to the podcast: One of the things I talk about a lot with clients is customer emotions. The reason I do is because over half of any experience is highly influenced by customer emotions, which, among other things, motivate customers to act. The funny thing is that sometimes that motivation is hidden, even from the customer. It’s our job to determine what it is. But how should you do it, and why is it important? Both are fair questions. To get us star ..read more

  Customer emotions heavily influence experiences and motivate actions, yet these motivations are often hidden, even from the customers. Organizations must uncover these hidden motivations to serve their customers better. The “Jobs to Be Done” framework, popularized by Clayton Christensen at Harvard Business School, provides a lens through which to view customer motivations. Eckhart Boehme, Founder and Managing Director of Unipro Solutions, emphasizes the importance of aligning customer experiences around the idea of jobs to be done, helping organizations grow faster by understanding wha ..read more

Learn more about Colin Shaw: Join over 80,000 people on our LinkedIn Newsletter list or visit our website for more great podcast episodes. Listen to the podcast: I have been ghosted. I find this strange since I am married and have been for decades. However, ghosting happens in other arenas, too. It’s a work colleague ghosting me; no matter how I try to contact him, I hear nothing in return. It feels like he disappeared off the face of the earth. Since ghosting is a relatively new phenomenon, we should talk about it here, too. Ghosting isn’t uncommon, particularly for people using online datin ..read more

Colin has been ghosted. He was surprised, considering he is married and has been for decades. However, his ghosting experience didn’t come from a romantic partner but a professional one. Since ghosting appears to be spreading into many interactions, we thought we should discuss it here. Ghosting, where someone suddenly stops communicating, has become more common, thanks to technology making it easier to cut off contact. It often happens online, like in dating apps, leaving one wondering what went wrong. Even social invitations are not immune. Despite sending out monthly invites to friends, ma ..read more

Learn more about Colin Shaw: Join over 80,000 people on our LinkedIn Newsletter list or visit our website for more great podcast episodes. Listen to the podcast: “Colin, could you tell me the one thing that we need to do to improve our Customer Experience?” This question is one that many of my clients want to ask me. They don’t say that in so many words, but effectively, that’s what they were asking me to do. What they’re after is a silver bullet. Unfortunately, I always disappoint them. There is no silver bullet solution for improving Customer Experience. It’s understandable why clients want ..read more

Learn more about Colin Shaw: Join over 80,000 people on our LinkedIn Newsletter list or visit our website for more great podcast episodes. Listen to the podcast: Sometimes, things go wrong despite your best efforts. This situation happens everywhere. Even the most well-managed companies will have things go wrong. So, it’s not a matter of if but when regarding a customer crisis. Too many organizations do not plan for a customer crisis, and I want to change that. The key to handling it well is to master the art of staying cool. To that end, I have five rules to handle a customer crisis. Rule #1 ..read more