Creating Superfans Podcast

SUBSCRIBE: In this episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I’m joined by the woman that Meta has called “the queen of CX”, and I am lucky enough to get to call a friend, Blake Morgan. Blake is a CX futurist and author of three amazing books on customer experience, including her newest, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership. Blake and I are very aligned on the way we think about customer experience, so if you enjoy listening to me, I promise you’ll enjoy this conversation!  You’ll hear us chat about: Why customer experience is a decision that you have to make daily The habits of the most engaged and successful leaders Case studies from customer-centric brands like In-N-Out, Trader Joe’s, and ADT Get a copy of Blake’s new book here Listen to the Modern Customer Podcast  Listen to the Episode

SUBSCRIBE: Occasionally I read a book and think, “Damn! I WISH I had written this book!!” This is one of them. It’s called Give to Grow and author Mo Bunnell is the guest on this week’s episode of the Creating Superfans podcast! Mo is the founder and CEO of a global business development consulting firm, Bunnell Idea Group (BIG). Through his trademarked, science-backed system, Mo has helped tens of thousands of professionals at over 400 organizations grow their book of business efficiently and effectively.  Mo and I chat about…. His hacks for demonstrating curiosity and helpfulness to cultivate stronger relationships The power of reciprocity  The delicate balance between “winning the work” and “doing the work”  How to overcome the toxic lies that are inhibiting our business development goals By the end of the episode, you’ll walk away with actionable strategies to nurture valuable relationships and drive positive change in both your personal and professional lives.  Get a copy of Mo’s new book, Give to Grow, and check out the accompanying free resources here. Listen to Brittany’s episode on Mo’s podcast, Real Relationships Real Revenue (season 5 episode 10). Follow Mo Bunnell on LinkedIn. Listen to the Episode Transcription Brittany Hodak: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Creating Superfans podcast. Here’s the deal: if your customers aren’t telling their friends how awesome you are, you’re in trouble. But don’t worry, by the end of this episode, you’ll have some brand new ideas for to get them talking about exactly that. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Mo Bunnell, a business development guru, who’s written the book, “The Snowball System,” and one of my very favorite new books called “Give to Grow.” He’s the host of the Real Relationships Real Revenue Podcast, and founder of Bunnell Idea Group. Mo knows that relationships are the foundation of our long-term business success. He shares simple and actionable tips for overcoming mental roadblocks so we can build and nurture the relationships we need to make the impact we want.  Let’s get into it! Brittany Hodak:Mo, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast. Mo Bunnell:Brittany, I’m a fan. I’m a super fan of your work. You know, you’ve been on our podcast, so we should put that in the show notes. But I’m excited to talk to you about today because I just think our content mashes up just so nicely. Brittany Hodak:It really does. And the book is brand new, but you’re kind enough to send me in in advance several months ago, and I have been so excited for this book to come out in the world and so excited to do this podcast. Honestly, selfishly, just so I can send it to people, just so I can share this book because this book is so good. It is not often that I read a book and think, ah, man, and have those little tinges of jealousy because of how good the content and the layout and the design and all of it is. But first, I just wanna say thank you for writing this book. This is a book the world needs. Mo Bunnell:Well, thank you. I I think so too. Well, I and I have all these things I wanna say about your book, but I’m gonna, like, I’m gonna zip it. I’m gonna let you guide things. You’re the guru. Because, like, you know your audience so well, and you’ve read the book, Give to Grow so well that you know that. So why don’t you guide us? Well, why don’t you tell me in your words what this book Brittany Hodak:is about? Give to grow. It’s a great phrase. It’s one of those phrases that you hear and you think, oh, I wonder what that means. I wonder what that’s about. Why don’t you tell us the log line, what this book is about, and why you wrote it? Mo Bunnell:Yeah. Well, I’ll tell you a story. The, years so we started started with my publisher. He only does one book a year, Bard Press, super interesting model. And a couple years ago, two and a half years ago, we started on this project. And Todd asked me a question and it was one of those questions where you’re like, I’m not even sure I know the answer. I have to think about it. I had to get back to him the next day. Mo Bunnell:He said, what’s the difference now between what’s the difference between when you started teaching people business development and growth skills 20 years ago, trained 50,000 people in the in the meantime, between then and now. And overnight, it hit me. 20 years ago, people were talking about, I want to learn how to build a book of business or grow a business or bring in revenue or whatever. And maybe relationships are mentioned, maybe they’re not. Today, what is really exciting about gift to grow is that the headline is relationships. And gift to grow is all about how do you deepen relationships that just happen to grow a business or a book of business. And that’s something you can get up in the morning and be excited about. It’s all about authenticity, helpfulness, proactiveness, things that you can just keep doing forever, and you just happen to do things that help you too. Brittany Hodak:Yeah. And I think one of the through lines of this book is curiosity. Mo Bunnell:Yeah. Brittany Hodak:Right? And if you are truly curious about getting to know people so that you can find ways to help them to show up with that value before you have to ask, it makes everything more fun. Right? It makes it makes your job more fun, but it also makes your life more fun because you’re meeting these fantastic people. You’re building these truly authentic relationships that transcend work boundaries. Mo Bunnell:Yeah. You nailed it. And I’ll give you a framework for the for the audience. I’ll give the audience framework. There’s something to worry about and

SUBSCRIBE: Superfans are created at the intersection of YOUR story and every CUSTOMER’S story. They are forged at that magical, overlapping point where it becomes obvious that you share a common purpose or passion. Your thing matters and is relevant to their thing. I’ve done several episodes of this podcast focused on crafting and sharing your story. So, in this episode, I’m sharing a five-step trick that will help you learn more about every customer’s story and accelerate the path to creating superfans.  Remember, superfandom is a two-way street. If you want your customers to love you, you’ve got to love them back. Period. And, it’s really hard to love someone you don’t even know.  Tune in to learn more about my S-T-O-R-Y framework, and don’t forget to head to BrittanyHodak.com/SUPER to download and fill in the customer persona template. Listen to the Episode Transcription Brittany Hodak [00:00:02]:Hello, and welcome to the Creating Superfans podcast. I’m Brittany Hodak, a speaker, author, and entrepreneur obsessed with all things customer experience. Here’s the thing. If your customers aren’t telling their friends about you, you’re in trouble. This podcast exists to help you turn more of those customers into those loyal fans that don’t just come back but also tell their friends. Last year, I launched a book called Creating Super Fans where I introduced something I call the supermodel. It’s a 5 part framework that’s all about customer experience. SUPER is an acronym. Brittany Hodak [00:00:36]:It stands for start with your story, understand your customer story, personalize, exceed expectations, and repeat. And over the 3 seasons of this podcast, I have talked a lot about that first step, s, start with your story. If you go back to season 1, in episode 19, my guest, Rory Vaden, does a really deep dive. And then in last season, season 2 episode number 13, in a solo episode, I share 10 often overlooked opportunities for you to share your story. Now, today, we’re talking about the second pillar of that supermodel, you, which is understand your customer story. Something that I often say is super vans are created at the intersection of your story and every customer’s because that is where you can overpower apathy, which is one of the strongest forces that exist in all of our lives. Story is how you make someone care more about you than your competitors. But if you’re not showing them that you truly understand theirs, they can feel like just another number, just another customer who’s nameless or faceless that really you’re just trying to like get the money at the end of the day and obviously that’s not how we want our customers or our prospects to feel. Brittany Hodak [00:01:52]:So today, we’re gonna dive into you. Understand your customer story. What does it mean? How can you do a better job of it? And why is it more critical than ever before in this world that is increasingly driven by commodities? Earlier this year, I was speaking at an event, and I met a gentleman who ran a law firm. And he was talking to me about how one of the things that he’s learned over the couple of decades that he’s run this firm is that the person who sits at the front desk, who’s answering phones, who’s greeting people that walk in off the street, has to have an incredible amount of empathy because most of the people who walk into his office or who pick up the phone and call his office are not doing it because they’re having a good time. They’ve either just been sued or they’re going through something really challenging. They’re maybe considering suing someone. So it’s a really emotional time. And he said when he interviews people for that receptionist position, one of the questions that he always asks is, have you ever been sued? And most people say, you know, no. Brittany Hodak [00:02:57]:I’ve never been sued, and they think that’s a great answer. But when he sees someone’s face drop or their heart sinks a little bit and they say, yes. I was sued once. Let me explain. He said he can almost always see, like, the hope drained from their face. They think that’s it. I’m not gonna get this job. But in reality, those are the candidates that he considers most strongly because it’s impossible to truly understand what it feels like for a customer or a prospective client in that moment if somebody hasn’t been through the extreme emotional turmoil that comes with being a party in a lawsuit. Brittany Hodak [00:03:38]:And he said, you know, obviously, I’m never gonna not hire someone because they haven’t been sued. But when I have 2 pretty equal candidates and I know one of them has been through that life changing experience, I wanna favor them because I know they’re going to have that empathy. Now one of the things that I talk about in my book, particularly as it comes to this you pillar of the supermodel, is the idea of empathy and authority working together. Too often, we are excited about showing our authority. We wanna lead with the accolades, the strengths, the products, the benefits, but as Teddy Roosevelt once said, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. It’s the idea of leading with empathy because that empathy opens the door for authority, and it makes it much more powerful. When you can, as my friend Phil Jones likes to say, earn the right to make a recommendation because of something you heard someone say, they’re going to take that recommendation much more seriously. Alright. Brittany Hodak [00:04:45]:So this is a little bit like a turducken of an acronym because I’m about to share an acronym inside of an acronym. But when I talk about understanding your customer’s story, story is a secondary framework that stands for struggles, transformation, options, reservations, and you. And if

SUBSCRIBE: Shama Hyder is the CEO of Zen Media, a global marketing and digital PR firm.  She’s an award-winning entrepreneur, having been honored by both the White House and The United Nations as one of the top 100 young entrepreneurs in the country. She’s a bestselling author of two books and is widely known as the Zen Master of Marketing. Shama and I discuss the impact of generational shifts on customer loyalty and buying habits, the rise of “dark social,” and the new rules of influence in marketing. Tune in as we unravel the complexities of modern consumer trends and uncover the keys to staying relevant in today’s evolving landscape. Visit Shama’s website to learn more Listen to the Episode Transcription Brittany Hodak [00:00:01]:Hey there. I’m Brittany Hodak, and I wanna welcome you to another episode of the creating superfans podcast. Here’s the deal. If your customers aren’t telling their friends how awesome you are, you’re in trouble. But don’t worry because by the end of this episode, you’ll have some brand new tips for how to turn more of your customers into superfans. Today’s episode features one of my dear friends, Shama Hyder. Shama is the CEO of Zen Media, a global marketing and digital PR firm. And she’s an award winning entrepreneur, having been honored by both the White House and the United Nations as one of the top 100 young entrepreneurs in the country. Brittany Hodak [00:00:35]:No big deal. She’s the best selling author of 2 books and is widely known as the zen master of marketing. In our conversation today, we’re gonna talk about the generational shifts in customer loyalty and buying habits, the rise of something called dark social, and the new rules of influence. If you’re concerned about how to stay relevant in today’s ever changing landscape, you don’t wanna miss this episode. Let’s jump right in. Shama, thank you so much for joining me today. Shama Hyder [00:01:05]:Brittany, I am always thrilled to join you. Whether it’s a podcast, backstage, on stage, it’s always such a pleasure. Brittany Hodak [00:01:13]:You are legitimately one of my favorite people to hang out with and one of my favorite people to talk to because I think you have such a unique perspective on the world. You’ve been on the cutting edge of social media since social media existed. You were one of the first people to write a book that now I think has been, what, like 3, 4 editions. It’s been translated into every language across the world, and you have been at the forefront of every new iteration of technology and marketing for now, like, half our lifetimes, which sounds crazy to say out loud. Shama Hyder [00:01:46]:Gosh, Brittany. Yeah. It really does. Thank you for that very kind introduction. Yeah. I mean, I think it helps. I I have a passion for it, and as I tell audiences too, I have a very limited skill set as my kids will attest to. And just one of them. Shama Hyder [00:02:00]:Right? And thank god, because it’s, again, a very narrow skill set, is the ability to be able to say what’s what’s next. And I love being able to translate that and and share that. And I think now more than ever, people are asking that. Right? Like, what’s next? How do I make it make sense? And so I try to be that translator and try to say, here’s how to try and make this make sense for you. Brittany Hodak [00:02:23]:Well and I think now more than ever, it feels like the world is moving so fast that every leader and every executive has to be constantly asking themselves what’s next because the answer to that question feels like it’s changing all the time. Shama Hyder [00:02:41]:Yeah. You’re absolutely right. It is changing, and a big part of what’s keeping leaders up at night, you know, as as I talk to them across the globe, really, is is the same thing. It’s the same question about how do we stay relevant. Right? So all these things are changing. The world is changing. We know that unprecedented has long lost its meaning and and flavor as a word, but that’s that is the reality. And so I think the smart leaders, the good ones, are really asking themselves, how do we stay relevant? How do we not take what we have for granted, lest we go by the way of yesteryear’s brands? And, I mean, we even see this now with very contemporary strong brands having to fight for relevance. Shama Hyder [00:03:24]:And so I think that’s really the big question of, yes, there’s all this change, but given this change, how do we stay relevant in this, you know, this ecosystem? Brittany Hodak [00:03:34]:Well and it’s such an important question because regardless of the field or the industry that you’re in, this is something that you have to think about. And I was just having lunch with a friend who has 2 teenage daughters, and she was saying the biggest disconnect for her is how her daughters have zero brand loyalty. She was like, you know, I have been wearing Clinique makeup since I was 13 years old. I will never wear anything but Clinique makeup, and my teenage daughters change every single product they buy, they wear, they want at the drop of a hat when they see somebody on TikTok say this is better. And I know last month I told you this was the best thing, but now this is the best thing. And she said, I don’t know if it’s because my daughters don’t consume commercials the way I used to, or because they have this sort of skepticism or distrust of brands. But she said, I just can’t help thinking about what it means for brands as more people, you know, who are coming up Gen z and even younger don’t have the same sort of

SUBSCRIBE: Dan Michaeli is the co-founder and CEO of Glia, a digital customer service platform that seamlessly integrates various modes of communication into one “channel-less” interface. In other words, customer interactions evolve as the conversations do in the digital-first world: moving easily between voice and screen, virtual AI assistance, and live humans – even securely sharing screens. I’ve been lucky enough to see this platform in action and I was SO impressed that I had to bring Dan on the podcast. He’s been at the forefront of AI and customer experience for over a decade, and he talks to me about the balance of efficiency and human responsibility, the use of “digital body language,” and the importance of an omnichannel experience.  Learn more about Glia Follow Dan on LinkedIn Listen to the Episode Transcription Brittany Hodak [00:00:01]:Hi. I’m Brittany Hodak, and I wanna welcome you to another episode of the Creating Superfans Podcast. Here’s the deal. If your customers aren’t telling their friends how awesome you are, you’re in trouble. But don’t worry. By the end of this episode, you’ll have some brand new tips for turning your customers into superfans. Today, I’m talking to Dan Michele. He’s the cofounder and CEO of Glia, one of my favorite companies in the AI space right now. Brittany Hodak [00:00:26]:Glia is a unified interaction management platform that allows companies to provide channel less customer service. That means customers can seamlessly move between voice and screen, working with a virtual AI assistant or a live human. Let me tell you, I’ve seen this in action and it is so cool. Whether you’re using AI for your CX or not, you are gonna learn so much from this episode. Dan has been at the forefront of AI and customer experience for years, and he’s gonna talk about how you can effortlessly blend AI efficiency with human responsibility. Let’s get into it. Dan, thanks so much for joining me on the show today. Dan Michaeli [00:01:06]:Oh, I’m so happy to be here, Brittany. Thank you. Brittany Hodak [00:01:09]:Now you cofounded Glia 12 years ago, which feels like an eternity in talking about AI. I’m curious. What do you think is the most fascinating thing about how both the cultural awareness and the general conversation around AI has changed in that time. Dan Michaeli [00:01:27]:You know, it’s interesting because I think about it from the context of, you know, businesses as well as consumers. Right? And so there’s a little bit of both happening here. And I I think I have a unique perspective on, what’s happened, especially in the business realm because we’ve been discussing it with CX leaders now for, as you mentioned, over a decade. So I I there’s there’s a lot of excitement. Right? There’s a lot of hype around this technology. And we saw a similar cycle, I would say about 2017, where there was a lot of enthusiasm about what virtual assistants can achieve for CX, for instance, and the efficiencies we can capture. I think what’s really interesting this time around is the consumerization that’s happening. So the latest wave has a much larger consumer aspect to it, which I think is gonna be really interesting for the industry because it will heighten expectations from customers as they interact with these technologies on the business front. Dan Michaeli [00:02:25]:I think there will be a tendency to engage with the technologies more, and that will push companies that are actually looking to, you know, provide these solutions to innovate, in order to deliver on all of that. So I think it’s an exciting time because of that consumerization. Brittany Hodak [00:02:41]:Yeah. And really great dual benefits because, as you said, consumer expectations will rise, but also consumers will maybe be a little less hesitant to try engaging with a a AI technology when they come across it in in their day to day life. Dan Michaeli [00:02:57]:Yes. Exactly right. I’m I’m enthusiastic about that element and, you know, it’ll push us all to really make sure that we’re delivering. You know, consumers will expect much better experiences and, you know, the the best of those will rise to the top. Brittany Hodak [00:03:13]:Yeah. Well, with AI being such a hot topic of conversation, kind of in the the zeitgeist right now, it’s hard to go a day without reading or hearing some horror story or, you know, some hypothetical about a worst case scenario, like end of the world catastrophe, either on the business or consumer side. But the reality is AI is here to say it’s not going anywhere. It’s changing businesses in huge and profound ways already. And I think one of the really great things that I love seeing, and and everything that writes about and talks about is this idea of the efficiency of AI meeting the responsibility of humans and that they don’t have to be these, you know, complete opposites. It’s about blending them both in a way that’s really smart and makes things better. So I would love for you to talk a little bit about that because it seems like you have a very elegant solution and ideation around everybody else saying, like, it’s gotta be one way or the other, and you guys are proving that, no, like, for over a decade, you’ve shown that you can combine the best of of both worlds and have the generative AI and the kind of guardrails that humans, at least for the next, you know, hopefully, period of decades, are going to need to be around to provide. So I’d love for you to kinda talk about that AI efficiency and human responsibility intersection. Dan Michaeli [00:04:33]:Sure. No. I’m happy to. So, the way that we think it it’s really three things. So the first component of it for us is one platform, all interactions, the perfect balance of human and AI. Right? So the first is that one platform concept. The

SUBSCRIBE: Welcome back to season three of the Creating Superfans podcast! Over the hiatus, I’ve been busy speaking at dozens of events, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting leaders from just about every industry you can imagine.  One question I get all the time when I speak is, “What can I do to fix my CX that’s really easy?”  Everyone’s always looking for low-cost, attainable strategies they can implement today to see immediate improvements in their customer experience. So, to kick off season three, I’m sharing 15 low-cost and no-cost things that you can do to elevate your customer experience TODAY! Get your copy of the 25 Simples Swaps to Improve Customer Conversations.  Looking for more actionable tips for improving your customer experience? Catch up on the latest episodes of The SUPER AMAZING Show. Listen to the Episode Transcription Hello, and welcome to the Creating Superfans podcast. I’m Brittany Hodak, a speaker, author, and entrepreneur obsessed with all things customer experience. Here’s the deal. If your customers aren’t telling their friends how awesome you are, you’re in trouble. But don’t worry. By the end of today’s episode, you’ll have some brand new ideas for getting those customers to sing your praises. Now this is a special episode of the creating super fans podcast because it’s the very first episode of season 3. The show has been on a bit of hiatus because I’ve been traveling like crazy. I’ve spoken to dozens of events in the past few months, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting leaders from just about every industry you can imagine. From health care to finance, technology, insurance, real estate, manufacturing, even dance studio owners, and just about everything in between. And one question I get all the time when I speak is, yeah, but what can I do to fix my CX that’s really easy? Is there something I can do that doesn’t cost anything? Is there something I can do that doesn’t take very long? Is there something I can put into place today to start seeing results today? And the answer to all of those questions is yes, and that’s the focus of today’s episode. 15 low cost and no cost things that you can do to elevate your customer experience. We’re gonna be debunking the myth that CX has to be expensive or complicated or is only important for the biggest companies in the world. It’s important to every single company and brand, including yours. So let’s jump in. Alright.

I believe one of the most powerful things you can do to impact others is to refer a book to them that could transform their outlook on life. In this week’s episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I’m recommending my FAVORITE books that I read in 2023. Whether you’re looking to improve your customer experience or employee experience, or you’re looking for a practical guide to achieve your fullest potential, I’ve got you covered with some of the most impactful books to take with you into 2024. Listen to the Episode

This week’s episode of the Creating Superfans podcast is all about GIFTING! Strategic generosity is one of the most powerful ways to create a “wow” experience for a customer and elevate the emotional closeness of a relationship. It’s not just about the gift (literal or figurative) or its cost; it’s about the thought, effort, and time that went into it. At least it is when it’s done correctly. I share my best practices and common mistakes to keep in mind as you search for the special gift, as well as some specific product ideas.   Don’t forget to download my new gifting guide here for over 75 gift ideas! I hope you find it helpful as you look for the perfect present to WOW your recipient and show them how much you care about them. Listen to the Episode Show Notes 3:26 – If it has your logo on it, it’s an AD, not a gift5:10 – One of Brittany’s favorite gifts she received as a seven-year-old6:10 – Another one of Brittany’s favorite gifts she got as a teenager7:35 – A gift Brittany got a few weeks ago from a client that absolutely WOWed her11:33 – Some great ways to honor your employees, courtesy of John Ruhlin12:12 – Gifting does NOT have to be expensive. Sentimentality and thought can double the value of a gift.13:20 – Don’t ignore 90% of the calendar14:35 – Avoid these common gifting mistakes16:10 – Unique gifts17:38 – One of Brittany’s favorite gifts, a guest book18:28 – Closing gift idea for realtors19:13 – More personalized gift ideas22:05 – A cool way to make an impact with a special card22:46 – A gift card, but elevated24:45 – Love  on the ones they love25:57 – Highlight the recipient’s hobbies27:57 – Make sure the gift you’re giving aligns with the relationship you have with them28:27 – The most bizarre gift that Brittany received from a client that made her scratch her head29:46 – All of the gifting websites that offer subscriptions to save you money31:49 – Brittany’s snarky gift that she made on Zazzle to get back at a coworker32:57 – Check out Brittany’s interview with David Wachs, CEO of Handwrytten Download the Gifting Guide here. Transcription Brittany Hodak [00:00:02]: Hello, and welcome to the Creating Super Fans podcast where you learn how to turn your customers and employees into superfans. I’m your host, Brittany Hodak, and I’m a speaker, author, and entrepreneur obsessed with all things customer experience. Here’s the thing. We’re living in an experienced economy right now, and regardless of the size or age of your company or even the products or services you’re selling, one thing’s for sure. If your customers aren’t telling their friends about you, you’re in trouble. If you wanna create super fans, being great is no longer good enough. You’ve got to be super. This is the show that teaches you how. Brittany Hodak [00:00:47]: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Creating Superfans podcast. In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about something that I get asked about a lot, and that’s gifting. Now this is always a hot topic, but it’s especially top of mind this time of year. I’m recording this episode on Cyber Monday. Obviously, so much focus and attention on gift giving and buying right now. This also happens to be just a few days before my 40th Hey. And people have been asking me, what do I want? What do I want? So gifting very much on the mind, and I’m thrilled to share this episode where Where I’m gonna tell you the top things not to do when you’re giving gifts, the things that you should be doing, and I’m going to give you more than a dozen ideas of gifts that are sure to delight your clients, your family members, your friends, your employees, anyone on your list. So if you want some major Santa Claus cred, listen to this episode. Brittany Hodak [00:01:43]: It’s gonna start right after a quick word from today’s sponsor. If you’re looking for a proven system to make more impact and income, I wanna highly recommend that you talk to my friends at Brand Builders Group. Brand builders group are the best in the world at helping people find their uniqueness and building on it to monetize their personal brands. Right now, Brand Builders Group is offering free brand strategy calls to everyone serious about taking their personal brands to the next level. Just visit freebrandcall.com/brittanyhodak to request your call. I’ve been a customer for 5 years, and I can tell you the team is absolutely incredible. You may have even heard cofounder Rory Vaden on a past episode of this podcast. They’ve created a system that really will help you get clear on the shortest path to grow your impact, your influence, and your income. So go to freebrandcall.com/brittanyhodak today to schedule your free strategy session. Now if there’s 1 page in my book, Creating Super Fans, that has been the most controversial this year, It is page 143. I know that because I have had several people both in person and over the Internet, Like, come at me for page 143. And 143 simply says this. If it has your logo on it, it’s an ad, not a gift. Now this is from a chapter that’s all about gifting called you get what you give, And the point that I’m making is that there is a difference between swag and gifts. Oftentimes, we confuse the 2. We conflate them. Brittany Hodak [00:03:26]: We think they’re the same thing, but they’re not. Now you can create very nice swag for someone, but if it has your logo on it, don’t the fact that it is actually swag. It’s an ad. Now, like, if someone gave me a car with their ad on it. I might well drive it around, but I would be driving around an ad because a logo makes it an ad. It makes it swag. Swag can be

My favorite CX, or customer experience, measurement tool is the simplest one: Did you just make the thing better or worse for the customer? Or, was it a forgettable, nothing-burger of an interaction? It really all boils down to those three choices. In Creating Superfans, I call these outcomes Net Positive, Net Neutral, and Net Negative. The overwhelming majority of interactions we all experience in life are Net Neutral ones. Hundreds or even thousands of times each day, you have interactions: emails, texts, phone calls, in-person conversations… the list goes on. You process most of them so quickly, and so automatically, that you don’t think about them again after they end. What if you could elevate those often-overlooked interactions into experiences? What if, all around you, there are countless opportunities to give your customers a little extra? A little extra jazz to take something from neutral to positive? From forgettable to I’ve-gotta-post-a-picture-of-that.  Guess what? You can! And this episode is all about ten of the countless ways you can do it. These simple interactions illustrate how you can intentionally elevate mundane moments into memorable ones.  Listen to the Episode Show Notes 5:37 – #1: Your wifi network name and password8:00 – #2: Your voicemail message9:57 – #3: 404 page12:19 – #4: Email unsubscribe message14:52 – #5: The hours and service details on your site or storefront17:04 – #6: Sandwich board in front of your store18:27 – #7: Notes or terms on your invoices20:05 – #8: “Hello” and “Goodbye” moments22:45 – #9: Overlooked physical space24:49 – #10: OOO or vacation auto-responder message For more examples on each interaction, check out Customer Interactions You Can Easily Elevate to Create Superfans.

On today’s episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I’m thrilled to be joined by a fellow woman in CX, Stacy Sherman. Stacy is an award-winning keynote speaker, author, advisor, and podcaster focused on Doing Customer Experiences Right as a brand differentiator. Stacy has held multiple leadership roles at major companies over the past 25 years, such as Liveops, Verizon, Wilton Brands, AT&T, and Schindler Elevator. She brings real-life examples and customer service experience best practices from being in the trenches as a strategist and practitioner. You’ll hear us talk about the impact that a job title can have on an employee’s performance, how you can teach empathy to your team, and the importance of recognizing and celebrating your customers’ and your employee’s birthdays. Listen to the Episode Show Notes 3:03 – What does “doing CX right” look like to Stacy?4:42 – Brittany shares the CX lesson she learned while riding the elevator at LEGOLAND7:42 – Stacy shares about her experiences leading the CX department at Schindler Elevator Corporation8:09 – How Stacy improved the experience for elevator mechanics, both internally and externally11:05 – How physical and psychological safety contribute to overall CX12:38 -Elevator safety tips from Stacy Sherman15:26 – Why meaningful job titles can improve EX and CX, and Stacy’s tips for implementing a new job title17:23 – A common mistake that Stacy has observed when it comes to EX and CX18:21 – What would Stacy say to someone who’s just starting a Voice of Customer program?20:51 – The key traits Stacy would look for when hiring front-line employees23:37 – How has Stacy taught empathy to her teams in her prior roles?27:09 – Some ways that brands have acknowledged Stacy’s birthday in the past29:13 – Brittany cautions companies to remember the power of personalization when it comes to celebrating your employees’ birthdays30:16 – Stacy shares a story about a brand that completely blew her away with a surprise & delight moment Visit Stacy’s Website Transcription Brittany Hodak [00:00:02]: Hello, and welcome to the Creating Superfans podcast where you learn how to turn your customers and employees into superfans. I’m your host, Brittany Hodak, and I’m a speaker, author, and entrepreneur obsessed with all things customer experience. Here’s the thing. We’re living in an experienced economy right now, and regardless of the size or age of your company or even the products or services you’re selling, one thing’s for sure. If your customers aren’t telling their friends about you, you’re in trouble. If you wanna create super fans, being great is no longer good enough. You’ve got to be super. This is the show that teaches you how. Brittany Hodak [00:00:47]: I’m thrilled to be joined today by Stacy Sherman. She’s an award winning author, advisor, speaker, and podcaster focused on doing customer experiences right. She’s held leadership roles at companies including Verizon, Wilton brands, and AT and T. Today, we’ll talk about the impact a job title can have on an employee’s performance, how you can teach empathy to your team and the importance of recognizing and celebrating your customers and employees’ birthdays. And as a special bonus, she’s going to give us some elevator safety tips you don’t want to miss. Before we dive in, I want to thank the sponsor of today’s episode. If you’re looking for a proven system to make more impact and income, I wanna highly recommend that you talk to my friends at Brand Builders Group. Brand builders group are the best in the world at helping people find their uniqueness and building on it to monetize their personal brands. Right now, Brand Builders Group is offering free brand strategy calls to everyone serious about taking their personal brands to the next level. Just visit free brand call.com/brittneyhodak to request your call. I’ve been a customer for 5 years, and I can tell you the team is absolutely incredible. You may have even heard cofounder Rory Vaden on a past episode of this podcast. They’ve created a system that really will help you get clear on the shortest path to grow your impact, your influence, and your income. So go to free brand call.com/brittanyhodak today to schedule your free strategy session. Stacy, thank you so much for joining me today. Stacy Sherman [00:02:25]: Thank you. I’m so happy to be here, and I got to really spend time with you in person, which makes this extra just special. Brittany Hodak [00:02:33]: Yes. This is gonna be such a great episode. I always love talking to people who think customers experience is as fun and as exciting as an And as important as I do, so I know this is gonna be a great episode. So let’s jump in right off the bat on the CX. Your brand is all about, as you say, doing CX right. Brittany Hodak [00:02:54]: So I would love for you to tell me In a couple of sentences, what does it mean to you for a brand to do CX right? Stacy Sherman [00:03:03]: Yes. So So many brands are not doing it right, and and it’s really about getting the basics right. What we’re talking about is intentionally Designing a customer experience from how they learn and buy and get and use and pay and get service, customer care, And intentionally designing that internally, breaking the silos, bringing everyone together to design it. But here’s the magic. Can’t skip this step is actually validate it with real customers and make sure that what you designed is really what they want and that you’re meeting their needs and you you adjust that. So it’s That’s the fastest answer I can say about really looking at it in totality. Brittany Hodak [00:03:49]: I love it. I think so many companies forget about that customer focus, like, having that customer centricity to say, we’ve gotta test this. We’ve gotta talk to people. We’ve gotta make sure we’re doing what people want. Stacy Sherman [00:04:02]: Yeah. And I think the issue again, I’ve