The explosion of technology and the cloud in the 21st century makes it difficult to identify the best inventions in the last decade, because there are so many to choose from. Innovations like the iPhone, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have forever changed the way we live, work, and interact. The last 10 years have focused almost entirely on the innovation of products and services—but innovation is changing. We have entered a new era, where innovation is now focused primarily on the customer experience. Today, innovation is about behavior and creating new ways of influencing how customers are interacting with and feeling about your brand. 

Influencing behavior and brand sentiment requires more than simply offering a great product or service; it means providing your customers with an experience that is unlike anything they would receive from competitors. The new era of innovation is about making customers feel that they are valued. Customers are truly engaged when they are known as people, not transactions. Today’s customers are busy, powerful, and want things done in real-time. They demand an exceptional customer experience, and with a plethora of vendors and options, you better give it to them. 

To remain relevant, companies must focus on three main areas that will help them continuously innovate to deliver an exceptional customer experience:

1. Engage your Employees
   
   The catalyst for the new era of innovation is employee engagement. If you concentrate on creating a fulfilling and motivating environment for your employees, they will in turn focus on creating a great experience for your customers. Employees on the front lines know best what works for your customers—what engages them, what delights them, what alienates them. And internal collaboration cultivates new ideas that will differentiate your company.
   
   
   
   Example: Nuance Communications engaged their sales teams in over 70 countries when they rolled out Salesforce globally. Nuance created a “sales champions” program in which highly successful individuals in the sales organization acted as advocates of the new technology. The sales champions motivated their peers to get engaged and excited about the new system.
   
    
2. Create a Free Flow of Information
   
   Innovation today requires a certain degree of transparency and openness. Traditional silos are flattening as it has become crucial for all areas of the business to work together to gather a single view of the customer. The free flow of information mobilizes every department and touch point to better understand customer needs and deliver customers what they want, when and how they want it.
   
   
   
   Example: GlaxoSmithKline has enabled its employees to share knowledge, information and ideas in real-time while on the go. The iPad Koach application has mobilized the sales force, allowing reps to spend less time searching for and logging information, and more quality time with the customer.
   
    
3. Know your Customers’ Customers
   
   The flexibility of cloud, social, and mobile technologies enable companies to respond to customer expectations faster than ever before. However, it’s not enough to make incremental improvements that customers already know they want. Profitable and fast-growing companies are the ones who push the envelope of innovation based on observations of market behavior, and then work to identify how innovations can add value in unexpected ways. You must continually exceed your customers’ expectations, solving issues customers may not even know they have. The key is to always be thinking one step ahead, and not only thinking about your immediate customers—but also your customers’ customers.
   
   
   
   Example: TE Connectivity has over 500,000 products and a diverse customer base. Using marketing automation and persona-based marketing tactics, TE created a user experience that is more relevant, personalized, and holds more value to each specific customer. TE uses social communities to collaborate and connect with customers on a deeper level, understanding what’s important to them and how they make buying decisions.

Creating a powerful customer experience in this new era of innovation requires the full and continuous commitment of every person in the organization. It takes the right tools, the right processes, and the right people. Unlock the power of customer engagement by downloading your copy of The Essential Guide to Customer-Obsession today.