In this week’s episode of the SIMPLE brand podcast, I talk with Ben Guttmann.

Ben’s a marketing and communications expert who’s on a mission to train leaders in effective connection through simplified messaging. Ben’s the former co-founder of Digital Natives Group, a professor at Baruch College, and the best-selling author of Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win - and How to Design Them.

Here’s what we discuss:

• Why simplified messaging is necessary
• Why your messages aren’t breaking through the noise
• The different roles of communication “senders” and “receivers”
• How empathy should be used in communications
• The distinction between “complex” and “complicated” communications
• Five design principles to use when crafting a message
• How to avoid Frankenstein messaging
• The value of constraints in creating your message

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Ben's website
• Ben's book - Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win and How to Design Them
• Ben's 1,000 Words Checker
• Ben on LinkedIn

In this week’s episode of the SIMPLE brand podcast, I talk with Blake Morgan.

Blake is known as the “Queen of CX.” She is a customer experience futurist and one of the top keynote speakers in the world. She’s the host of The Modern Customer Podcast and the author of three books, including her latest, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: New Rules for Building a Business Around Today's Customer.

Blake and I talk about her blueprint for creating customer-focused leaders and how the customer experience mindset applies both on - and off - the job.

Here’s what we discuss:

• Why customer experience must start with leadership
• Why the CX mindset needs to be a lifestyle
• How to define customer-centricity
• The importance of a simple framework for enacting change
• How leaders can instill the CX mindset in their employees
• How leaders can become customer-experience futurists
• Using customer-focused leader skills as a spouse and parent

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Blake's website
• Blake's book: The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: New Rules for Building a Business Around Today's Customer
• Blake’s podcast: The Modern Customer Podcast
• Blake on LinkedIn

In this week’s episode of the SIMPLE brand podcast, I talk with David Avrin.

David is one of the most popular Customer Experience speakers and consultants in the world. In fact, over the past 25 years, David has shared his lessons on competitive advantage with leaders and teams from thousands of organizations in 26 countries around the world! And David is the best-selling author of six books including his latest, Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With: A Practical Guide to Giving Customers What They Want, How and When They Want It.

David and I talk about how to discover what’s causing your customers friction so that you can begin delivering a “ridiculously easy” experience to them.

Here’s what we discuss:

• How to move from being competent to being preferable
• Why being simple causes you to stand out
• How to tell if your policies or procedures are prohibiting an easy customer experience
• The importance of your team knowing what they can do for customers
• How to future-proof your business
• Why informal feedback is just as critical as formal feedback
• The value in walking your customer’s journey

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• David's website
• Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With: A Practical Guide to Giving Customers What They Want, How and When They Want It
• David on LinkedIn