Whether your company favors top-line or bottom-line results, it all boils down to a single reason that we're collectively engaged in expanding our base of customer evangelists:  business impact.  Both veterans and newcomers in the customer experience management journey can learn essential tips for success in the Impactful Program Design track at the 2011 Net Promoter Conference.  I'm pleased to be chairing this high-impact session of three stellar presentations by JDS Uniphase (Judy Kay), Symantec (Tracie Scott), and Western Union (Kimberly Dunwoody) on Friday, February 4th.

As described in the book, Answering the Ultimate Question, by Richard Owen and Laura Brooks from Satmetrix, operational discipline is key to getting the most out of the Net Promoter methodology. However, it might not be easy to instill the customer-centric DNA that's necessary to achieve your customer experience initiative's full potential. Lack of customer experience strategy has been cited by Forrester Research's State of Customer Experience study as the number one obstacle to business impact. Lack of cross-organizational alignment has also been cited by recent Aberdeen Group, ClearAction, and Peppers & Rogers studies as one of the most significant roadblocks to business impact. These challenges are indeed slippery stones on our paths to success.

But why go through the school of hard knocks when you can learn what's worked well for a variety of B2C and B2B manufacturing and service companies?  In one afternoon with us you'll learn how others have implemented:

• A small army of volunteer recruits across every line of business in every country:  The Big Bang Theory (JDS Uniphase).
• Research tactics aligned with your long-term vision for the impact you want to make, to support your strategic goals: Laying the Cornerstone (Symantec).
• A repeatable process for unified strategies and processes connecting organizational touch points across a project/process life cycle for a seamless, cross-channel customer experience:  Pioneering Customer Experience Design (Western Union).

Strategy development and cross-organizational execution are the hidden gems most of us are seeking toward our goals for business impact. Come take note and ask questions in this excellent opportunity to crack the code for your customer experience journey. I look forward to seeing you in Miami.