The most dangerous word in CX: Forgettable (and five strategies to fix it)

Memorability is key. When it comes to you as a leader and, of course, when it comes to your customer centric change program or initiatives.

Daily reality

In corporate life, so many initiatives ask for attention. Let’s be real. The most talked about topic today is AI. YES. Is it important? Of course. Yesterday it was safety. Before that agility. Before that IT security. And tomorrow…

You hear my sarcasm a little bit, but this is reality within most organizations.

Everybody wants attention. Everybody wants budget. Everybody wants engagement. Everybody wants their initiative to be the priority.

So how do you crack your voice, your thoughts, your CX vision and change program through this sound cloud? How do you make sure people actually remember your initiative?

Much communication around these themes is neutral, abstract and routine. I like to call it Corporate Schmorporate. An e-learning is launched so corporate can tick the box. Some posters appear around the coffee machine and BAM. Program done.

Nothing wrong with it.

But also very little that people will remember six months later.

The research

When it comes to cognitive and affective neuroscience (yes, I dived a little deeper for you), research shows that people do not store all information equally. Emotionally engaging and distinctive experiences are much more likely to be remembered than neutral information.

Long story short? Most corporate communication is neutral and boring. People forget.

Making your change program memorable does not guarantee success. But it dramatically increases the chance that people will come along on the journey.

My experience

A month ago I hosted my first ever CX Story training. My biggest insight? All participants had great content. They were true authorities in their field. But many struggled to bring a message that would stick.

Not on their authority. Not on their initiative. Not on their consultancy firm. The stories stayed neutral, descriptive and ultimately forgettable.

What now?

If you want to stand out from the crowd and be remembered after your presentation, you need something smart.

You need the MAC effect.

Memorable. Actionable. Consistent.

Yes, that smart trick of McDonald’s, with their big yellow M everywhere. And that little tune at the end of their commercials. I’m lovin’ it. That is some damn good marketing. And you can learn from that.

Add something memorable. Make it actionable. And of course, here I go again, make it consistent. Keep sharing it. Again. And again.

How to add memorability

Based on the research and my own experience, I would say there are five options. And if you have more, I would love to hear them.

1. Emotionally engaging stories
What I remember from the presentation of Susan van Wijk on Global CX Day was the story of an entrepreneur who passed away unexpectedly and the impact that had on his family because things were not arranged properly. I still remember that story.

2. Striking visuals
Having worked with the master of visuals, Jaap Wilms, I know how important visuals are. Create a logo. Create a recognizable image. Give your team a visual identity. Wear a t-shirt with your message. Be creative and make your program look the best of all.

3. Concrete examples with results
Please stop saying: “We are improving Voice of the Customer.” Nobody remembers that. Instead say “We discovered that 35% of customers got stuck in our FAQ. By improving the content and using AI optimization, we reduced costs by €125,000 and improved satisfaction from 5.5 to 6.5.” Now people understand. Now people remember.

4. Meaningful experiences
We all know this works best. Let colleagues listen in at the contact center. Let them shadow technicians. Let them meet customers. Let them experience what customers experience. Because experiences are remembered far longer than PowerPoint slides.

5. Taglines
This one is stupid simple and often overlooked. What is the tagline of your program, team or movement? I love the example of Clint Payne and the name of his program: #99. One year. Ninety nine customer and employee issues solved. Simple. Clear. Memorable.

Being memorable is often the fastest route to long-term success.

Yes, after deciding what you want people to remember, you still need to do the work. And you can. That is what you do every day.

But first, stop and think. What do you want your colleagues to remember about your program, team or movement?

Because a strategy nobody remembers is just a document.

A strategy people remember becomes a movement.

And that is exactly why memorability sits at the heart of Narrative within my ANI Leadership model.

Authority helps people remember you. Narrative helps people remember your message. And when people remember and repeat your message, that is where Impact starts.

So tell me: what is the one thing you want people to remember about your CX initiative?

Ready to build a CX story people actually remember?

The CX Leadership Masterminds is built around Authority, Narrative and Impact. If you are stuck turning your great content into a message that sticks, this is where you learn how. Let’s talk.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.