S9-Ep24: Paving the PATH to Customer-Centric Success

Guest: Sarah Ahern Client loyalty. Stakeholder loyalty. Employee loyalty. However you define your customers, their loyalty is key to moving your organization from just good to great. One key to growing it is to always make it easy for your customer to get what they want from you.   But how do you know what they want, much less how they want to receive it?   With data! And knowing how to find that data is what Sarah Ahern and her company, PATH, help organizations of all sizes understand. In this episode, Sarah shares the role of surveys, communication, and more in delivering exceptional customer experiences. And that, in turn, delivers long-term success for your business!   Here’s what Sarah and host Maureen Metcalf discuss: The importance of collecting feedback through surveys to hear your customers’ voice; Why customer experience isn’t just another buzzword, but the foundation of the Experience Economy; and How companies with this focus outperform the S&P500 by up to 1,200%!     Other episodes you'll enjoy: - What Your Team REALLY Thinks, in Real Time! – with Greg Moran - Leadership Is Relationships – with Kvon Tucker - Lead Responsibly: An Absolut – with Ann Mukherjee   For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re on Instagram and Twitter, too!   RESOURCES:   The article Sarah mentioned about how to lose customers is online at https://www.pathgrowth.com/insights/5-techniques-to-lose-any-client-employee-or-customer.   Sarah also referenced these books in the interview: The Experience Economy by Joseph Pine II & James Gilmore (Hardback or Kindle); Good to Great by Jim Collins (Hardback or Kindle); Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers by Fred Reichheld, et al (Hardback or Kindle).   Our host, Maureen Metcalf, posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    She’s also written several award-winning books on leadership development. You can peruse and purchase them here.    Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin Snow White & the Seven Robots by Louise Simonson & Jimena Sanchez   -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Producer: Dan Mushalko Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko Podcast Loyalists: Luigi Morelli, Jenna Reik, & Connor Carson   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  Twitter: @IL_Institute  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  Instagram: @innovativeleader  Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com  Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Sarah Ahern, MA, is an Owner and Partner at PATH, a 40-year-old woman-owned market research and business management firm. She has developed and launched companies, programs, products, and services for almost two decades as a 4-time entrepreneur and consultant.   Sarah has built change management and market growth strategies for Fortune 100 and 500 companies across North America. To spice it up, she rounds out her understanding of human behavior with a Masters in Health Education, a culinary degree, and experience designing and implementing nutrition-focused population health programs for Whole Foods Market, LinkedIn, Tesla, SpaceX and more.    Sarah is a passionate thought leader, consultant, educator, and community steward.  She was recognized as a 2022 recipient of the Columbus 40 Under 40 award and is a renowned facilitator and mentor in the social enterprise community.