Mission-Driven Approaches for Trust and Customer Retention

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀. I once worked with a company that had an impressive mission statement and a sleek values page on their website. But when it came to customer experience, those values disappeared in practice. After digging into the disconnect, we found: → Customers felt unheard. → Frontline teams lacked decision-making power. → Leadership focused on transactions, not relationships. We were operating with intentions, not execution - and that’s where most companies fall short. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻: Why do so many businesses struggle to align core values with customer success? → Employees don’t see the connection between values and their daily work. → Leadership preaches values but doesn’t reinforce them in decision-making. → Success metrics prioritize revenue over impact, trust, and accountability. When this happens, customers experience inconsistency, and trust erodes. 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲: Misalignment happens because: → Values aren’t operationalized. Teams need clear guidelines to apply them in real-world scenarios. → Accountability is missing. If leaders don’t uphold values, neither will employees. → Customer feedback is ignored. If clients feel like just another number, they’ll go elsewhere. 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲: How do you integrate values into every customer interaction? → Empower employees to make decisions aligned with company values. → Tie success metrics to customer experience, not just revenue. → Reinforce values daily - not just in onboarding but in real-time decisions. → Listen to customers and adjust processes to meet their evolving needs. 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀: When you truly align values with customer success, you create: ✅ Increased trust - customers stay loyal when they feel valued. ✅ Higher engagement - employees take ownership when values have real meaning. ✅ Stronger reputation - your company stands out for delivering what it promises. ✅ Long-term growth - business thrives when customer success is intentional, not accidental. 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗻 - 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲. → How does your company reinforce core values in customer interactions? → What’s one example where values made or broke a client relationship? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 - 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁? - Chris Clevenger #Leadership #CustomerSuccess #Integrity #Accountability #BusinessGrowth

Reimagining Customer Marketing: Establishing a Purpose-Driven Engagement Flywheel Powering Adoption, Retention, and Advocacy Yesterday, I shared why customer marketing isn’t just advocacy. Advocacy alone doesn’t scale without a broader strategy that engages customers at every stage. When I joined Freshworks, I wanted to create a purpose-built organization focused on supporting customers across their entire journey to drive customer obsession. We didn’t call it Customer Marketing—we called it Customer Engagement for a reason—our goal was to design a flywheel that actively engages customers at every touchpoint to drive adoption, retention, and ultimately, lifelong loyalty. This flywheel is powered by seven key functions: 1️⃣ Executive Customer Engagement Builds strategic partnerships with customer executives through councils, advisory boards, and tailored programs. By fostering executive relationships and offering engagement opportunities, this team strengthens trust and influence. Additionally, it nurtures executive advocates and grows our share of wallet. 2️⃣ Voice of Customer (VoC) Ensures feedback is consistently captured and acted upon. By running surveys, advisory boards, and feedback loops, this team gathers critical insights that inform product improvements and enhance customer satisfaction. 3️⃣ Community Engagement Creates vibrant spaces where customers connect, share knowledge, and collaborate. Through online forums, ambassador programs, and events, this function drives a sense of belonging while promoting loyalty and advocacy. 4️⃣ Customer Education Empowers customers by offering structured learning programs such as certifications, training and workshops. These initiatives help customers maximize product value, driving higher adoption and long-term satisfaction. 5️⃣ Customer Advocacy Identifies and nurtures raving fans and gives them a platform to showcase their loyalty through things like customer stories, testimonials, reviews, and ongoing feedback—in term growing brand credibility. 6️⃣ Lifecycle & Retention Marketing Keeps customers engaged at key stages—onboarding, adoption, and renewal—by designing personalized multi-channel programs in partnership with cross-functional teams to deliver value across the journey. 7️⃣ Customer Comms Orchestrating 1:many comms while managing the air traffic control through coordinated and targeted comms that drive impact and value. 💡 Key takeaway: Building a scalable customer engagement flywheel means supporting customers at every stage—to ultimately create customers for life. What’s worked for you when building your customer marketing org? #CustomerEngagement #CustomerMarketing #CustomerAdvocacy #LifecycleMarketing #CommunityBuilding #CustomerEducation #CustomerSuccess #Retention #B2BMarketing

I've built two businesses worth ₹300 crores over the last 20 years. And here's the secret I used to solve any business problems. A few years ago, I came across a concept called Occam's Razor, which means values are the simple solution. Nowadays, many entrepreneurs complicate things when making decisions instead of keeping them simple. But what they didn't understand is true simplicity comes from our decisions in values like trust, integrity, and long-term thinking. Here's how you can apply this principle: 1. Build trust through transparency:  📌 The problem with most companies is they don't have open communication, which makes it hard for others to understand what you're doing. Be honest about challenges and decisions with both your team and customers. 📌 Example: Zomato shares its operational metrics and also openly communicates about its struggles; as a result, now Zomato has a culture of trust and accountability. 2. Focus on long-term customer relationships:  📌 Companies need to understand that it's easier to retain customers than to acquire new ones. So, focus more on improving your retention by building a solid and loyal community of customers. 📌 Example: There is no company in India that people trust more than TATA across sectors—this is only because of their customer-centric approach in every business they do. Most importantly, they back their customers at every stage, ensuring customers feel valued and engaged. 3. Lead with purpose:  📌 More than products, people love to associate sincerely with the company's mission. A mission with which the people can resonate is crucial for lasting success. 📌 Example: Over the last 78 years, Amul (GCMMF) has built a brand around community impact by supporting local farmers and promoting dairy products. This commitment resonates with customers and strengthens their relationship. Remember, building a successful business often comes down to these simple values: trust, integrity, and long-term thinking. By applying these core values, you can make a big impact on your business and its people. What simple solution has impacted your business more? Let me know in the comments! #entrepreneurship #businesslessons

We often talk about customer acquisition. But what about customer retention? Over the years, I’ve realised — the real growth lies in how well you hold on to the customers you already have. At Equinox Labs, we’ve worked with clients for 5, 10, or even 15+ years. Not because we’re the cheapest or flashiest, but because we show up — consistently, honestly, and with a mindset of partnership. Great customer experience isn’t just about a smooth onboarding call or a festive hamper. It’s about solving problems. Being accountable. Earning trust. 🛠️ When things go wrong — and they sometimes do — how you respond matters more than what went wrong. Trust is built in those quiet moments — in the follow-ups, the transparency, and the small things you do when no one’s watching. If you’re in business for the long haul, treat your customers like lifetime partners. Not just leads in a funnel. #CustomerExperience #ClientPartnership #Trust #Leadership #AshwinBhadri #BusinessWisdom