ASPIRE CCS The new ARC program for Consultants - June 2023

Aspire Relationship Consultant: What is it and why now?

Martin Pack, COO | GM | Lead Consultant

To complement our range of services, including research, thought leadership, webinars, and strategic planning reviews along with marketing and business development with value creation, Aspire has recently introduced a new offering called we call Aspire Maturity Assessments or AMAs. combines Aspire’s extensive knowledge and experience with verified research and industry best practices to present a series of assessment questions that determine an enterprise’s place along a maturity curve from simple, reactive communications management to proactive and interactive Customer Experience Management (CXM).

When launching the AMA Online, Aspire worked alongside a number of different stakeholders, including outside consultants who expressed interest in gaining the necessary accreditation to leverage our AMA methodology under the Aspire brand. To that end, we’re thrilled to introduce the Aspire Relationship Consultant program – a course designed to to train external consultants on the AMA online assessment and its linkages to our proprietary research so they can help their clients better understand the journey to CXM maturity. Want to know more? See below

In today's competitive business landscape, organizations strive to deliver exceptional customer experiences and establish strong connections with their target audience. Customer Communications Management (CCM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM) play crucial roles in achieving these goals. Aspire's CCM-to-CXM Maturity Assessment offers a comprehensive evaluation of an organization’s communications management strategy, workflow, and mindset so that stakeholders can better understand their current capabilities, identify areas for growth, and chart a path towards customer-centric excellence.

Understanding CCM and CXM

CCM focuses on managing and optimizing customer communications across various channels and touchpoints. It encompasses the creation, management, and delivery of personalized and relevant communications to enhance customer interactions and drive desired outcomes. CXM, on the other hand, takes a broader perspective and encompasses the entire customer journey. It involves understanding customer needs, preferences, and expectations to design seamless, consistent, and engaging experiences across all their interactions. As businesses work to transition from CCM to CXM, maturity assessments can provide valuable insights into the organization's strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. Knowing exactly where their business falls on the scale from CCM to CXM maturity will give stakeholders the information they need to make data-driven decisions, effectively allocate resources, and set realistic goals. In short, Aspire's CCM-to-CXM Maturity Assessment empowers organizations to bridge the gap between their current state and the desired customer-centric future.

10 reasons why any business that communicates with its customers at scale should consider taking an Aspire Maturity Assessment

1. Customer-Centric Transformation

Aspire's CCM-to-CXM Maturity Assessment is an excellent first step for organizations embarking on a transformative journey towards customer-centricity. After taking stock of the business’ current practices, processes, and technologies, the assessment loops in key decision-makers while identifying opportunities for improvement and offering guidance on enhancing customer focus throughout the organization.

2. Improved Customer Experience

A comprehensive assessment of CXM maturity will target weak links in the chain that result in less-than-exceptional customer experiences. By addressing these gaps and leveraging the assessment insights, organizations can design and implement strategies to enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.

3. Enhanced Communication Effectiveness

Effective communication is crucial for building strong customer relationships. Aspire's assessment evaluates the organization's communication strategies, channels, and content, providing actionable recommendations for improving communication effectiveness. This helps to build clear, consistent, and impactful messaging that resonates with the target audience.

4. Streamlined Processes and Efficiency

Through the assessment, organizations gain insights into their existing CCM/CXM processes. By identifying bottlenecks, redundancies, and inefficiencies, stakeholders can streamline their workflows and enhance operational efficiency, ensuring faster and more accurate communication delivery and improving overall customer satisfaction.

5. Alignment with Business Objectives

Aspire's CCM-to-CXM Maturity Assessment helps organizations align their communications strategies with their broader business objectives. By evaluating how well current practices and initiatives support organizational goals, the assessment enables organizations to make strategic adjustments and ensure their efforts are contributing to overall business success.

6. Competitive Advantage

Organizations that complete Aspire's CCM-to-CXM Maturity Assessment gain a competitive advantage. The assessment benchmarks their procedures against industry best practices, enabling stakeholders to identify opportunities for positive differentiation so that they can surpass competitors and position themselves as leaders in delivering outstanding customer experience.

7. Identification of Improvement Opportunities

Aspire’s AMA is not vague or generalized. It provides organizations with a roadmap that identifies specific areas for improvement based on the stakeholder’s responses. Businesses that make the most of the information can enhance their CCM/CXM capabilities, ensuring continuous growth and adaptation in a rapidly evolving market.

8. Targeted Resource Allocation

By understanding their current maturity level, organizations can allocate resources more effectively. The assessment helps identify areas that require additional investments, whether in technology, training, or process improvement. This targeted resource allocation maximizes the impact of investments and accelerates the organization's journey towards customer-centric excellence.

9. Risk Mitigation

Aspire Maturity Assessments enable organizations to identify and mitigate potential risks. By evaluating existing controls and risk management practices, organizations can identify vulnerabilities and take proactive measures to minimize both the potential and resulting impact of failure. This risk mitigation approach enhances organizational resilience, protects against potential threats, and fosters a culture of risk-awareness and preparedness.

10. Measurable Results

The assessment establishes a baseline for measuring progress and success. By defining key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly conducting follow-up assessments, organizations can track their improvement over time and demonstrate the impact of their CCM and CXM initiatives. This data-driven approach ensures continuous learning, optimization, and – best of all – tangible results.

Conclusion

Aspire's CCM-to-CXM Maturity Assessment empowers organizations to evaluate, improve, and optimize their customer communications and experiences. By conducting a thorough assessment and leveraging the insights gathered, businesses can transform their operations, enhance customer satisfaction, gain a competitive edge, and achieve long-term success. With Aspire's expertise and guidance, you can unlock your company’s full potential and deliver exceptional experiences that build lasting customer relationships.

Why Aspire?

• As trusted advisors in Strategic Consulting within the CCM to CXM space, we can help you transform your communications into digital experiences. We extend this to certified independent consultants with training on AMA - Online.  
• We provide market insights, strategy, and operational best practice to help our clients meet the evolving communication needs of their customers. For the ARC, this can help you position your practice with our Strategic advice and knowledge.
• Unlike generalist consultancy firms, we are highly specialised in all inbound and outbound communications across all Industries
• We bring together a thorough understanding of the modern communications world with the complexities stemming from back-office, regulations, and legacy systems
• Aspire is perfectly placed to help you navigate the regulated world of communications.  

How can Aspire help you?

• Aspire's Maturity Assessment helps you and your client understand your readiness for change in your journey from CCM to CXM
• Based on our assessment, we work with you and your client on strategy that includes a technological roadmap, vendor/partner evaluation and selection, and developing an operating model blueprint based on journey management and a CCM/CXM centre of excellence 
• Aspire's Customer Journey Management toolkits and templates can help you deliver improved communications that increase customer experience through effective journey mapping 
• Aspire's Centre of Excellence models can help you achieve consistency in customer communications
• You work as an extension of our team to provide an independent, unbiased view to help you achieve trusted strategy support.

Amanda Beesley
VP Consulting
Aspire