Why B2B Companies Fail to Capitalize on Their Most Important Competitive Advantage
Aleassa Schambers, Chief Marketing Officer at Seerist, shares her rich history in marketing and delves into the crucial topic of leveraging customer experience (CX) as a competitive advantage. With insights from her diverse background that spans PR, sales enablement, and broad marketing leadership, Aleassa discusses how CMOs can elevate their role within the C-suite by championing CX and building deeper customer relationships.
In this episode of the C-Suite Sales and Marketing Perspectives podcast, host Steve MacDonald speaks with Aleassa Schambers, Chief Marketing Officer at Seerist, about why B2B companies struggle to leverage customer experience (CX) as a competitive advantage. Aleassa shares how marketing leaders can take ownership of CX, bridge internal gaps, and drive meaningful customer engagement. She emphasizes that CX is more than just a differentiator—it’s a powerful, human-centered strategy that builds brand trust and loyalty.
In this thought leadership article, we explore Aleassa’s insights on the evolving role of CMOs in shaping CX, fostering internal alignment, and enhancing customer trust.
“Marketing has much more responsibility and ownership of the customer experience than I think most people realize.” – Aleassa Schambers
Key Takeaways:
- Customer experience (CX) is a powerful competitive differentiator in crowded marketplaces, and marketing leaders play an essential role in designing and supporting this aspect.
- Trust is central to CX; marketing’s responsibility is to build and maintain this trust through consistent brand messaging and customer-centric strategies.
- CMOs must overcome imposter syndrome and take ownership of CX by understanding customer needs more deeply than any other function in the organization.
- Aligning internal teams around a singular definition and understanding of the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) enhances sales and marketing effectiveness.
- Employees are crucial champions of CX; empowering them and integrating their experience into CX strategies can significantly elevate customer satisfaction.
Listen to the full podcast or watch it on YouTube directly below.
Article: “Why B2B Companies Fail to Capitalize on Their Most Important Competitive Advantage”
From a podcast interview with Aleassa Schambers, Chief Marketing Officer at Seerist
CX: The New Competitive Differentiator
In an era when delivering a compelling customer experience has been earmarked as a key competitive differentiator, CMOs find themselves in a linchpin position within the organizational hierarchy. Schambers clearly articulates this reality: “Marketing has a really interesting position and obligation to support that customer experience and to hold other people in the organization accountable for delivering on that promise.” This positioning allows for insightful oversight across departments, bridging gaps and aligning the overall strategy towards a unified customer promise.
The potency of CX as a differentiator has been backed by data, as Schambers cited a McKinsey report underscoring that companies with strong CX often outperform peers in profitability and shareholder return. This isn’t surprising, as Schambers astutely remarked, “CX is really hard to disrupt… that’s got the human element,” emphasizing its resilience against market erosions that typically unsettle product-based advantages.
CMOs, therefore, must navigate beyond their traditional confines, embracing roles akin to that of a “chief promise officer,” tasked with ensuring that the organization’s promise to its customers is vividly communicated and consistently upheld.
Building Trust in a Self-Service World
With the emergence of a self-service buyer’s journey where “81 percent of B2B buyers… have already picked a winner” before direct interaction, the significance of trust cannot be overstated. Trust is more than just a marketable attribute; it is an essential currency in a self-guided purchase landscape. Schambers elucidates this point, underscoring that marketing strategies must embed trust into the very fabric of their outward expressions, from case studies to brand endorsements.
The credibility of marketing materials is crucial. Yet, as Schambers indicated through data points, “74 percent of B2B buyers don’t trust the customer evidence we present,” highlighting a critical gap that must be addressed through authentic customer engagement. The solution involves engaging customers in a genuine manner, enabling their voices to lead marketing narratives and forging community ties that enhance credibility and resonate with potential buyers.
Marketing becomes a strategic compass, fostering trust and navigating prospects through their decision-making journey. As Schambers put it, “Marketing is probably even more increasingly important,” in this paradigm where direct customer testimony can significantly influence purchase decisions.
The Power of Employee Engagement
Employee satisfaction doesn’t just boost workplace morale; it directly influences customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, the bottom line. The link between employee experience and customer outcomes is a cornerstone of Schambers’ philosophy: “Your job is to help us deliver on this customer experience that we’re promising to people.” Empowering employees, therefore, is not merely about task completion but about executing the company’s broader CX strategy.
Once employees understand their roles and how they contribute to the customer journey, they become stakeholders in the CX promise. Schambers argues that “the empowered workforce directly enhances the customer experience,” creating a synergy between employee engagement and customer satisfaction. A motivated and well-informed workforce acts as the frontline defenders and promoters of the customer experience.
Ultimately, Schambers’ insights on bridging the employee experience and CX illuminate how a cohesive and engaged workforce contributes to a seamless customer experience. As such, a concerted focus on aligning employee understanding with the organizational goals of CX can catalyze a culture steeped in trust, authenticity, and excellence.
As the discourse around the role of customer experience continues to evolve, the insights shared by Aleassa Schambers reinforce that it is not a solitary endeavor. It’s a cross-functional mission that must be fervently championed by marketing leaders who understand the fabric of their customer’s needs and the capabilities of their organizations. By fostering environments of trust, both within and beyond the corporate walls, businesses can enhance their competitive posture while driving sustainable growth.
Conclusion
Aleassa’s insights underscore that customer experience is not just a marketing initiative but a fundamental business strategy that requires alignment across all departments. CMOs must take the lead in bridging internal silos, ensuring that every touchpoint reinforces the company’s promise to its customers. By fostering a culture where trust, authenticity, and customer-centricity drive decision-making, businesses can create a sustainable competitive advantage that goes beyond product differentiation.
Ultimately, the success of a CX-driven strategy hinges on leadership’s ability to empower employees, engage customers authentically, and build trust in an increasingly self-service world. Schambers’ perspective highlights that when marketing leads with purpose—prioritizing meaningful customer interactions and internal alignment—organizations can not only meet customer expectations but exceed them. The companies that embrace this holistic approach to CX will be the ones that stand out, drive loyalty, and achieve long-term success.
ELEVATING CONTENT MARKETING STANDARDS RAISES A CRUCIAL QUESTION:
Why shouldn’t the very act of creating thought leadership content also spark new conversations with in-pipeline deals, top prospects, and high-priority customers for revenue expansion? Or serve as the cornerstone for learning and applying voice-of-customer strategies? That’s the power of ABM Podcasting—engaging B2B buyers and customers in meaningful conversations that uncover essential go-to-market insights, support long sales cycles, reinforce your market perspective, build peer-level trust, and dismantle objections that kill deals.
Steven MacDonald
Steven MacDonald is the founder of Content Strategies, CEO of a MarTech SaaS Company, fractional CMO consulting with leading B2B companies and former Director of Strategy and Client Service at top ten digital marketing agencies.
Steven MacDonald
Steven MacDonald is the founder of Content Strategies, CEO of a MarTech SaaS Company, fractional CMO consulting with leading B2B companies and former Director of Strategy and Client Service at top ten digital marketing agencies.
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