If you’ve ever felt like your efforts in customer experience (CX) are lost in translation when talking to your executive team, you’re not alone.
CX change agents live and breathe customer data, emotional connections, and journey maps. Many of us are fluent in acronyms like NPS, CLV, and VoC. But outside our teams, that language can quickly feel like insider jargon.
When leaders and organizational teammates don’t get it, we risk losing momentum and support for the very initiatives that are integral to business success. So let’s bridge the gap.
In this article, we unpack how to talk about customer experience in a way that resonates with busy executives who care deeply about results — but may not be immersed in the CX world. Whether you’re advocating for investment, presenting quarterly wins, or just trying to build buy-in, this guide will help get your message across.
If we describe our work using terms that feel vague or academic to business leaders, we risk seeming disconnected from what really matters to them: outcomes.
By using language that reflects both customer impact and business value, we open the door to more meaningful conversations, informed investments, and a shared sense of purpose.
What is an effective way to communicate your customer experience ROI? Think of it like navigating a customer journey:
Tailoring your message means translating what you do into what they need to know.
Executives operate in a world of high stakes and limited time. The best way to earn their trust is to show them how CX helps them achieve their goals.
Begin by connecting your CX initiatives to what your leadership team is already focused on: growth, retention, efficiency, and differentiation.
Your CX Success Strategy Statement will define specific CX program outcomes that extend your organizational goals. This statement will help you clearly communicate how CX helps individual teams when meeting with leaders.
“We’ve identified friction in the onboarding journey that’s increasing early churn. Addressing this could reduce cancellations by 18%—saving us more than $750,000 annually.”
“Our surveys confirm that customers overwhelmingly want this specific product feature. By prioritizing that feature development, we believe we can boost retention and stay ahead of our competitors.”
Executives are driven by numbers, but not just any numbers. Prioritize key performance indicators (KPIs) that show business impact, like retention rates, customer feedback signal trends over time, or customer lifetime value changes.
Do say: “Improving first contact resolution boosted customer satisfaction (CSAT) and reduced support costs by 12%.”
Don’t say: “Our NPS is up on the post-chat survey.”
Feedback is an important measurement and indicator if you connect it to the big picture. Don’t make your executives work! Connect those dots for them.
You can learn more about the spectrum of data-driven CX — and why there is no magic metric — in this article.
Avoid “data dumping.” Summarize what the data says, why it matters, and what’s being done about it.
“Survey results show our mobile checkout is a recurring issue. We’re piloting a simplified version in Q3 with two customer segments. This testing should help us drive more conversions.”
A compelling customer quote or story can light up the boardroom. Tie emotional impact to measurable outcomes whenever possible.
“One customer shared how effortless our support was during a crisis. She said: ‘This company was there for me when it mattered.’ That experience directly influenced a $40,000 renewal.”
When presenting updates or proposals, bundle your key messages into three clear takeaways. This helps busy leaders process and remember what you shared.
Customer experience is a cross-functional strategy that demands shared understanding.
When we align CX language to business goals, we empower executives to support, invest in, and amplify our work. We make it easier to see the ROI, spot opportunities, and champion the customer as a driver of success.
If you’re looking for more guidance to align your team around your CX strategy, check out these resources:
Jeannie is an award-winning customer experience expert, international keynote speaker, and sought-after business coach who is trailblazing the movement from “Reactive Customer Service” to “Proactive Customer and Employee Experience.” More than 500,000 people have learned from her CX courses on LinkedIn Learning, and her insights have been featured in Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal and NPR.
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