How To Make The CFO Your Ally
Business leaders today prioritize revenue growth and customer experience (CX) improvements above all else. But responsibility for these two initiatives is divided: CFOs look after the money, and CX pros look out for customers. Ideally, the strong connection between customers and money — and how the first leads to the second — would make both teams realize the value of collaboration. But the reality is that CX pros and CFOs often don’t see eye to eye and don’t act as allies.
CX Pros Should Get Reacquainted With Their CFOs
In my recent report, I discuss how CX pros can engage and collaborate with CFOs and the finance teams more effectively. To do that, they need a better understanding about what makes CFOs tick and what describes them as people in one of the most crucial roles in their respective organizations. The modern CFOs are:
- Financial gatekeepers of the present.
- Financial stewards of the future.
- Empirical thinkers with financial creativity.
- Curious tinkerers who always look for upside.
- Responsible risk-takers who balance stability and new opportunities.
- Skilled communicators who exude confidence and credibility.
CFOs And CX Pros Are Better Together
What better partner for a CX pro than a CFO who steers the “money truck”? That idea appears even smarter when you realize that there are many shared priorities between CX pros and CFOs. Their collaboration is a perfect match, despite how foreign that may sound inside many companies. In fact, both camps want the same things: happy customers and more money. CFOs can tangibly help CX pros by:
- Validating CX strategies based on financial merit.
- Adding financial grit and narrative to CX pros’ talk sheets.
- Helping CX teams change the perception that they operate a “cost center.”
- Acting as powerful allies in convincing other executives to focus on CX.
Please refer to the full report to learn more about what you can do to better engage and collaborate with your CFO and finance teams at your organization.