Translating CX into Business Impact: Inside a Real Coaching Session
"I haven’t thought about it like that before, especially the downstream impact. This really challenges me to think differently."
That wasn’t a quote from a new hire. It came from a seasoned CX leader at a top-tier global brand. Someone deep in the work. Smart. Data fluent. Strategically minded. But stuck in a frustrating loop that many experience professionals know too well:
They had the insights.
They had the evidence.
But they weren’t getting prioritized.
Until something clicked.
This is the story of that moment and how a simple shift in framing turned customer insights into business action.
The Reality: Great CX Work Gets Ignored All the Time
This leader wasn’t lacking effort. They had research rigor, analytical depth, and clear customer pain points. Their team had recently completed a project that explored friction with a European fulfillment partner. Customers were expressing frustration with courier delays, and the CX team had the verbatims to prove it.
They’d even done preliminary analysis linking these issues to lower satisfaction scores and potential downstream churn.
And yet...
When it came to prioritization, nothing moved.
Because the insights were still being presented in the language of observation—not in the language of impact.
This is where the CX Case Maker™ coaching session began.
The Shift: From Sentiment Reporting to Performance Framing
We didn’t start with templates.
We started with mindset.
The first thing we surfaced was the hidden language barrier: most CX pros speak “customer.” Executives speak “P&L.”
And unless you translate friction into something that blocks a strategic objective, no one’s going to care.
“The greatest challenge for any CXer isn’t finding insights. It’s translating them into something the business is accountable for.”
We introduced a simple but powerful question:
“What KPI is this friction preventing someone else from achieving?”
That became the unlock. Instead of reporting courier complaints, the leader reframed the issue:
What was the impact on repeat purchase behavior?
How did average basket size change after negative delivery experiences?
Was it driving up return rates or acquisition costs?
Who else in the business had to clean up the mess?
And most importantly:
“What happens if we don’t solve this by next quarter?”
The Format: Building Problem Statements that Perform
With the mental model in place, we turned to the format itself - the heart of the CX Case Maker.
We walked through how to build a performance-driven problem statement, anchored in 3 critical elements:
1. Frequency & Friction
Frame how often the issue shows up and the human experience behind it.
🟢 Strong example:
"In 18% of post-purchase survey comments from European customers, shipping delays are called out. This friction results in 32% higher return rates and a 14-day increase in time to next purchase.”
🔴 Weak example:
“Customers are unhappy with couriers in Europe.”
The takeaway: CX isn’t just sentiment. It’s behavioral leakage. And you must quantify it that way.
2. Downstream Business Impact
Surface the ripple effects. Who else is affected? What cost are we paying that isn't on the CX budget?
🟢 Strong example:
“When courier issues spike, operations sees a 21% increase in support volume, and marketing sees lower email open rates due to offer fatigue from repeat customers who haven’t received their previous orders.”
🔴 Weak example:
“Poor delivery experiences hurt the brand.”
The goal: Make the friction matter to others. That’s where cross-functional influence begins.
3. Time-Sensitive Risk
What happens if this isn’t fixed in the next planning cycle, promo window, or product launch?
🟢 Strong example:
“If not resolved before our Q4 promotional calendar, we risk another seasonal delay and customer defection rate similar to last November’s 12.7%.”
🔴 Weak example:
“This issue should be addressed at some point.”
You’re not just describing a problem. You’re setting a clock.
“Executives don’t act on insights. They act on consequences.”
The Lightbulb Moment
Midway through the session, the tone shifted.
The leader sat back and said:
“This is a whole new way of thinking. I’m used to surfacing insights, not selling them.”
And that’s the point.
You can’t influence prioritization unless you think like a cross-functional strategist, not just a CX reporter.
We talked about using internal language and project names (like "Project Falcon" instead of a vague initiative title). We explored how to reach out to stakeholders not with decks, but with short, tight hooks that create curiosity:
“Hey Sam, I noticed X is trending behind plan. We’re seeing friction here that might be impacting it. Worth a 10-min sync to unpack?”
When you do that, you stop being a CX vendor inside your own company.
You start becoming a business partner.
The System: Friction First → Impact Always → Champion Built
This session wasn’t just about writing better documents. It was about reshaping how CX leaders earn prioritization and influence.
The framework we followed comes from the Experience Performance System (EPS) and its CX Case Maker™ model. Here's the cascade:
Identify a high-frequency friction point.
Translate that friction into quantifiable business impact.
Frame it in a 1-page case that uses internal language and KPIs.
Enroll a cross-functional champion before any prioritization meeting.
Show up as a partner, not a petitioner.
The Close: Insight Without Translation Is Just Noise
The CX leader left the session with more than a new tool.
They left with a new identity.
They saw themselves not as someone who reports on the customer voice…
But someone who orchestrates business performance through experience transformation.
That’s the power of learning how to frame the problem.
"You’re not solving a complaint. You’re solving what’s blocking someone else’s KPI."
That’s when the experience begins to perform.