[Posted by Ed Hadley
Senior Marketing Manager, Neolane, Inc.]

Forrester’s Customer Experience Forum East kicks off today in New York.  The event and its Twitter hashtag (#OutsideIn) revolve around Forrester’s new book, Outside In: The Power Of Putting Customers At The Center Of Your Business.  The concept, according to co-author Harley Manning, is that “customer experience drives profits — but only when it is treated as a business discipline.”  In addition to more than 80 case studies, Outside In actually quantifies the value of customer experience.  For instance, over a five-year period, the S&P was flat while a stock portfolio of customer experience leaders grew 22%.

Thinking about creative ways to help get the word out about the book, the show, and their powerful message, I rewrote the lyrics of the Eve 6 song “Inside Out” (if the name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ll immediately recognize the intro/chorus) inverting the title to make it “Outside In.”  I hope it’s a fun reminder of the tremendous value that can be unlocked by providing great customer experiences.

Below is a clip of the song I quickly recorded last night on a laptop with a friend (who prefers to remain nameless).  I’ve also included the lyrics, so you can read—or hopefully sing—along.

“Outside In” Lyrics

Chorus:
Brands should swallow their pride,
Turn their focus outside,
But the lack of “me” would leave some empty inside,
In order to win
Turn it outside in
Start building some faith by listenin’
Stuff your old agenda right in a blender,
Connecting all around with a beautiful experience
Single view, or they’re through with you

Budgets burn like a wicker cabinet
Yet brands almost always #fail
Cause CRM has gotten stale.
The ticked talk of the flock is painful,
Yet complaints are logical.
You gotta tear down all your walls.
If you don’t hear their words and phrases,
Gripes will turn to bitter tales
Customer churn—declining sales.

Chorus

“Client-First” is what your site states
But it’s not your state of mind.
It’s really ugly, sad but true.
What are they, chopped salami?
Don’t mail it in and just pretend,
Or clients will find somewhere else to spend.

Chorus