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Chuck Wall

If you want to deliver the fantastic results your company needs in today's crazy marketplace, it’s time to start listening to your customers like never before.

Listening is the where you start; it's the beginning of deeper understanding. Understanding your customers provides you with clear insight. And this clear insight will help you solve the real problems they need to solve. But, it’s not always easy to understand today's customers because they can be hard to figure out.

So you’ve got to go deeper and become an “Insight Miner.” This course will show you how to begin.

Read more

If you want to deliver the fantastic results your company needs in today's crazy marketplace, it’s time to start listening to your customers like never before.

Listening is the where you start; it's the beginning of deeper understanding. Understanding your customers provides you with clear insight. And this clear insight will help you solve the real problems they need to solve. But, it’s not always easy to understand today's customers because they can be hard to figure out.

So you’ve got to go deeper and become an “Insight Miner.” This course will show you how to begin.

In this course, you are going to learn some critical pieces to the customer puzzle:

  • The three little words that will change your relationships with customers forever
  • Why you must grasp The Four Spinning Plates of business
  • How to close the growing "experience gap" between your company and your customers
  • How the Customer Engagement Pyramid is an essential building block to success
  • What customer insight really is and isn't
  • How "Big Data" is different than "Big Insight"
  • How to create winning propositions the will turn reluctant prospects into loyal customers

Plus, you''' get four case studies about companies that have made Customer Understanding a big part of their success (plus, one that wasn't listening and paid a steep price):

  • Netflix
  • Sherwin Williams
  • Andre Rieu
  • Chateauform

You've got to understand your customers now more than ever because someone, somewhere is already listening to them to try to steal them away. There's no time to waste so get started today.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objective

The objective of this course is to equip you with the knowledge to better understand your customers. upon course completion, you will have a deeper knowledge to help move your organization – and career path – forward.

Syllabus

Listening is the Beginning of Understanding
Introduction: Stop, Look, and Listen
Four Spinning Plates

There are powerful winds of change blowing in business today. Chuck demonstrates how there’s never been a bigger gap between companies and their customers.

Read more

If the daily grind of business is leaving you trapped in the maze of what is, maybe it’s time to being on the road to what if.

What exactly is customer insight and why is it important? Chuck clearly defines and demonstrates why is mission critical for your business and career.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Explores the Customer Engagement Pyramid, which is an essential framework for building lasting customer relationships and driving business growth
Examines case studies of companies like Netflix and Sherwin Williams, offering practical examples of successful customer understanding strategies
Teaches how to close the 'experience gap' between a company and its customers, which is crucial for retaining customers and fostering loyalty
Develops skills in 'customer mining,' which helps learners uncover valuable insights from customer data and interactions
Differentiates between 'Big Data' and 'Big Insight,' which helps learners focus on extracting actionable intelligence from customer information
Requires learners to grasp 'The Four Spinning Plates of business,' which may necessitate prior knowledge of business operations and strategy

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Reviews summary

Understanding customers for business insight

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation and new perspective on understanding customers, emphasizing the importance of listening and gaining insight. Many highlight the engaging instructor, Chuck, finding his delivery insightful and passionate. Key concepts like the Four Spinning Plates and Big Insight vs. Big Data are seen as valuable frameworks. While the course is widely praised as an excellent introduction and for offering actionable ideas, some more experienced professionals felt the content was best suited for beginners and could benefit from greater depth on advanced topics. Overall, the reception is largely positive for those seeking foundational knowledge in customer understanding.
Content is foundational, ideal for newcomers.
"This course is an excellent starting point for anyone new to customer success or wanting a basic understanding."
"If you're already experienced in customer insights, some parts might feel like a review of basic principles."
"I was hoping for more advanced strategies and techniques, but it's great for a foundational overview."
"Perfectly suited for someone just starting to think strategically about customer understanding."
Illustrates concepts with real-world examples.
"The case studies, like Netflix and Sherwin Williams, helped ground the theory in real-world examples."
"Appreciated seeing how different companies approached customer understanding through the provided examples."
"While the case studies were relevant, I wish there were more or they went into slightly more depth."
"Seeing the concepts applied in actual business scenarios made them much more tangible."
Provides ideas applicable in the real world.
"This course gave me practical steps I can start using right away to better listen to my customers."
"I left the course with concrete ideas for improving customer understanding within my team and company."
"The ideas on creating winning propositions based on insight seem highly actionable and relevant for my role."
"Learned tools and strategies that I feel confident applying immediately in my customer interactions."
Offers valuable models for understanding customers.
"The concept of the Four Spinning Plates gave me a new way to look at how different parts of the business connect to the customer."
"Understanding the difference between Big Data and Big Insight was a really valuable takeaway for me."
"I found the frameworks presented, like the Customer Engagement Pyramid, to be quite useful in structuring my thinking."
"The models provided offer clear guidance on how to approach customer understanding systematically."
Chuck's delivery makes complex ideas accessible.
"The instructor, Chuck, is fantastic, full of energy and clear explanations. His passion for the subject really shines through."
"Loved Chuck's delivery; he made the concepts easy to grasp and kept me engaged throughout the lectures."
"Chuck is knowledgeable and passionate about customer success. I appreciated his insights and teaching style."
"The instructor's enthusiasm was infectious and made learning about customer understanding much more enjoyable."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Customer Success | How to Understand Your Customers with these activities:
Review 'The Mom Test'
Learn how to conduct effective customer interviews to gather unbiased feedback and validate assumptions.
View Melania on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read 'The Mom Test' cover to cover.
  • Identify three key takeaways applicable to your current role.
  • Practice applying the book's principles in a mock customer interview.
Review Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Fundamentals
Solidify your understanding of CRM systems and their role in managing customer interactions and data.
Browse courses on CRM
Show steps
  • Review your notes on CRM systems.
  • Research the latest CRM trends and technologies.
  • Identify how CRM data can inform customer success strategies.
Develop a Customer Journey Map
Create a visual representation of the customer experience to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Show steps
  • Identify a specific customer segment to focus on.
  • Map out the key touchpoints in their journey.
  • Identify pain points and areas for improvement at each touchpoint.
  • Present your customer journey map to stakeholders.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write a Blog Post on Customer Engagement
Share your insights on customer engagement strategies and best practices to demonstrate your understanding of the topic.
Show steps
  • Research current trends in customer engagement.
  • Outline the key points you want to cover in your blog post.
  • Write a compelling and informative blog post.
  • Promote your blog post on social media.
Review 'Chief Customer Officer 2.0'
Learn how to build a customer-centric organization and drive customer-driven growth.
Show steps
  • Read 'Chief Customer Officer 2.0' and take notes.
  • Identify three strategies you can implement in your organization.
  • Develop a plan to advocate for customer-centric initiatives.
Design a Customer Feedback Survey
Develop a survey to gather customer feedback on a specific product or service and analyze the results to identify areas for improvement.
Show steps
  • Define the objectives of your customer feedback survey.
  • Design survey questions that are clear, concise, and unbiased.
  • Distribute the survey to a representative sample of customers.
  • Analyze the survey results and identify key themes and insights.
  • Present your findings and recommendations to stakeholders.
Mentor Junior Customer Success Professionals
Share your knowledge and experience with junior colleagues to help them develop their skills and advance their careers.
Show steps
  • Volunteer to mentor junior customer success professionals.
  • Provide guidance and support on their projects and tasks.
  • Share your insights on customer success best practices.

Career center

Learners who complete Customer Success | How to Understand Your Customers will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Customer Success Manager
A Customer Success Manager focuses on building strong relationships with customers, ensuring they achieve their desired outcomes while using a company's product or service. This role requires understanding customer needs and proactively addressing them. This course directly aligns with the core responsibilities of a Customer Success Manager, as it emphasizes the importance of listening to customers and gaining deep insights into their problems. Learning how to grasp the four spinning plates of business and close the experience gap, as highlighted in this course, helps a Customer Success Manager enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. The case studies, particularly Netflix and Sherwin Williams, provide valuable examples of companies that prioritize customer understanding, serving as models for Customer Success Managers aiming to improve customer engagement and reduce churn.
Customer Experience Manager
A Customer Experience Manager designs and oversees the end-to-end customer journey to ensure a positive and consistent experience. This role requires a deep understanding of customer expectations and pain points. This course directly supports the goals of a Customer Experience Manager by providing tools and techniques for understanding customers and closing the experience gap. The course’s emphasis on listening to customers and gaining insights helps in identifying areas for improvement in the customer journey. By learning how to turn insights into action, a Customer Experience Manager can implement changes that enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. The case studies, particularly the one about Netflix, illustrate the importance of a customer-centric approach to experience management.
Client Relationship Manager
A Client Relationship Manager focuses on nurturing and expanding relationships with clients to ensure long-term satisfaction and loyalty. This role requires strong interpersonal skills and a deep understanding of client needs. This course directly aligns with the core responsibilities of a Client Relationship Manager, as it emphasizes the importance of listening to clients and gaining deep insights into their problems. Learning how to grasp the four spinning plates of business and close the experience gap, helps a Client Relationship Manager enhance client satisfaction and loyalty. The case studies provide valuable examples of companies that prioritize client understanding, serving as models for Client Relationship Managers aiming to improve client engagement and reduce churn.
Market Research Analyst
A Market Research Analyst studies market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price. This course can be highly beneficial for a Market Research Analyst because it teaches how to listen to customers and gather insights, which is essential for understanding market trends and consumer preferences. The course’s emphasis on differentiating between big data and big insight equips analysts with the skills to extract meaningful information from market data. Learning to create winning propositions, as covered in the course, enables Market Research Analysts to recommend strategies that resonate with target audiences. The techniques taught in this course help a Market Research Analyst to succeed.
Account Manager
An Account Manager is responsible for managing and growing relationships with existing clients. This involves understanding their needs, providing solutions, and ensuring their satisfaction. This course helps an Account Manager deepen their understanding of customer needs and build stronger relationships. Learning how to grasp the four spinning plates of business and close the experience gap enables an Account Manager to better align their services with client expectations. Through the ability to turn insights into action that this course provides, an Account Manager can improve client retention and increase revenue. The case studies provide valuable examples of how customer understanding can lead to account growth.
Product Manager
A Product Manager is responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition of a product or product line. They need to deeply understand customer needs to build products that solve real problems. This course helps a Product Manager develop a customer-centric approach to product development. Understanding the customer engagement pyramid, as taught in this course, helps in prioritizing features and improvements that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty. By applying the principles of customer insight and learning how to create winning propositions, a Product Manager can ensure that their products meet market demands and provide a superior customer experience. The Netflix and Sherwin Williams case studies also exemplify the positive impact of customer focused approaches.
Business Development Manager
A Business Development Manager identifies and pursues new business opportunities to drive revenue growth. This role requires a strong understanding of customer needs and the ability to create compelling value propositions. This course is directly applicable as it focuses on understanding customers and turning insights into actionable strategies. Learning how to grasp the four spinning plates of business and close the experience gap allows a Business Development Manager to better align their offerings with customer expectations. The skills taught in this course are likely to help a Business Development Manager to build stronger relationships with prospects and convert them into loyal customers. The case studies provide practical examples of how customer understanding can lead to business success, which is helpful for Business Development Managers.
Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager develops and executes marketing campaigns to promote products or services and attract customers. This role requires a deep understanding of target audiences and effective communication strategies. This course is valuable for a Marketing Manager as it provides tools and techniques for understanding customer needs and creating compelling marketing messages. The ability to differentiate between big data and big insight helps in targeting the right audiences with the right messages. By learning how to create winning propositions, a Marketing Manager can develop campaigns that resonate with customers and drive sales. The case studies offer insights into how customer understanding can inform successful marketing strategies.
Digital Marketing Specialist
A Digital Marketing Specialist develops and implements digital marketing strategies to promote products or services and attract online customers. This role requires a strong understanding of digital marketing channels and techniques. This course helps a Digital Marketing Specialist develop a customer-centric approach to digital marketing. Understanding the customer engagement pyramid, as taught in this course, helps in targeting the right audiences with the right messages. By applying the principles of customer insight and learning how to create winning propositions, a Digital Marketing Specialist can develop campaigns that resonate with customers and drive online sales. The case studies offer insights into how customer understanding can inform successful digital marketing strategies.
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager leads a team of sales representatives to achieve sales targets and build customer relationships. This role requires a deep understanding of customer needs and effective communication skills. This course helps a Sales Manager coach their team to better understand customer needs and create winning propositions. Learning how to grasp the four spinning plates of business and close the experience gap allows a Sales Manager to align their sales strategies with customer expectations. By turning insights into action, a Sales Manager can improve sales performance and customer satisfaction. The case studies provide valuable lessons on how customer understanding can drive sales success.
User Experience Researcher
A User Experience Researcher plans and conducts user research to understand user behavior, needs, and motivations. This role requires a deep understanding of research methodologies and the ability to translate findings into actionable insights. This course may be useful for a User Experience Researcher as it teaches how to listen to customers and gather insights, which is essential for understanding user needs and improving user experience. The emphasis on differentiating between big data and big insight equips researchers with the skills to extract meaningful information from user data. Learning to create winning propositions, as covered in the course, enables User Experience Researchers to recommend designs that meet user needs and preferences.
Consultant
A Consultant provides expert advice to organizations to help them solve problems and improve performance. This role requires a deep understanding of business principles and the ability to analyze complex situations. This course helps a Consultant develop a customer-centric approach to problem-solving. Understanding the customer engagement pyramid, as taught in this course, helps in identifying key areas for improvement. By applying the principles of customer insight and learning how to create winning propositions, a Consultant can provide valuable recommendations that drive customer satisfaction and business success. The case studies offer practical examples of how customer understanding can lead to positive organizational outcomes. This role typically requires an advanced degree.
Business Analyst
A Business Analyst identifies business needs and recommends solutions to improve organizational effectiveness. This role requires a strong understanding of business processes and the ability to gather and analyze data. This course may be useful for a Business Analyst as it provides a framework for understanding customer needs and aligning business processes with customer expectations. Learning how to grasp the four spinning plates of business and close the experience gap helps a Business Analyst identify areas for improvement in customer service and operations. By turning insights into action, a Business Analyst can recommend solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and drive business growth.
Customer Service Representative
A Customer Service Representative interacts directly with customers to provide support, answer inquiries, and resolve issues. This role requires excellent communication skills and a customer-focused attitude. This course may be useful for a Customer Service Representative as it emphasizes the importance of listening to customers and understanding their needs. By learning how to grasp the four spinning plates of business and close the experience gap, a Customer Service Representative can better address customer concerns and provide effective solutions. The skills taught in this course can help a Customer Service Representative improve customer satisfaction and build loyalty.
Sales Operations Analyst
A Sales Operations Analyst analyzes sales data and processes to identify areas for improvement and optimize sales performance. This role requires strong analytical skills and a deep understanding of sales strategies. This course may be useful for a Sales Operations Analyst as it provides a framework for understanding customer needs and aligning sales processes with customer expectations. Learning how to differentiate between big data and big insight helps a Sales Operations Analyst extract meaningful information from sales data. Turning insights into action enables a Sales Operations Analyst to recommend improvements that enhance sales effectiveness and customer satisfaction.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Customer Success | How to Understand Your Customers.
Provides a comprehensive guide to building a customer-centric organization. It covers topics such as customer experience strategy, governance, and measurement. It is particularly useful for those in leadership roles who are responsible for driving customer-centric change. This book offers a strategic perspective on customer success, complementing the course's focus on practical skills.

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