CONTENTS
Tune in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Customer advocacy is a hidden treasure in marketing. It's an often-overlooked area that can significantly boost growth and foster strong customer relationships. The problem? We spend so much time chasing new customers and putting out fires with unhappy ones that our happiest customers get almost no attention.
In this episode of the Peerbound Podcast, Sunny sits down with Jennifer Thompson, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Amperity, to talk about her career journey, practical customer marketing strategies, real-world success stories, and her thoughts on leadership, AI, and what makes a memorable customer experience.
Tune in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Customer advocacy is a hidden treasure in marketing. It's an often-overlooked area that can significantly boost growth and foster strong customer relationships. The problem? We spend so much time chasing new customers and putting out fires with unhappy ones that our happiest customers get almost no attention.
In this episode of the Peerbound Podcast, Sunny sits down with Jennifer Thompson, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Amperity, to talk about her career journey, practical customer marketing strategies, real-world success stories, and her thoughts on leadership, AI, and what makes a memorable customer experience.
Tune in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Customer advocacy is a hidden treasure in marketing. It's an often-overlooked area that can significantly boost growth and foster strong customer relationships. The problem? We spend so much time chasing new customers and putting out fires with unhappy ones that our happiest customers get almost no attention.
In this episode of the Peerbound Podcast, Sunny sits down with Jennifer Thompson, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Amperity, to talk about her career journey, practical customer marketing strategies, real-world success stories, and her thoughts on leadership, AI, and what makes a memorable customer experience.
Tune in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Customer advocacy is a hidden treasure in marketing. It's an often-overlooked area that can significantly boost growth and foster strong customer relationships. The problem? We spend so much time chasing new customers and putting out fires with unhappy ones that our happiest customers get almost no attention.
In this episode of the Peerbound Podcast, Sunny sits down with Jennifer Thompson, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Amperity, to talk about her career journey, practical customer marketing strategies, real-world success stories, and her thoughts on leadership, AI, and what makes a memorable customer experience.
The Power of Customer Advocacy: Your Secret Growth Engine
Jennifer's philosophy is straightforward:
"Your existing customers are your greatest sales team because they're out there talking about your product, and you may not even necessarily know it."
This perspective challenges the common marketing approach that heavily emphasizes new customer acquisition while neglecting existing, satisfied customers. As Sunny points out in the conversation, this is completely backwards:
"We often focus on potential customers and unhappy customers. But our most satisfied customers receive minimal attention. It's counterintuitive."
Jennifer stresses the untapped potential of happy customers, explaining how prioritizing keeping current customers engaged, informed, and appreciated naturally cultivates advocacy.
Jennifer's philosophy is straightforward:
"Your existing customers are your greatest sales team because they're out there talking about your product, and you may not even necessarily know it."
This perspective challenges the common marketing approach that heavily emphasizes new customer acquisition while neglecting existing, satisfied customers. As Sunny points out in the conversation, this is completely backwards:
"We often focus on potential customers and unhappy customers. But our most satisfied customers receive minimal attention. It's counterintuitive."
Jennifer stresses the untapped potential of happy customers, explaining how prioritizing keeping current customers engaged, informed, and appreciated naturally cultivates advocacy.
Jennifer's philosophy is straightforward:
"Your existing customers are your greatest sales team because they're out there talking about your product, and you may not even necessarily know it."
This perspective challenges the common marketing approach that heavily emphasizes new customer acquisition while neglecting existing, satisfied customers. As Sunny points out in the conversation, this is completely backwards:
"We often focus on potential customers and unhappy customers. But our most satisfied customers receive minimal attention. It's counterintuitive."
Jennifer stresses the untapped potential of happy customers, explaining how prioritizing keeping current customers engaged, informed, and appreciated naturally cultivates advocacy.
Jennifer's philosophy is straightforward:
"Your existing customers are your greatest sales team because they're out there talking about your product, and you may not even necessarily know it."
This perspective challenges the common marketing approach that heavily emphasizes new customer acquisition while neglecting existing, satisfied customers. As Sunny points out in the conversation, this is completely backwards:
"We often focus on potential customers and unhappy customers. But our most satisfied customers receive minimal attention. It's counterintuitive."
Jennifer stresses the untapped potential of happy customers, explaining how prioritizing keeping current customers engaged, informed, and appreciated naturally cultivates advocacy.
From Care Provider to Customer Champion: Jennifer's Unconventional Journey
Jennifer's path to customer marketing is a story of passion and adaptability. Starting in a nursing home, she learned the value of genuine care for others. This experience laid the foundation for her future career.
Her entry into the SaaS world came through a youth sports company, where she wore multiple hats. This diverse experience proved invaluable, blending marketing skills with customer service expertise.
Jennifer's big break arrived when a CMO recognized her unique blend of skills:
"You know our customers so well. I want to create a role in marketing specifically focused on our existing customers. We do so much focus on future customers that we don't focus on our existing customers."
This was Jennifer's moment of realizing that customer marketing could bridge her love of customers with her love of marketing. This realization marked the beginning of Jennifer's journey as a customer marketing trailblazer. And this was nine years ago, before customer marketing was really a defined function.
Making Waves in Customer Marketing
Jennifer hit the ground running in her new role, introducing impactful initiatives like monthly customer newsletters and welcome letters for new clients. This seems basic, but many companies still don't do this well.
Her efforts quickly paid off, as evidenced by a heartening piece of feedback:
"One of our account managers told me that a C-suite executive loved our newsletter so much, he wanted all franchise owners to receive it. It was a win-win situation, strengthening both my relationship with the customer success team and the customer's connection to our company."
Jennifer's path to customer marketing is a story of passion and adaptability. Starting in a nursing home, she learned the value of genuine care for others. This experience laid the foundation for her future career.
Her entry into the SaaS world came through a youth sports company, where she wore multiple hats. This diverse experience proved invaluable, blending marketing skills with customer service expertise.
Jennifer's big break arrived when a CMO recognized her unique blend of skills:
"You know our customers so well. I want to create a role in marketing specifically focused on our existing customers. We do so much focus on future customers that we don't focus on our existing customers."
This was Jennifer's moment of realizing that customer marketing could bridge her love of customers with her love of marketing. This realization marked the beginning of Jennifer's journey as a customer marketing trailblazer. And this was nine years ago, before customer marketing was really a defined function.
Making Waves in Customer Marketing
Jennifer hit the ground running in her new role, introducing impactful initiatives like monthly customer newsletters and welcome letters for new clients. This seems basic, but many companies still don't do this well.
Her efforts quickly paid off, as evidenced by a heartening piece of feedback:
"One of our account managers told me that a C-suite executive loved our newsletter so much, he wanted all franchise owners to receive it. It was a win-win situation, strengthening both my relationship with the customer success team and the customer's connection to our company."
Jennifer's path to customer marketing is a story of passion and adaptability. Starting in a nursing home, she learned the value of genuine care for others. This experience laid the foundation for her future career.
Her entry into the SaaS world came through a youth sports company, where she wore multiple hats. This diverse experience proved invaluable, blending marketing skills with customer service expertise.
Jennifer's big break arrived when a CMO recognized her unique blend of skills:
"You know our customers so well. I want to create a role in marketing specifically focused on our existing customers. We do so much focus on future customers that we don't focus on our existing customers."
This was Jennifer's moment of realizing that customer marketing could bridge her love of customers with her love of marketing. This realization marked the beginning of Jennifer's journey as a customer marketing trailblazer. And this was nine years ago, before customer marketing was really a defined function.
Making Waves in Customer Marketing
Jennifer hit the ground running in her new role, introducing impactful initiatives like monthly customer newsletters and welcome letters for new clients. This seems basic, but many companies still don't do this well.
Her efforts quickly paid off, as evidenced by a heartening piece of feedback:
"One of our account managers told me that a C-suite executive loved our newsletter so much, he wanted all franchise owners to receive it. It was a win-win situation, strengthening both my relationship with the customer success team and the customer's connection to our company."
Jennifer's path to customer marketing is a story of passion and adaptability. Starting in a nursing home, she learned the value of genuine care for others. This experience laid the foundation for her future career.
Her entry into the SaaS world came through a youth sports company, where she wore multiple hats. This diverse experience proved invaluable, blending marketing skills with customer service expertise.
Jennifer's big break arrived when a CMO recognized her unique blend of skills:
"You know our customers so well. I want to create a role in marketing specifically focused on our existing customers. We do so much focus on future customers that we don't focus on our existing customers."
This was Jennifer's moment of realizing that customer marketing could bridge her love of customers with her love of marketing. This realization marked the beginning of Jennifer's journey as a customer marketing trailblazer. And this was nine years ago, before customer marketing was really a defined function.
Making Waves in Customer Marketing
Jennifer hit the ground running in her new role, introducing impactful initiatives like monthly customer newsletters and welcome letters for new clients. This seems basic, but many companies still don't do this well.
Her efforts quickly paid off, as evidenced by a heartening piece of feedback:
"One of our account managers told me that a C-suite executive loved our newsletter so much, he wanted all franchise owners to receive it. It was a win-win situation, strengthening both my relationship with the customer success team and the customer's connection to our company."
Harnessing AI for Customer Advocacy
At Amperity, Jennifer has embraced AI as a game-changer in customer marketing. But not in the buzzword-y way you might expect. It's about getting unstuck.
"AI has really changed a lot of things and helped us to be a lot more efficient. I get writer's block oftentimes, and AI helps me with that. Like, okay, how do I want to start this conversation around X?"
Tools like Claude help overcome writer's block and assist in extracting crucial customer data. For example, Jennifer can now easily pull insights from call recordings to identify specific use cases. Instead of spending hours digging through Google Drives and spreadsheets, she can ask AI to find "a customer that does X" and actually get somewhere.
The key insight: AI helps her team move faster and feel more productive, which means they can connect customers to the brand and to each other more effectively. This technology goes beyond mere productivity gains. It enables marketing teams to gain a deeper understanding of their customer base, leading to more personalized and effective service.
At Amperity, Jennifer has embraced AI as a game-changer in customer marketing. But not in the buzzword-y way you might expect. It's about getting unstuck.
"AI has really changed a lot of things and helped us to be a lot more efficient. I get writer's block oftentimes, and AI helps me with that. Like, okay, how do I want to start this conversation around X?"
Tools like Claude help overcome writer's block and assist in extracting crucial customer data. For example, Jennifer can now easily pull insights from call recordings to identify specific use cases. Instead of spending hours digging through Google Drives and spreadsheets, she can ask AI to find "a customer that does X" and actually get somewhere.
The key insight: AI helps her team move faster and feel more productive, which means they can connect customers to the brand and to each other more effectively. This technology goes beyond mere productivity gains. It enables marketing teams to gain a deeper understanding of their customer base, leading to more personalized and effective service.
At Amperity, Jennifer has embraced AI as a game-changer in customer marketing. But not in the buzzword-y way you might expect. It's about getting unstuck.
"AI has really changed a lot of things and helped us to be a lot more efficient. I get writer's block oftentimes, and AI helps me with that. Like, okay, how do I want to start this conversation around X?"
Tools like Claude help overcome writer's block and assist in extracting crucial customer data. For example, Jennifer can now easily pull insights from call recordings to identify specific use cases. Instead of spending hours digging through Google Drives and spreadsheets, she can ask AI to find "a customer that does X" and actually get somewhere.
The key insight: AI helps her team move faster and feel more productive, which means they can connect customers to the brand and to each other more effectively. This technology goes beyond mere productivity gains. It enables marketing teams to gain a deeper understanding of their customer base, leading to more personalized and effective service.
At Amperity, Jennifer has embraced AI as a game-changer in customer marketing. But not in the buzzword-y way you might expect. It's about getting unstuck.
"AI has really changed a lot of things and helped us to be a lot more efficient. I get writer's block oftentimes, and AI helps me with that. Like, okay, how do I want to start this conversation around X?"
Tools like Claude help overcome writer's block and assist in extracting crucial customer data. For example, Jennifer can now easily pull insights from call recordings to identify specific use cases. Instead of spending hours digging through Google Drives and spreadsheets, she can ask AI to find "a customer that does X" and actually get somewhere.
The key insight: AI helps her team move faster and feel more productive, which means they can connect customers to the brand and to each other more effectively. This technology goes beyond mere productivity gains. It enables marketing teams to gain a deeper understanding of their customer base, leading to more personalized and effective service.
Success Story: Seattle Seahawks Score Big with Fan Engagement
One of Jennifer's best examples of efficient customer marketing was working with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have one of the most passionate fan bases in sports, famous for their "12th Man" fan support. They wanted to deepen their connection with fans who might only come to a game or two per season.
The goal? Turn occasional visitors into regular attendees, amplifying the already electric atmosphere created by die-hard supporters.
Amperity helped them stitch together all their customer data to understand who their loyal fans were versus occasional visitors, then personalize the experience accordingly.
Here's the kicker: from research to release, they wrapped it up in just one month.
How? They used Peerbound to pull quotes from existing sales calls, worked with the account and sales teams to understand the context, drafted the story, and sent it to the customer. The Seahawks signed off quickly because the story was accurate and told from their perspective.
"It was an exhilarating sprint, especially with a heavyweight like the Seahawks," Jennifer recalls.
This rapid turnaround showcases how efficient storytelling can make a real impact. And it didn't stop there. The Seahawks talked to the Baltimore Ravens, who then became an Amperity customer. Customer advocacy creating more customers. Exactly how it should work.
One of Jennifer's best examples of efficient customer marketing was working with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have one of the most passionate fan bases in sports, famous for their "12th Man" fan support. They wanted to deepen their connection with fans who might only come to a game or two per season.
The goal? Turn occasional visitors into regular attendees, amplifying the already electric atmosphere created by die-hard supporters.
Amperity helped them stitch together all their customer data to understand who their loyal fans were versus occasional visitors, then personalize the experience accordingly.
Here's the kicker: from research to release, they wrapped it up in just one month.
How? They used Peerbound to pull quotes from existing sales calls, worked with the account and sales teams to understand the context, drafted the story, and sent it to the customer. The Seahawks signed off quickly because the story was accurate and told from their perspective.
"It was an exhilarating sprint, especially with a heavyweight like the Seahawks," Jennifer recalls.
This rapid turnaround showcases how efficient storytelling can make a real impact. And it didn't stop there. The Seahawks talked to the Baltimore Ravens, who then became an Amperity customer. Customer advocacy creating more customers. Exactly how it should work.
One of Jennifer's best examples of efficient customer marketing was working with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have one of the most passionate fan bases in sports, famous for their "12th Man" fan support. They wanted to deepen their connection with fans who might only come to a game or two per season.
The goal? Turn occasional visitors into regular attendees, amplifying the already electric atmosphere created by die-hard supporters.
Amperity helped them stitch together all their customer data to understand who their loyal fans were versus occasional visitors, then personalize the experience accordingly.
Here's the kicker: from research to release, they wrapped it up in just one month.
How? They used Peerbound to pull quotes from existing sales calls, worked with the account and sales teams to understand the context, drafted the story, and sent it to the customer. The Seahawks signed off quickly because the story was accurate and told from their perspective.
"It was an exhilarating sprint, especially with a heavyweight like the Seahawks," Jennifer recalls.
This rapid turnaround showcases how efficient storytelling can make a real impact. And it didn't stop there. The Seahawks talked to the Baltimore Ravens, who then became an Amperity customer. Customer advocacy creating more customers. Exactly how it should work.
One of Jennifer's best examples of efficient customer marketing was working with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have one of the most passionate fan bases in sports, famous for their "12th Man" fan support. They wanted to deepen their connection with fans who might only come to a game or two per season.
The goal? Turn occasional visitors into regular attendees, amplifying the already electric atmosphere created by die-hard supporters.
Amperity helped them stitch together all their customer data to understand who their loyal fans were versus occasional visitors, then personalize the experience accordingly.
Here's the kicker: from research to release, they wrapped it up in just one month.
How? They used Peerbound to pull quotes from existing sales calls, worked with the account and sales teams to understand the context, drafted the story, and sent it to the customer. The Seahawks signed off quickly because the story was accurate and told from their perspective.
"It was an exhilarating sprint, especially with a heavyweight like the Seahawks," Jennifer recalls.
This rapid turnaround showcases how efficient storytelling can make a real impact. And it didn't stop there. The Seahawks talked to the Baltimore Ravens, who then became an Amperity customer. Customer advocacy creating more customers. Exactly how it should work.
Building Internal Support: The Key to Success
Jennifer emphasizes that internal advocacy is just as crucial as external programs for customer marketing success. Customer marketing can be a tough role because half your time is spent with customers, which means you only have half your time left to navigate internal politics and prove your worth.
She shares her approach:
"I maintain a consistent rhythm of sharing our activities within the company. Every time I send a customer newsletter, I also send it to the entire customer success team and key leaders. This keeps everyone in the loop."
To ensure customer advocacy programs resonate throughout the organization, Jennifer recommends:
Regular reporting with both qualitative stories and quantitative data.
Creating a "drumbeat" of insights at every company meeting, share a customer story. While we often highlight new clients, it's equally important to showcase how existing customers are growing.
Building internal allies by recognizing internal collaborators. When you highlight colleagues you worked with to accomplish something, you're creating advocates within the company who will evangelize your work for you.
And something interesting: in all five times Jennifer has built customer marketing from scratch, she always started with the same thing. Customer data hygiene. Because you can't segment or communicate properly if your data is a mess.
Jennifer emphasizes that internal advocacy is just as crucial as external programs for customer marketing success. Customer marketing can be a tough role because half your time is spent with customers, which means you only have half your time left to navigate internal politics and prove your worth.
She shares her approach:
"I maintain a consistent rhythm of sharing our activities within the company. Every time I send a customer newsletter, I also send it to the entire customer success team and key leaders. This keeps everyone in the loop."
To ensure customer advocacy programs resonate throughout the organization, Jennifer recommends:
Regular reporting with both qualitative stories and quantitative data.
Creating a "drumbeat" of insights at every company meeting, share a customer story. While we often highlight new clients, it's equally important to showcase how existing customers are growing.
Building internal allies by recognizing internal collaborators. When you highlight colleagues you worked with to accomplish something, you're creating advocates within the company who will evangelize your work for you.
And something interesting: in all five times Jennifer has built customer marketing from scratch, she always started with the same thing. Customer data hygiene. Because you can't segment or communicate properly if your data is a mess.
Jennifer emphasizes that internal advocacy is just as crucial as external programs for customer marketing success. Customer marketing can be a tough role because half your time is spent with customers, which means you only have half your time left to navigate internal politics and prove your worth.
She shares her approach:
"I maintain a consistent rhythm of sharing our activities within the company. Every time I send a customer newsletter, I also send it to the entire customer success team and key leaders. This keeps everyone in the loop."
To ensure customer advocacy programs resonate throughout the organization, Jennifer recommends:
Regular reporting with both qualitative stories and quantitative data.
Creating a "drumbeat" of insights at every company meeting, share a customer story. While we often highlight new clients, it's equally important to showcase how existing customers are growing.
Building internal allies by recognizing internal collaborators. When you highlight colleagues you worked with to accomplish something, you're creating advocates within the company who will evangelize your work for you.
And something interesting: in all five times Jennifer has built customer marketing from scratch, she always started with the same thing. Customer data hygiene. Because you can't segment or communicate properly if your data is a mess.
Jennifer emphasizes that internal advocacy is just as crucial as external programs for customer marketing success. Customer marketing can be a tough role because half your time is spent with customers, which means you only have half your time left to navigate internal politics and prove your worth.
She shares her approach:
"I maintain a consistent rhythm of sharing our activities within the company. Every time I send a customer newsletter, I also send it to the entire customer success team and key leaders. This keeps everyone in the loop."
To ensure customer advocacy programs resonate throughout the organization, Jennifer recommends:
Regular reporting with both qualitative stories and quantitative data.
Creating a "drumbeat" of insights at every company meeting, share a customer story. While we often highlight new clients, it's equally important to showcase how existing customers are growing.
Building internal allies by recognizing internal collaborators. When you highlight colleagues you worked with to accomplish something, you're creating advocates within the company who will evangelize your work for you.
And something interesting: in all five times Jennifer has built customer marketing from scratch, she always started with the same thing. Customer data hygiene. Because you can't segment or communicate properly if your data is a mess.
Assessing Leadership's Customer Marketing Understanding
When evaluating a CMO's grasp of customer marketing, it's crucial to look beyond surface-level programs. As Jennifer puts it:
"When a CMO is talking about how can we better connect with our customers, how can we better communicate to our customers, how can we engage with our customers and facilitate conversations with customers to other customers, that's when it'll start to click."
True customer marketing is about nurturing advocates throughout the entire customer lifecycle, not just through isolated advocacy initiatives or case studies. A good CMO thinks about the entire customer journey, not just how to extract case studies to feed the demand gen machine.
When evaluating a CMO's grasp of customer marketing, it's crucial to look beyond surface-level programs. As Jennifer puts it:
"When a CMO is talking about how can we better connect with our customers, how can we better communicate to our customers, how can we engage with our customers and facilitate conversations with customers to other customers, that's when it'll start to click."
True customer marketing is about nurturing advocates throughout the entire customer lifecycle, not just through isolated advocacy initiatives or case studies. A good CMO thinks about the entire customer journey, not just how to extract case studies to feed the demand gen machine.
When evaluating a CMO's grasp of customer marketing, it's crucial to look beyond surface-level programs. As Jennifer puts it:
"When a CMO is talking about how can we better connect with our customers, how can we better communicate to our customers, how can we engage with our customers and facilitate conversations with customers to other customers, that's when it'll start to click."
True customer marketing is about nurturing advocates throughout the entire customer lifecycle, not just through isolated advocacy initiatives or case studies. A good CMO thinks about the entire customer journey, not just how to extract case studies to feed the demand gen machine.
When evaluating a CMO's grasp of customer marketing, it's crucial to look beyond surface-level programs. As Jennifer puts it:
"When a CMO is talking about how can we better connect with our customers, how can we better communicate to our customers, how can we engage with our customers and facilitate conversations with customers to other customers, that's when it'll start to click."
True customer marketing is about nurturing advocates throughout the entire customer lifecycle, not just through isolated advocacy initiatives or case studies. A good CMO thinks about the entire customer journey, not just how to extract case studies to feed the demand gen machine.
What Makes a Good Customer Marketing Career
According to Jennifer, great customer marketers have a specific type of customer obsession:
"Are you truly customer obsessed in a way that is different than an account manager? I don't necessarily care about your relationship with the company. What I really care about is you as a person. Who are you? What makes you tick?"
This means putting yourself in customer shoes for every email, every program, every interaction. It means standing up for customers internally, even if that means pushing back on a VP of customer success.
Jennifer also talks about customer marketing as a flywheel: onboarding leads to adoption, which leads to expansion, which leads back to onboarding for new features. And at the center of all of it? Advocacy. Every single touchpoint is an opportunity to create an advocate.
The Best Career Advice Jennifer Ever Got
Three pieces of advice have stuck with Jennifer throughout her career:
"You don't have one career. You have multiple careers in your life." Her first boss told her this, and it freed her to think bigger than just climbing one ladder. You can be in marketing, then account management, then customer marketing, then something completely different.
"Do you actually want to do the job?" When Jennifer was upset about not getting a particular account management role, a mentor asked her this question. She realized: no, she didn't actually want to do that job. She was just upset about not getting it. Shortly after, she discovered customer marketing and found her calling.
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you need to do it as a career." As Jennifer put it, "I can deal with lots of difficult people. Doesn't mean I wanna do it as a job. I like dealing with happy people."
Three pieces of advice have stuck with Jennifer throughout her career:
"You don't have one career. You have multiple careers in your life." Her first boss told her this, and it freed her to think bigger than just climbing one ladder. You can be in marketing, then account management, then customer marketing, then something completely different.
"Do you actually want to do the job?" When Jennifer was upset about not getting a particular account management role, a mentor asked her this question. She realized: no, she didn't actually want to do that job. She was just upset about not getting it. Shortly after, she discovered customer marketing and found her calling.
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you need to do it as a career." As Jennifer put it, "I can deal with lots of difficult people. Doesn't mean I wanna do it as a job. I like dealing with happy people."
According to Jennifer, great customer marketers have a specific type of customer obsession:
"Are you truly customer obsessed in a way that is different than an account manager? I don't necessarily care about your relationship with the company. What I really care about is you as a person. Who are you? What makes you tick?"
This means putting yourself in customer shoes for every email, every program, every interaction. It means standing up for customers internally, even if that means pushing back on a VP of customer success.
Jennifer also talks about customer marketing as a flywheel: onboarding leads to adoption, which leads to expansion, which leads back to onboarding for new features. And at the center of all of it? Advocacy. Every single touchpoint is an opportunity to create an advocate.
The Best Career Advice Jennifer Ever Got
Three pieces of advice have stuck with Jennifer throughout her career:
"You don't have one career. You have multiple careers in your life." Her first boss told her this, and it freed her to think bigger than just climbing one ladder. You can be in marketing, then account management, then customer marketing, then something completely different.
"Do you actually want to do the job?" When Jennifer was upset about not getting a particular account management role, a mentor asked her this question. She realized: no, she didn't actually want to do that job. She was just upset about not getting it. Shortly after, she discovered customer marketing and found her calling.
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you need to do it as a career." As Jennifer put it, "I can deal with lots of difficult people. Doesn't mean I wanna do it as a job. I like dealing with happy people."
Three pieces of advice have stuck with Jennifer throughout her career:
"You don't have one career. You have multiple careers in your life." Her first boss told her this, and it freed her to think bigger than just climbing one ladder. You can be in marketing, then account management, then customer marketing, then something completely different.
"Do you actually want to do the job?" When Jennifer was upset about not getting a particular account management role, a mentor asked her this question. She realized: no, she didn't actually want to do that job. She was just upset about not getting it. Shortly after, she discovered customer marketing and found her calling.
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you need to do it as a career." As Jennifer put it, "I can deal with lots of difficult people. Doesn't mean I wanna do it as a job. I like dealing with happy people."
According to Jennifer, great customer marketers have a specific type of customer obsession:
"Are you truly customer obsessed in a way that is different than an account manager? I don't necessarily care about your relationship with the company. What I really care about is you as a person. Who are you? What makes you tick?"
This means putting yourself in customer shoes for every email, every program, every interaction. It means standing up for customers internally, even if that means pushing back on a VP of customer success.
Jennifer also talks about customer marketing as a flywheel: onboarding leads to adoption, which leads to expansion, which leads back to onboarding for new features. And at the center of all of it? Advocacy. Every single touchpoint is an opportunity to create an advocate.
The Best Career Advice Jennifer Ever Got
Three pieces of advice have stuck with Jennifer throughout her career:
"You don't have one career. You have multiple careers in your life." Her first boss told her this, and it freed her to think bigger than just climbing one ladder. You can be in marketing, then account management, then customer marketing, then something completely different.
"Do you actually want to do the job?" When Jennifer was upset about not getting a particular account management role, a mentor asked her this question. She realized: no, she didn't actually want to do that job. She was just upset about not getting it. Shortly after, she discovered customer marketing and found her calling.
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you need to do it as a career." As Jennifer put it, "I can deal with lots of difficult people. Doesn't mean I wanna do it as a job. I like dealing with happy people."
Three pieces of advice have stuck with Jennifer throughout her career:
"You don't have one career. You have multiple careers in your life." Her first boss told her this, and it freed her to think bigger than just climbing one ladder. You can be in marketing, then account management, then customer marketing, then something completely different.
"Do you actually want to do the job?" When Jennifer was upset about not getting a particular account management role, a mentor asked her this question. She realized: no, she didn't actually want to do that job. She was just upset about not getting it. Shortly after, she discovered customer marketing and found her calling.
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you need to do it as a career." As Jennifer put it, "I can deal with lots of difficult people. Doesn't mean I wanna do it as a job. I like dealing with happy people."
According to Jennifer, great customer marketers have a specific type of customer obsession:
"Are you truly customer obsessed in a way that is different than an account manager? I don't necessarily care about your relationship with the company. What I really care about is you as a person. Who are you? What makes you tick?"
This means putting yourself in customer shoes for every email, every program, every interaction. It means standing up for customers internally, even if that means pushing back on a VP of customer success.
Jennifer also talks about customer marketing as a flywheel: onboarding leads to adoption, which leads to expansion, which leads back to onboarding for new features. And at the center of all of it? Advocacy. Every single touchpoint is an opportunity to create an advocate.
The Best Career Advice Jennifer Ever Got
Three pieces of advice have stuck with Jennifer throughout her career:
"You don't have one career. You have multiple careers in your life." Her first boss told her this, and it freed her to think bigger than just climbing one ladder. You can be in marketing, then account management, then customer marketing, then something completely different.
"Do you actually want to do the job?" When Jennifer was upset about not getting a particular account management role, a mentor asked her this question. She realized: no, she didn't actually want to do that job. She was just upset about not getting it. Shortly after, she discovered customer marketing and found her calling.
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you need to do it as a career." As Jennifer put it, "I can deal with lots of difficult people. Doesn't mean I wanna do it as a job. I like dealing with happy people."
Three pieces of advice have stuck with Jennifer throughout her career:
"You don't have one career. You have multiple careers in your life." Her first boss told her this, and it freed her to think bigger than just climbing one ladder. You can be in marketing, then account management, then customer marketing, then something completely different.
"Do you actually want to do the job?" When Jennifer was upset about not getting a particular account management role, a mentor asked her this question. She realized: no, she didn't actually want to do that job. She was just upset about not getting it. Shortly after, she discovered customer marketing and found her calling.
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you need to do it as a career." As Jennifer put it, "I can deal with lots of difficult people. Doesn't mean I wanna do it as a job. I like dealing with happy people."
Unforgettable Customer Experiences
Sunny asked Jennifer about marketing that's broken through the noise for her recently. Her answers perfectly illustrate how memorable experiences can turn customers into brand advocates:
Electric Toothbrush Unboxing - Imagine opening a package that's so well-designed, it turns a mundane task into a delightful experience. The packaging was so thoughtful and layered that her husband, not a marketer, called her over to check it out. Every layer was fun to open.
Under Canvas Glamping Service - Under Canvas wows guests from start to finish. Their exceptional in-person interactions and personalized follow-ups create lasting impressions. From pre-arrival emails to the staff remembering small details 24 hours later to a simple but effective post-stay survey. The manager even followed up personally to thank her for specific feedback. Now Jennifer tells everyone about them, including on this podcast.
The lesson? It's not just about the product. It's about the entire journey. Great customer experiences turn people into advocates, even when you're not actively asking them to be.
Sunny asked Jennifer about marketing that's broken through the noise for her recently. Her answers perfectly illustrate how memorable experiences can turn customers into brand advocates:
Electric Toothbrush Unboxing - Imagine opening a package that's so well-designed, it turns a mundane task into a delightful experience. The packaging was so thoughtful and layered that her husband, not a marketer, called her over to check it out. Every layer was fun to open.
Under Canvas Glamping Service - Under Canvas wows guests from start to finish. Their exceptional in-person interactions and personalized follow-ups create lasting impressions. From pre-arrival emails to the staff remembering small details 24 hours later to a simple but effective post-stay survey. The manager even followed up personally to thank her for specific feedback. Now Jennifer tells everyone about them, including on this podcast.
The lesson? It's not just about the product. It's about the entire journey. Great customer experiences turn people into advocates, even when you're not actively asking them to be.
Sunny asked Jennifer about marketing that's broken through the noise for her recently. Her answers perfectly illustrate how memorable experiences can turn customers into brand advocates:
Electric Toothbrush Unboxing - Imagine opening a package that's so well-designed, it turns a mundane task into a delightful experience. The packaging was so thoughtful and layered that her husband, not a marketer, called her over to check it out. Every layer was fun to open.
Under Canvas Glamping Service - Under Canvas wows guests from start to finish. Their exceptional in-person interactions and personalized follow-ups create lasting impressions. From pre-arrival emails to the staff remembering small details 24 hours later to a simple but effective post-stay survey. The manager even followed up personally to thank her for specific feedback. Now Jennifer tells everyone about them, including on this podcast.
The lesson? It's not just about the product. It's about the entire journey. Great customer experiences turn people into advocates, even when you're not actively asking them to be.
Sunny asked Jennifer about marketing that's broken through the noise for her recently. Her answers perfectly illustrate how memorable experiences can turn customers into brand advocates:
Electric Toothbrush Unboxing - Imagine opening a package that's so well-designed, it turns a mundane task into a delightful experience. The packaging was so thoughtful and layered that her husband, not a marketer, called her over to check it out. Every layer was fun to open.
Under Canvas Glamping Service - Under Canvas wows guests from start to finish. Their exceptional in-person interactions and personalized follow-ups create lasting impressions. From pre-arrival emails to the staff remembering small details 24 hours later to a simple but effective post-stay survey. The manager even followed up personally to thank her for specific feedback. Now Jennifer tells everyone about them, including on this podcast.
The lesson? It's not just about the product. It's about the entire journey. Great customer experiences turn people into advocates, even when you're not actively asking them to be.
Valuable Lessons from This Episode
This conversation offers practical takeaways for customer marketers:
Satisfied clients drive organic growth - Engage your current customers to create natural advocacy opportunities. Your existing customers are your greatest sales team.
Develop targeted initiatives - Create newsletters and onboarding programs, and ensure comprehensive internal reporting to prove your value.
Embrace AI for productivity - Leverage tools like Claude to enhance efficiency, overcome writer's block, and improve customer connections.
Assess executive support - Effective CMOs foster advocacy throughout the customer journey, beyond traditional case studies.
Start with data hygiene - You can't segment or communicate properly if your customer data is a mess. This is always the first project.
Build internal advocates - Highlight the colleagues you work with. When you create allies internally, they'll evangelize your work for you.
Tools Jennifer Actually Uses
Claude - She jokes about it being her assistant and even thanks it for helping.
Peerbound - For finding customer stories and quotes from call recordings.
(Bonus) A local milkman delivery app - Sources from Pacific Northwest farms and makes it easy to order and cancel.
Book Recommendations
"The Multipliers" by Liz Wiseman talks about leaders who facilitate conversations and diverse perspectives rather than forcing their own opinions forward.
"Witches of Moonshine Manor" is a fun, light read about witches from the 1800s navigating modern times. Sometimes you just need something hilarious.
The Impact of Customer Advocacy
Well-crafted customer journeys aren't just about transactions. They're about creating memories. When you design experiences that resonate, you're building a foundation for long-term brand loyalty.
This conversation with Jennifer is a reminder of why customer marketing matters so much. It's not just about getting case studies or testimonials to fuel your sales pipeline, though that's nice. It's about genuinely caring for the customers who are already betting on you and giving them reasons to keep betting on you and telling others to do the same.
Your happiest customers are your secret weapon. The question is: are you treating them that way?
This conversation offers practical takeaways for customer marketers:
Satisfied clients drive organic growth - Engage your current customers to create natural advocacy opportunities. Your existing customers are your greatest sales team.
Develop targeted initiatives - Create newsletters and onboarding programs, and ensure comprehensive internal reporting to prove your value.
Embrace AI for productivity - Leverage tools like Claude to enhance efficiency, overcome writer's block, and improve customer connections.
Assess executive support - Effective CMOs foster advocacy throughout the customer journey, beyond traditional case studies.
Start with data hygiene - You can't segment or communicate properly if your customer data is a mess. This is always the first project.
Build internal advocates - Highlight the colleagues you work with. When you create allies internally, they'll evangelize your work for you.
Tools Jennifer Actually Uses
Claude - She jokes about it being her assistant and even thanks it for helping.
Peerbound - For finding customer stories and quotes from call recordings.
(Bonus) A local milkman delivery app - Sources from Pacific Northwest farms and makes it easy to order and cancel.
Book Recommendations
"The Multipliers" by Liz Wiseman talks about leaders who facilitate conversations and diverse perspectives rather than forcing their own opinions forward.
"Witches of Moonshine Manor" is a fun, light read about witches from the 1800s navigating modern times. Sometimes you just need something hilarious.
The Impact of Customer Advocacy
Well-crafted customer journeys aren't just about transactions. They're about creating memories. When you design experiences that resonate, you're building a foundation for long-term brand loyalty.
This conversation with Jennifer is a reminder of why customer marketing matters so much. It's not just about getting case studies or testimonials to fuel your sales pipeline, though that's nice. It's about genuinely caring for the customers who are already betting on you and giving them reasons to keep betting on you and telling others to do the same.
Your happiest customers are your secret weapon. The question is: are you treating them that way?
This conversation offers practical takeaways for customer marketers:
Satisfied clients drive organic growth - Engage your current customers to create natural advocacy opportunities. Your existing customers are your greatest sales team.
Develop targeted initiatives - Create newsletters and onboarding programs, and ensure comprehensive internal reporting to prove your value.
Embrace AI for productivity - Leverage tools like Claude to enhance efficiency, overcome writer's block, and improve customer connections.
Assess executive support - Effective CMOs foster advocacy throughout the customer journey, beyond traditional case studies.
Start with data hygiene - You can't segment or communicate properly if your customer data is a mess. This is always the first project.
Build internal advocates - Highlight the colleagues you work with. When you create allies internally, they'll evangelize your work for you.
Tools Jennifer Actually Uses
Claude - She jokes about it being her assistant and even thanks it for helping.
Peerbound - For finding customer stories and quotes from call recordings.
(Bonus) A local milkman delivery app - Sources from Pacific Northwest farms and makes it easy to order and cancel.
Book Recommendations
"The Multipliers" by Liz Wiseman talks about leaders who facilitate conversations and diverse perspectives rather than forcing their own opinions forward.
"Witches of Moonshine Manor" is a fun, light read about witches from the 1800s navigating modern times. Sometimes you just need something hilarious.
The Impact of Customer Advocacy
Well-crafted customer journeys aren't just about transactions. They're about creating memories. When you design experiences that resonate, you're building a foundation for long-term brand loyalty.
This conversation with Jennifer is a reminder of why customer marketing matters so much. It's not just about getting case studies or testimonials to fuel your sales pipeline, though that's nice. It's about genuinely caring for the customers who are already betting on you and giving them reasons to keep betting on you and telling others to do the same.
Your happiest customers are your secret weapon. The question is: are you treating them that way?
This conversation offers practical takeaways for customer marketers:
Satisfied clients drive organic growth - Engage your current customers to create natural advocacy opportunities. Your existing customers are your greatest sales team.
Develop targeted initiatives - Create newsletters and onboarding programs, and ensure comprehensive internal reporting to prove your value.
Embrace AI for productivity - Leverage tools like Claude to enhance efficiency, overcome writer's block, and improve customer connections.
Assess executive support - Effective CMOs foster advocacy throughout the customer journey, beyond traditional case studies.
Start with data hygiene - You can't segment or communicate properly if your customer data is a mess. This is always the first project.
Build internal advocates - Highlight the colleagues you work with. When you create allies internally, they'll evangelize your work for you.
Tools Jennifer Actually Uses
Claude - She jokes about it being her assistant and even thanks it for helping.
Peerbound - For finding customer stories and quotes from call recordings.
(Bonus) A local milkman delivery app - Sources from Pacific Northwest farms and makes it easy to order and cancel.
Book Recommendations
"The Multipliers" by Liz Wiseman talks about leaders who facilitate conversations and diverse perspectives rather than forcing their own opinions forward.
"Witches of Moonshine Manor" is a fun, light read about witches from the 1800s navigating modern times. Sometimes you just need something hilarious.
The Impact of Customer Advocacy
Well-crafted customer journeys aren't just about transactions. They're about creating memories. When you design experiences that resonate, you're building a foundation for long-term brand loyalty.
This conversation with Jennifer is a reminder of why customer marketing matters so much. It's not just about getting case studies or testimonials to fuel your sales pipeline, though that's nice. It's about genuinely caring for the customers who are already betting on you and giving them reasons to keep betting on you and telling others to do the same.
Your happiest customers are your secret weapon. The question is: are you treating them that way?
