Last month, I mentioned how in more than a decade of attending various association meetings, I've heard hundreds of speakers talk on an almost equal number of subjects. One topic that leads the list, however, is customers: where to find them, how to win them, how to keep them.

Now, from business author Jeanne Bliss comes a new concept from her just-published book of the same title, Chief Customer Officer. Along with explaining why so many typical customer efforts fail, Bliss explores the "CCO" role. Does your company need a Chief Customer Officer? If you answer, "No," to most of the following situations, you probably should place a Help Wanted Ad now. Tips for implementation are included.

1. There is someone in our company who clarifies what we are to accomplish with customers. Establish an agreement with the functional owners in your organization. The CCO or executive leadership shouldn't do this in a vacuum.
2. We have a roadmap for the customer work and know where progress will be measured. Bring together a team with at least one person from every operational area. They may need positive prodding to ensure they don't talk themselves out of every proposed idea.
3. Clear metrics exist for measuring progress that everyone agrees to use. If everyone doesn't "count on their toes" in the same way, measurement will be a supreme waste of time and effort.
4. People really participate and care about the customer work. Get commitments of personnel and time across the company. Make participation a real privilege.
5. Appropriate resources are allocated to make a real difference to customers. Hand-waving without investment won't get you anywhere.
6. A process exists for marketing achievements to customers as well as internally. When inside people don't know what's going on with customers, it's all white noise to them. Likewise, get customer credit for taking action by marketing your progress and accomplishments.
7. Recognition and rewards are wired to motivate customer work. Make every company gathering an opportunity to call out customer achievements and reward employees for them. Consider tying customer success to compensation. Know what customers value and link that to people's performance and their resulting merit raises.

How did you do?

Bliss sums up these queries: "It's the pushing and prodding part of the work that most companies need someone to spearhead." So, is a full-time CCO in your future?