Episode 340: Grok Your Customer: Unlocking AI and Customer-Centric Growth with Phillip Swan

GUEST: Phillip Swan, Chief Product Officer and GTM at The AI Solution Group

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In this episode of The B2B Revenue Executive Experience, Phillip Swan, Chief Product Officer and GTM at The AI Solution Group, joins host Cory Cotten-Potter to explore the intricacies of GTM strategy, the importance of solving "migraine-level problems" for customers, and how to leverage AI responsibly to solve real-world problems.

With a career spanning several decades, Phillip has a rich background in engineering, product management, and sales, having held senior roles at companies such as Microsoft, PCC Wireless, Red Trident, Coterie, Exonome, and LingoAid. His expertise lies in pioneering innovative technologies, especially in the fields of wireless communication and AI.

‍Unlocking AI’s Full Potential

Change is inevitable, but it's also an opportunity if approached with curiosity, methodical planning, and a focus on meaningful problems. Start by identifying unsolved challenges in your organization that AI can address, ensuring the outcomes positively impact customers or operations. Success goes beyond chasing trends or adopting AI for the sake of it; it's about purposeful innovation, like leveraging predictive maintenance to avoid costly disruptions or using AI to augment teams so they can focus on their strengths.

“We, as a company, plan on at least 80% augmentation for every staff member in the company, which is how we're gonna reach the revenue that we're going to we're targeting with 100 people or less.”

Phillip Swan, Chief Product Officer and GTM at The AI Solution Group

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From Black Box to Breakthrough

To truly align your team and drive meaningful business outcomes, focus on leading indicators rather than lagging ones. Map out every stage of the customer journey and identify the key customer actions, your team's actions, and the KPIs that matter most at each stage. Prioritize quality over volume and aim for a frictionless, seamless customer experience. Eliminate unnecessary processes like traditional SDR functions, and instead, nurture customer readiness organically. Measure success metrics like NRR and GRR, as they reveal both growth and potential issues.

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“Loyalty is hard to get. And once you've got it, you better retain it.”

Phillip Swan, Chief Product Officer and GTM at The AI Solution Group

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The Customer-Centric Myth

Customer-centricity is the backbone of sustainable revenue growth. While many organizations claim to be customer-centric, they often fall short because their priorities and metrics don't align across departments. True customer-centricity starts at the top, cascading through leadership principles and hiring practices, and requires a relentless focus on shared goals, like closing deals and delivering value to customers.

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“If you're not customer-centric, you've got revenue leakage.”

Phillip Swan, Chief Product Officer and GTM at The AI Solution Group

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Change Starts with a Conversation

Self-awareness and communication are the foundation of personal and organizational growth. Pay attention to how your habits impact your well-being and mood. Small changes, like A/B testing what works for you, can make a big difference. In the workplace, change starts with conversations and transparency. Target your champions to drive momentum.

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“If you get 7% of your organization's true believers in your mission, the rest of the company will come along.”

Phillip Swan, Chief Product Officer and GTM at The AI Solution Group

‍Now that you've learned Phillip's insights, discover the full list of episodes at The B2B Revenue Executive Experience. If you enjoy the show, instructions to rate and review it are found here.