Carlos Hidalgo: "Embrace Customer Experience Across the Organisation"

An interview with the co-founder and CEO of Digital Exhaust

Hello! Please introduce yourself and your current role.

I am the co-founder and CEO of a firm called Digital Exhaust. We are a growth partner for our clients and work with them to simplify their path to sustainable growth. I have 30 years of experience in B2B marketing and sales and for the last 20 years have worked as a consultant and advisor for B2B organisations of all sizes. I have had the opportunity to author two books, Driving Demand, (2015) and The UnAmerican Dream (2019), and speak to audiences all over the globe including a TEDx. I have been married to an amazing woman for 30 years, have four grown children and a daughter-in-law, and live in upstate NY. 

If you had to highlight one thing you’re most proud of achieving over the course of your career, what would you say?

This question made me think quite a bit as my career has spanned 30 years and I have had incredible opportunities to do quite a bit with some incredible people over the years. However, when I think about the thing I am most proud of, I would have to say my tenacity. It has allowed me to do things, work with some extremely talented people, learn things, and win accounts that I otherwise would have missed out on. Early on I had a business mentor who encouraged me to get in a little bit over my head as I went about my career. It was some of the best advice I have ever been given and I am glad I took it. This was what helped me start my first business and write my first book. Since I began to apply that bit of advice, I have been tenacious in the work I do and going for things that may seem out of reach. I have not had everything always go my way, but each time I put everything I have into a goal, regardless of the outcome, I come away as a better professional because I have learnt a few things.

What are the main initiatives you’re currently working on relating to customer experience?

One of the biggest areas of focus is getting organisations to embrace customer experience across the organisation. Often times we see that CX is delivered in pieces across the entirety of the customer journey. While that is a good start, from a customer perspective it is a bad experience as there is too much up and down. We are focused on getting B2B organisations to understand that CX begins long before anyone purchases anything i.e. brand engagement and has to be delivered at every single customer touchpoint. This must come from the top down and marketing, sales, customer support, product, and operations have to take a leading role in making it happen. 

What do you think the biggest opportunities are within the industry at the moment?

I know the en-vogue answer will be AI. While AI offers a wealth of opportunity, I still see it as an enabler, not an opportunity in and of itself. I still believe the biggest opportunities B2B organisations have is getting a granular view of their customers and using this insight to guide their go-to-market strategies. After all this time we still see many companies that do not have a clear and shared understanding of their customers and the various stages of the customer journey. This severely limits an organisation's ability to execute and have meaningful engagement across all stages of the customer lifecycle. Of course, this then leads to a poor and disjointed experience and has a negative impact on revenue. 

On the flipside, what do you feel are the biggest challenges that organisations need to overcome?

I think there are many challenges but the two I see most often are organisational silos and bad data. The lack of an aligned and cohesive organisation (marketing, sales, operations, product, and customer success) is something that can be achieved but it will take embracing change and getting a shared view of a customer. It will not happen overnight, but it is necessary to execute a customer-centric go-to-market. Bad data goes hand in hand with this. Your data is arguably the most valuable resource you have when it comes to delivering for customers, yet so little investment goes toward it. B2B organisations need to invest in a data governance policy and continually optimise their prospect and customer data to ensure continued engagement. 

Do you have any advice or top tips for anyone reading this who’s starting out in the industry and wanting to become a senior leader?

Two things come to mind. The first is to find a mentor. I have been fortunate that throughout my career I had those who had more experience who were willing to invest in me. They were quick to answer questions, allowed me to take on projects with their guidance, and let me "tag along" so I could learn from them and improve my skill sets. The second is to be willing to take on a bit more than what you think you may be ready to handle. I believe we have a way as humans of talking ourselves out of opportunities because we do not think we are ready. Do not be afraid to extend yourselves and move out of your comfort zone. This is how you will learn and gain the experience needed to be a senior leader later in your career. 

What would you say is the key defining factor that will shape the industry going forward?

I do not think it has changed much when I say that the customer will always be the defining factor in B2B. Over the last 20 years, we have seen significant shifts in B2B and the majority of these have been dictated by the customers and their always evolving sophistication and expectations of brands. This continual change is nothing new to B2B, but brands will have to continually adapt to their customers in order to deliver on the promise of experience.