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I’m a big music fan. I have a playlist for every situation from gentle ambient background noises while I work, to funky sing-along disco for summer BBQs in the garden. But music would be nothing without amplifiers to make those wonderful noises clear and audible. They’re a key ingredient to hear the music clearly enough to feel something… and occasionally break out into Dad dancing.   I think Customer Closeness sessions play a similar role as an amplifier to the ‘music’ of cu

I feel I work in a high-risk industry. That may feel somewhat melodramatic, but I would argue that live Customer Closeness sessions are not for the faint-hearted.  In a previous life, I worked in a Year 6 classroom.  I’d make plans and practice my resources to feel prepared, but I thought nothing could compare to the harsh judgement of 30 cynical and world-wise 11-year olds. As it turns out, the harsh judgement of eight women giving a warts-and-all account of their recent exp

In a recent project, we uncovered something quietly powerful: consumers weren’t just buying a product, they were playing a game.  Not a game with rules or instructions, but an intuitive, emotionally charged game that shaped how they navigated choice They rarely paid full price. Instead, they hunted for offers, not just to save money, but to win. The win wasn’t purely financial, it was psychological. They wanted to feel clever, discerning, and in control. The real prize? Getti

In our last blog post, we explored how Customer Closeness injects new energy into an organisation. But how do you keep that energy alive?...

Last week I was running a Customer Closeness session with a dozen customers and 30 colleagues in the room. As one customer told a story...

At the end of 2023, along with my other colleagues, I was set a professional development challenge – to become more curious around the...