Meaningful Personalization with David Edelman

How can businesses personalize their customer experience at scale?

This episode explores the power of personalization in the age of AI and how businesses can leverage data to create a delightful customer experience. David Edelman discusses the challenges and benefits of personalization, and provides examples of companies that are doing personalization well, such as Cisco, Marriott, and Aetna.

David Edelman is a personalization guru who's been shaking things up in the business world with his innovative ideas. From Harvard Business School to McKinsey and Aetna, he's got the know-how to help companies scale up their personalization game and create those "wow" customer experiences. He’s also the co-author (with Mark Abraham) of Personalized: Customer Strategy In The Age of AI. 

Key topics Bill and Dave explore in this episode: 

- Personalization is not just a marketing tactic, but a holistic customer experience that requires cross-functional collaboration. 

- Companies need to shift their mindset from volume to value and focus on providing a personalized experience that delights customers without being creepy. 

- AI can be used to enhance personalization by predicting customer needs and preferences. 

- Data is essential for personalization, and companies need to gather both explicit and implicit data to understand their customers' needs and preferences. 

- Companies have to avoid overwhelming customers with too much information. 

- Personalization allows companies to differentiate themselves by providing a unique and valuable customer experience. 

Chapters in this episode: 

(02:42) Personalizing Music 

(07:51) Delight vs. Annoyance in Personalized Experiences 

(12:34) The Risk of Over-Personalization and the Aetna Example 

(14:52) Sungevity: A Case Study in Personalization Done Right 

(19:43) Cisco: Two Approaches to B2B Personalization 

(26:40) Marriott's Quest for Personalized Hospitality 

(31:45) The Value of Asking Questions

Thanks to David Edelman for being on the show! 

Learn more about Dave at Edelman Advisory Services: https://www.edelmanadvisoryservices.com/ 

Get Dave’s book: Personalized: Customer Strategy In The Age of AI: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1647826276 (co-authored with Mark Abraham)

Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. 

Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop 

Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall

Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach 

Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. 

Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

Subscribe via Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PGhWPJ

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PKe00u

Bill on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billgall/ 

Bill on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/billgall 

This episode was produced by Story On Media & Marketing: https://www.successwithstories.com