Statements of Intent

In this episode, host David Mannheim sits down with Cameron Goldie, Head of eCommerce at Grenade.

Cameron has 8 years experience of driving profitable acquisition growth and retention strategies across the UK, Switzerland, and the US. His expertise in leveraging technology to build sustainable infrastructures and his people-first approach have significantly contributed to his ability to navigate complex platforms, optimise customer journeys, and spearhead international marketing campaigns.

Cameron shares his core values centred around presence, health, and well-being, which shape his approach to customer experience. He unpacks the "Jobs to Be Done" framework and its role in delivering value aligned with customer needs. Grenade's use of AI for customer service is explored and their plans for elevating the shopping experience in 2024 through technology upgrades.

Topics Covered:

• Cameron's core values of presence, health, and well-being
• Applying the “Jobs to Be Done" framework to eCommerce
• Cameron's statement of intent: Putting yourself in the customer's shoes
• Using AI for customer service: Grenade's balanced approach
• Catering to diverse customer needs and journeys
• Grenade's 2024 strategy: New front-end UX, customer data platform, and mobile app

Key Quotes:

• "Let's add value from the ground up and give customers what they need."
• "If you've got the presence to recognise what the customer needs, it's then asking them what they need and continually asking them what they need."
• "If you're 5 percent everywhere, how'd you be a hundred percent in one place? It's very difficult."

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction
00:47 Guest Introduction: Cameron Goldie
01:39 Cameron's Core Values
06:30 The Jobs To Be Done Framework
07:18 Cameron's Statement of Intent: Put Yourself In The Customers Shoes
10:00 AI and CX: A Grenade Case Study
13:48 Catering to Diverse Customer Needs
21:32 Grenade's Strategy for 2024
24:26 Outro And Football Predictions

Resources

• The Jobs to be Done Framework → https://amzn.eu/d/8CjEZLY

Social Media

• Cameron's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-goldie-295a44139/
• Made With Intent LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/?viewAsMember=true
• YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@madewithintent

In this episode, David Mannheim sits down with Sienne Veit, Founder & Chief Product Officer at Invisible Stuff.

Through 20 years in global and UK retail and technology sectors, Sienne has helped notable brands grow like Kingfisher, John Lewis & Partners, M&S, Morrisons, Samsung, and Sony. Constantly utilising new tech, she is passionate about customer centricity and building a brand the right way.

Sienne and David discuss the importance of reinventing customer journeys and metrics. They delve into the shortcomings of relying solely on conversion rates and explore alternative metrics that better capture the customer experience. Sienne emphasises the need to understand the reasons behind changes in conversion rates and tailor strategies accordingly, especially in the era of mobile shopping.

Topics Covered:

• The limitations of conversion rate as a metric
• Understanding the reasons behind fluctuations in conversion rate
• The importance of measuring customer journeys and behaviour
• Advocating for customer lifetime value as a key metric
• The value of mobile apps in capturing omnichannel data
• Balancing immediate ROI with long-term customer value

Key Quotes:

• "Conversion rate to me is a lag metric. And it means a number of people have, have gone about their shopping journey and been successful in my book. You can have a ton of grumpy customers that have kind of fought their way tooth and nail through your website to get what they want."
• "I think better metrics are metrics that are allied to their mission."
• "If you notice what I do, then I probably haven't done my job. If you don't notice what I do, then I am doing my job really well."

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:01 Guest Introduction: Sienne Veit
03:49 Sienne's Statement: Reinvent Customer Journeys And Metrics
08:37 The Mobile Shopping Shift and Its Impact on Metrics
12:22 The Power of Apps in Enhancing Customer Journeys
16:36 Balancing Immediate ROI with Long-Term Customer Value
20:11 Sienne's Last Words
20:46 Outro

Social Media

• Sienne's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienneveit/
• Made With Intent LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/?viewAsMember=true
• YouTube → www.youtube.com/@madewithintent

In this week's episode, we chat with Nik Fletcher, Head of Digital Experience at Rapha, about the importance of progress over perfection in eCommerce. We discuss why brands fail to authentically connect with shoppers, and how to rebuild trust by embracing vulnerability.

Topics Covered:

• The passion gap between eCommerce practitioners and customers
• Short-term thinking that overlooks long-term loyalty
• Why ego and perfectionism hinder customer centricity
• The role of vulnerability in driving change

Key Quotes:

• "It takes two people to start a movement, the lone outsider and the first follower. But you've got to be vulnerable to be that first or second person."
• "It's about progress, knowing that vision of where you want to be and holding that true. It's about keeping that justice."
• “Sometimes it’s like, ‘What would this be like in the real world?’ in a store. That’s the most foundational, human, common sense way of looking at things.”

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:28 Guest Introduction: Nick Fletcher
04:08 Nik's Statement: Progress Over Perfection
06:39 The Balance Between Progress and Perfection
17:32 Ego and Vulnerability in E-commerce
21:22 Outro

Social Media

• Nik's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikfletcher/
• Made With Intent LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/?viewAsMember=true
• YouTube → www.youtube.com/@madewithintent

In this episode of Statements of Intent, host David Mannheim talks to Sean Ellis, author of 'Hacking Growth' and founder of Qualaroo and Growth Hackers, about improving long-term growth in eCommerce. They discuss the importance of customer satisfaction and delivering value to ensure sustainable growth, the necessity of setting the right objectives, and the balance between focusing on revenue and growth. Ellis emphasises the need for cross-functional team alignment and the shift from short-term to long-term focus. The conversation sheds light on strategies for maintaining a strong customer base and the dangers of over-reliance on short-term success metrics.

Topics Covered:

• The problem with prioritising short-term metrics like signups over long-term value
• Balancing quantity and quality - getting the right users to the right experience
• Setting objectives that reflect authentic value to drive impact
• The challenges of cross-functional alignment in action, not just theory
• Focusing the entire organisation on delivering core value

Key Quotes:

• "Anything that doesn't lead to customers being extremely happy and coming back is probably not worth doing."
• "You may end up losing a lot of people who just, 'Oh, well, I'm not interested in that.' And so they, they don't end up converting, but now you're converting the right people."
• "Theory without habits, that doesn't get you anywhere."

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction
00:55 Guest Introduction: Sean Ellis
03:02 Sean's Statement: Don't Be Short-Term Focused
06:06 Understanding Conversion Rates
09:34 Balancing Quality and Quantity
17:23 The Challenges of Implementing Customer-Centric Growth
21:12 Outro

Resources

• Hacking Growth by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown → https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31625067-hacking-growth

Social Media

• Sean’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanellis/
• Made With Intent LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/
• YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@madewithintent

In this episode, host David Mannheim chats with Martin Newman, one of the world's leading authorities on customer centricity, about bringing more empathy and care to customer interactions in eCommerce. Martin is the Founder of The Customer First Group and has worked with brands like Burberry, Ted Baker, Intersport, and Harrods. He also scaled and sold global eCommerce agency Practicology. He is a global speaker and author of 2 books including ‘The Power of Customer Experience’.

Topics Covered:

• The importance of personalised experiences in eCommerce
• Moving from customer service to customer care
• Giving frontline staff autonomy and independence
• The lack of empathy in many organisations

Key Quotes:

• "The front line of any organisation...that front line are the difference between success and failure."
• "Every single business selling anything can start the process of turning a customer into a fan, but it's the process of how you talk to them, how you engage with them, how you personalise the experience."
• "I really believe that one of the reasons why a lot of big high street brands that are no longer around basically...fundamentally believe at the heart of that was a lack of empathy."

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
01:06 Guest Introduction: Martin Newman
06:44 Martin's Statement: Move From Customer Service to Customer Care
10:42 Independence in Customer Service
16:05 A Lack of Empathy in Organisations
21:39 Outro

Resources:

• The Power of Customer Experience: How to Use Customer-centricity to Drive Sales and Profitability by Martin Newman → https://amzn.eu/d/9jffMqM
• 100 Practical Ways to Improve Customer Experience: Achieve End-to-End Customer Engagement in a Multichannel World→ https://amzn.eu/d/1SWszht

Social Media:

• Martin’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/martindnewman/
• Made With Intent LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/?viewAsMember=true
• YouTube → www.youtube.com/@madewithintent

In this episode, Host, David Mannheim, chats with Paul Prior, Head of Digital at Three, about bringing humanity back to the world of eCommerce.

Topics Covered:

• Paul's guiding principle of "No Purpose Left Behind"
• Why eCommerce focuses too much on technology over people
• The role of courage and bravery in eCommerce
• Practical ways to focus on each customer's unique purpose

Key Quotes:

• "Online isn't really about technology, it's about the people that are sitting behind technology, and we are complex mofos."
• "People are scared in general. Like, so you only really have two basic emotions. You have fear and joy."
• "It takes a lot of courage to ask the big questions, when it's much easier to just ignore them and carry forward."

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
00:56 Guest Introduction: Paul Prior
02:23 Paul's Statement: No Purpose Left Behind
07:15 The Role of Technology in eCommerce
14:53 The Importance of Courage and Bravery in eCommerce
21:43 Practical Application of 'No Purpose Left Behind'
25:35 Outro

Social Media:

• Paul on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/priorp/
• Made With Intent → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/
• YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@madewithintent

In this episode of Statements of Intent, host David Mannheim speaks with Thibaut Pugin, VP of Software Engineering at Gousto, about cultivating human connection and shared moments in eCommerce.

Topics Covered:

• The challenge of balancing data and human connections in business
• Creating shared experiences and a sense of community
• Catering to diverse individual preferences
• Empathising with customers and meeting them where they are

Key Quotes:

• "But for the time being, I think the main difference between us and a set of algorithms and data is something akin to emotion."
• "We want to belong, right? We want to have that sense of we're in it together."
• “You have to be curious. You have to want to get to know others. You have to want the best for others.”
• "How do you create and cultivate those experiences and shared moments? That's really just thinking about that customer, what do they want? Are you meeting them where they are, but also sometimes anticipating their needs?"

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:11 Guest Introduction: Thibaut Pugin

02:38 Thibaut's Statement: Cultivate Connection And Shared Moments

04:00 The Challenge of Balancing Data and Human Connection

08:58 Creating Shared Connections and Moments

18:34 The Gousto Experience: Catering to Individual Preferences

21:47 Outro

Social Media:

• Thibaut Pugin's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibautpugin/
• Made With Intent LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/?viewAsMember=true
• YouTube → www.youtube.com/@madewithintent

In this episode, host David Mannheim chats with Chris Sheard, eCommerce Director at Castore, about the challenge of maintaining your company's purpose and values as you rapidly scale and grow. Focusing too much on cost efficiencies and revenue growth can slowly erode the customer intimacy and care that attracted people to your brand in the first place.

Topics Covered:

• Balancing business growth with staying true to your original mission and intent
• The impact of scaling up on customer and employee experience
• The role leaders play in upholding company values across large organisations
• Connecting your internal culture to external brand communications

Key Quotes:

• "Purpose is really the only thing you’ve got unless you’re completely innovating in that space."
• "Suddenly the purpose can get diluted and lost. And you suddenly realise the teams underneath you don't reflect those true values that made the brand what it is."
• "As the business and organisations gets bigger and bigger and bigger...the owners become that little bit further away from it. They're the core people of this purpose."

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction
00:52 Guest Introduction: Chris Sheard
03:00 The Challenge of Maintaining Purpose While Scaling
07:01 The Impact of Scaling on Customer Experience
07:37 Balancing Efficiency and Purpose in Business Growth
11:20 The Role of Senior Management in Maintaining Purpose
16:11 The Influence of Brand Purpose on Customer Attraction
20:16 Outro

Social Media

Chris’ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissheard/

Made With Intent LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/?viewAsMember=true

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtRDNcawXH8j35CyZc5M4Sg

Host David Mannheim chats with Guest Matthew Lawson, Chief Digital Officer at Ribble Cycles. With over 20 years in eCommerce, Matthew shares his insights on the industry's evolution from capability to efficiency, the tension between short-term and long-term goals, and why the context of wider business objectives and market conditions should inform how brands treat their customers.

Topics Covered:

• The evolution of eCommerce from innovation to efficiency
• Balancing business KPIs like marketing costs, sessions, and conversion rates
• Adapting strategies and tactics based on wider business goals and market conditions
• The tension between short-term and long-term objectives
• Treating customers appropriately throughout their purchase journey

Key Quotes:

• "Conversion rate is a barometer of what you're willing to, or what you can afford in regards to driving sessions and marketing."
• "It's harder for someone to say let's go for the long term investment."
• "Don't chase the sale, build the brand."

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Guest Introduction: Matthew Lawson

08:14 Matthew's Statement: It's All About Context

13:28 The Impact of Short-termism

19:22 Customer Treatment in Long Purchase Cycle

21:34 Understanding Customer's Intent

24:17 Outro

Social Media:

Matthew’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjlawson/

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent/?viewAsMember=true

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtRDNcawXH8j35CyZc5M4Sg

“Put People Before Process”

In this episode, former head of customer experience Ed Deason shares his perspective on how businesses lose sight of customer needs amidst internal processes and efficiency drives. He recounts real-life examples of companies prioritising procedure over empathy—and one that gets it right. The key takeaway? Put people before process.

Topics Covered:

• Why companies become process-centric rather than customer-centric
• Specific examples of poor process-driven customer service
• The negative impacts of commercialism and efficiency obsession
• Ways to foster human connections in e-commerce
• Balancing team productivity with customer satisfaction

Key Quotes:

• "They lose sight of what their customers are trying to achieve and trying to get done. And therefore they provide a really crappy customer experience as a result."
• "I blame commerce for that. I blame greed, I blame the need for more is more, I blame VCs, investment, shaping people's perception away from the customer and more towards growth and scale."
• "What they want is their problem solved first time. What they want is the answers they were looking for. What they want is a bit of empathy."

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:05 Guest Introduction

01:34 Statement of Intent: People Before Process

03:38 Personal Customer Service Stories

07:47 The Problem with Processes

10:48 Impacts on Customer Experience

15:52 Fostering Connections

18:54 Balancing Metrics

Social Media:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/madewithintent

YouTube → https://youtube.com/madewithintent

Ed’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-deason/