Welcome back to 52 Weeks of Marketing Wisdom, where we review and recommend a new book weekly across five themes: Foresight, Customer, Strategy, Creativity & Innovation, plus two extras to complete the 52.
Our program is for busy marketing professionals seeking inspiration and growth through reading.
Rather than a simple review, we've evolved our blog posts to bring a point of view to the work and focus on how it informs what we do at Selbey Labs.
This week we're looking at B2B Customer Experience, a Practical Guide to Delivering Exceptional CX by NIck and Paul Hague.
It's fair to say, that this book and its philosophy is dear to our hearts at Selbey Labs, in particular, its focus on how business brands must avoid gimmicks focus on the long-term, be consistent and above all, listen to and respond to their customer's needs by undertaking regular, in-depth and first hand Voice of Customer Research.
Btw, we're not huge fans of the term "b2b". We prefer business brands. But the authors use this phrase, so we've stuck with it.
Hope you enjoy it.
What B2B Businesses Get Wrong About Customer Experience
Most businesses think they know all about customer experience (CX).
They assume it’s about good products, fast delivery, and efficient service.
And, yes, those things matter.
But here’s the problem
Everyone else is doing the same thing.
If everyone’s offering good products and fast delivery, what’s left to differentiate you?
That’s the question B2B Customer Experience: A Practical Guide to Delivering Exceptional CX by Nick Hague and Paul Hague sets out to answer.
And the answer is simple.
It’s about how you make your customers feel.
It’s not just about being a vendor; it’s about becoming a partner, a problem solver, someone your customers can trust.
In B2B, where decisions involve long cycles, big money, and multiple stakeholders, that’s the secret weapon.
But most companies miss the mark.
They focus on ticking boxes instead of creating memorable experiences that keep customers coming back.
From Transactions to Relationships
Hague and Hague’s book is built around one key idea: B2B companies must move away from transactional thinking.
Sure, the transaction might be king — a quick sale and a happy customer.
Done.
But in B2B, that’s not how it works.
B2B is about long-term relationships, not quick wins.
It’s about building trust, and trust comes from consistently delivering value and being someone the customer can count on.
That’s where customer experience comes in.
The authors argue that CX is the true differentiator in a world where products and prices are increasingly commoditised.
But here’s the kicker: while most businesses talk about delivering great CX, very few actually do it.
Because they don’t understand what it really means.
Customer Experience Is the Whole Journey
Most businesses think CX is just customer service.
Wrong.
Hague and Hague hammer home that customer experience is the entire journey.
From the moment a customer becomes aware of your brand to long after the sale is complete.
And if you’re not mapping out that journey, identifying every touchpoint, and ensuring consistency across the board, you’re missing out.
Let’s take a case study from the book — Maersk, the global shipping giant.
Maersk realised their relationships felt purely transactional. Customers saw them as a service provider, not a partner.
So, they decided to flip the script.
They started mapping the customer journey, pinpointing moments of friction, and introducing more transparent communication.
More updates, real-time tracking, and better problem-solving.
What happened?
Customers started seeing them as more than just shippers.
They saw Maersk as a company that listened, cared, and made their lives easier.
And that’s the key: great customer experience makes life easier for your customers.
Consistency Is King
Here’s another thing most businesses get wrong: they think a few big moments of brilliance will win customer loyalty.
Wrong again.
It’s not about a few flashy gestures — it’s about being consistently good.
Hague and Hague show that customers value reliability above all else.
Take Siemens, for example.
They were struggling with fragmented customer experiences because different departments were operating in silos.
Sales, marketing, and customer service weren’t aligned, which led to inconsistent service.
Customers hate that.
So, Siemens tackled the problem head-on by aligning all departments around the same CX goals.
They introduced shared metrics, ran cross-functional workshops, and made sure everyone was on the same page.
The result? A seamless, consistent experience across all touchpoints.
And here’s the point: consistency builds trust.
And in B2B, trust is everything.
The Power of Personalisation
Another major theme of the book is personalisation.
B2B companies often assume that because they’re dealing with large accounts, the personal touch doesn’t matter.
It does.
Hague and Hague argue that personalised service is key to building strong relationships.
Take Salesforce as a case study.
They segment their clients, offering tailored onboarding and support programs for different customer needs.
They don’t just sell software; they work with customers to solve their specific problems.
That’s why Salesforce isn’t just a vendor — they’re a partner.
By personalising the experience, they turn customers into long-term allies.
Technology Helps, But It’s Not Everything
In today’s world, everyone’s talking about automation, AI, and data analytics.
But Hague and Hague have a warning: technology should support great CX, not replace it.
Take Caterpillar, the construction giant.
They used IoT technology to monitor the performance of their machines and provide predictive maintenance.
This proactive approach helped customers avoid downtime and reduced operational costs.
But — and this is key — they didn’t let the technology do all the talking.
Caterpillar still focused on personalised support, using the data to offer tailored solutions to their customers’ unique problems.
The lesson? Technology is a great enabler, but it’s the human touch that makes the difference.
Measuring CX: Don’t Stop at the Metrics
Hague and Hague also stress the importance of measuring customer experience — but they don’t stop at the usual suspects like NPS or customer satisfaction scores.
Those are important, but they’re not the whole picture.
The authors emphasize the value of qualitative feedback.
Listening to your customers, hearing their pain points, and understanding what’s driving their satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Because if you’re not hearing from your customers, you’re not learning.
B2B Customer Experience isn’t just another business book.
It’s a wake-up call for B2B companies to stop thinking like vendors and start acting like partners.
Nick Hague and Paul Hague’s message is clear: in a world where products and services are becoming commodities, CX is your differentiator.
It’s not just about transactions — it’s about building relationships, delivering consistency, personalising service, and listening to your customers.
That’s what wins loyalty.
That’s what turns customers into long-term partners.
And that’s what will set your business apart.
If you want to find out how Selbey Labs can help you improve your CX, give us a shout. We'd love to support you.
B2B Customer Experience: A Practical Guide to Delivering Exceptional CX by Nick Hague and Paul Hague