2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 1
The Bi ngham CCO
Authori ty Model

by Curtis N. Bingham

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
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The Bi ngham CCO Authori ty Model


Curti s N. Bi ngham
Founder and Executi ve Di rector
Chi ef Customer Offi cer Counci l
cottls 8loqbom ls tbe wotlJs fotemost ootbotlty oo tbe costomet-ceottlc otqoolzotloo. ne wos tbe fltst to ptomote
tbe tole of cblef costomet offlcet os o cotolyst fot competltlve oJvootoqe. ne ls tbe cteotot of tbe fltst ccO
kooJmop ooJ tbe costomet ceottlclty Mototlty MoJel. ne ls tbe foooJet of tbe cblef costomet Offlcet cooocll, o
powetfol ooJ lotlmote qotbetloq of tbe wotlJs leoJloq costomet execotlves. As oo lotetootloool speoket, ootbot,
ooJ coosoltoot, cottls ls posslooote oboot cteotloq costomet sttoteqy to sostoloobly qtow teveooe, ptoflt, ooJ
loyolty.
AuLhorlLy ls Lhe currency of Lhe C-SulLe. CreaLer AuLhorlLy means greaLer ablllLy Lo lnfluence Lhe
organlzaLlon Lo Lake a deslred acLlon. Lven as dlrecL reporLs Lo Lhe CLC, cusLomer loyalLy execuLlves may
be challenged Lo obLaln Lhe AuLhorlLy needed Lo geL Lhe [ob done. 8ecause Lhey Lyplcally do noL own oll
cusLomer-faclng resources Lhey musL lead by lnfluence Lo effecLlvely resolve cusLomer lssues or enhance
Lhe end-Lo-end cusLomer experlence and ulLlmaLely lncrease revenue and proflLs. 1he chlef cusLomer
offlcer ls wldely recognlzed as Lhe organlzaLlon's ulLlmaLe cusLomer AuLhorlLy, Lasked wlLh drlvlng
cusLomer sLraLegy aL Lhe hlghesL levels of Lhe company. Powever, LlLles for Lhls poslLlon have numerous
varlaLlons. lor Lhe purpose of Lhls arLlcle, we wlll refer Lo Lhe CCC, alLhough an execuLlve's acLual LlLle
may be dlfferenL.
THREE TYPES OF CCO AUTHORI TY
1here are Lhree Lypes of AuLhorlLy for Lhe CCC or oLher cusLomer execuLlve: oslLlonal, Larned, and
8orrowed AuLhorlLy.
Positional Authority
Lvery CCC or loyalLy execuLlve has some AuLhorlLy derlved from Lhe poslLlon and LlLle Lhey hold wlLhln
Lhe organlzaLlonal hlerarchy. CCCs relylng upon oslLlonal AuLhorlLy may own many cusLomer-faclng
personnel such as servlce, supporL, consulLlng, and someLlmes markeLlng and sales. uslng oslLlonal
AuLhorlLy Lhe CCC can polnL Lo hls or her dlrecL reporLs and say, make lL so" ln order Lo address speclflc
cusLomer lssues. 1here ls an lnlLlal bump ln lnfluence when Lhe CCC ls flrsL appolnLed and caLches
people's aLLenLlon as someLhlng new and unexpecLed ln Lhe organlzaLlon. SufflclenL oslLlonal AuLhorlLy
ls mandaLory for Lhe success of Lhe CCC or loyalLy execuLlve. ConsequenLly, lL ls lmperaLlve LhaL Lhe CCC
be poslLloned ldeally as a dlrecL reporL Lo Lhe CLC or perhaps one level below wlLh a sLrong doLLed llne

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
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CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 3
Lo Lhe CLC. 1lLle ls cruclal ln granLlng AuLhorlLy, lnvlLlng respecL, and openlng doors Lo lnfluence oLher
execuLlves and deparLmenLs Lo solve cross-boundary cusLomer challenges (descrlbed along wlLh oLher
crlLlcal success facLors ln 1be 8loqbom AJvlsoty. 8 5ttoteqlc lmpetotlves fot tbe ccO avallable aL Lhe CCC
Councll webslLe). AfLer Lhe lnlLlal bump ln lnfluence followlng Lhe appolnLmenL Lo Lhe role, oslLlonal
AuLhorlLy Lends Lo be sLaLlc and lL may even wane over Llme unless lncreased Lhrough a promoLlon.
Powever, poslLlon and LlLle alone may noL enable one Lo slngle-handedly resolve cusLomer lssues LhaL
span organlzaLlonal boundarles. 1hus oslLlonal AuLhorlLy Lyplcally does noL carry Lhe welghL of elLher
8orrowed or Larned AuLhorlLy.
Borrowed Authority
8orrowed AuLhorlLy ls LhaL whlch ls borrowed from oLhers wlLh greaLer lnfluence. lL ls besL galned
Lhrough Lhe sLrong, vocal, and very vlslble supporL of Lhe CLC. 1he appolnLmenL of a loyalLy execuLlve
Lells Lhe organlzaLlon, lncludlng peers wlLhln Lhe C-SulLe: costomet ceottlclty ls oot sttoteqlc
lmpetotlve. 1he more promlnenLly Lhe CLC advocaLes for Lhe CCC and relnforces cusLomer-cenLrlc
lmperaLlves, Lhe sLronger Lhe halo-effecL and Lhe greaLer Lhe lnfluence Lhe CCC has over Lhe
organlzaLlon. As Lhe CLC of naLlonwlde sald when he lnLroduced newly appolnLed Chlef CusLomer
AdvocaLe, !asmlne Creen, Lo hls organlzaLlon, 1bls ls Iosmloe. 5be speoks fot me. LxecuLlves wlLhouL
sLrong 8orrowed AuLhorlLy reporL spendlng nearly 30 of Lhelr Llme [usLlfylng Lhelr exlsLence and
sollclLlng supporL lnsLead of servlng cusLomers.
8orrowed AuLhorlLy ls lmperaLlve ln Lhe early days of Lhe CCC's Lenure as any culLure naLurally reslsLs
change. 1he volce and AuLhorlLy of Lhe CLC ls ofLen necessary Lo overcome organlzaLlonal lnerLla and
Fi gure 1

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
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CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
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enable a more compleLe cusLomer-cenLrlc LransformaLlon. Leveraged correcLly, Lhls halo effecL can be
used Lo galn slgnlflcanL early momenLum.
As can be seen ln llgure 1 above, 8orrowed AuLhorlLy ls sLrong ln Lhe early days buL Lends Lo wane as
Lhe aLLenLlon of Lhe CLC Lurns Lo oLher lnlLlaLlves. lf Lhe drop ls preclplLous, Lhe CCC can be rendered
lneffecLlve. 1hus, whlle leveraglng boLh oslLlonal and 8orrowed AuLhorlLy, lL ls crlLlcal Lo develop
Larned AuLhorlLy.
Earned Authority
Larned AuLhorlLy ls Lhe mosL powerful and susLalnable AuLhorlLy LhaL can be wlelded wlLhln Lhe C-SulLe
and Lhe organlzaLlon, buL lL ls Lhe hardesL won and Lyplcally ln Lhe shorLesL supply ln Lhe earllesL days of
CCC Lenure. 1hls ls Lhe Lype of AuLhorlLy LhaL comes wlLh resulLs, lL ls earned as Lhe CCC leads peers,
execuLlves, and employees Lo recognlze how cusLomer lnslghL and cusLomer cenLrlclLy can be valuable
alds ln achlevlng Lhelr own buslness, deparLmenL, and personal goals. lL ls earned as CCC-led lnlLlaLlves
are seen Lo be successful boLh lnLernally and exLernally. 1he mosL successful execuLlves wlLh Lhe longesL
Lenure qulckly earn Lhls Lype of AuLhorlLy.
8ecognlzlng Lhe lmporLance of Larned AuLhorlLy, one senlor cusLomer execuLlve delayed accepLance of
an offered CCC promoLlon unLll he had compleLe supporL LhroughouL Lhe organlzaLlon. 8y dolng so, he
obvlaLed Lhe need Lo beg for resources, prove 8Cl of cusLomer-cenLrlc acLlons, or campalgn for supporL.
Pls peers know LhaL he has Lhe besL cusLomer daLa, Lhe lssues he ralses are real, and mosL lmporLanLly,
Lhey know LhaL he ls balanclng buslness goals wlLh cusLomer deslres.
Slnce Larned AuLhorlLy can grow over Llme, lL ecllpses all oLher forms of AuLhorlLy. lL ls Lhe sLrongesL and
mosL powerful form of AuLhorlLy, and wlelded correcLly, can also enhance oslLlonal and 8orrowed
AuLhorlLy ln a vlrLuous upwards cycle.
CONCLUSI ON
lncreaslng AuLhorlLy Lo solve cusLomer lssues, drlve cusLomer cenLrlclLy, and Lhereby creaLe susLalnable
buslness growLh needs Lo be a core sLraLegy of every CCC who doesn'L wlsh Lo relegaLe Lhe Lenure of
hls/her role Lo chance. uslng Lhe 8lngham CCC AuLhorlLy Model, you can galn, lncrease, and leverage
your power and lnfluence over your organlzaLlon on Lhree fronLs aL once.
*1



*
CopyrlghL noLlce: All conLenL conLalned ln Lhls arLlcle ls copyrlghL proLecLed maLerlal. 8eproducLlon, ln whole or ln parL, ln any
form or medlum, wlLhouL Lhe express wrlLLen permlsslon of Lhe Chlef CusLomer Cfflcer Councll ls sLrlcLly prohlblLed.
1
1hls arLlcle ls excerpLed from 1he 8lngham Advlsory: owerful lnfluence on CusLomer CenLrlclLy, avallable for free download
from Lhe CCC Councll webslLe aL: hLLp://www.ccocouncll.org/Lheblnghamadvlsory/.

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
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About CURTIS N. BINGHAM
1he flrsL Lo promoLe Lhe role of chlef cusLomer offlcer (CCC) as caLalysL for
compeLlLlve advanLage, CurLls ls recognlzed as Lhe world's foremosL auLhorlLy on
CCCs. Pe ls founder and LxecuLlve ulrecLor of Lhe Chlef CusLomer Cfflcer
Councll` and creaLor of Lhe CCC 8oadmap and Lhe CusLomer CenLrlclLy MaLurlLy
Model: groundbreaklng, proprleLary works LhaL asslsL companles achleve
cusLomer cenLrlc culLure and revenue growLh. CurLls ls a champlon of cusLomer
engagemenL as a crlLlcal growLh englne and flrsL Lo ldenLlfy engagemenL as Lhe
nexL evoluLlonary sLep beyond loyalLy. An lnLernaLlonal speaker, auLhor, and
consulLanL, CurLls ls passlonaLe abouL creaLlng powerful cusLomer sLraLegles and
LrusLed for hls buslness acumen, acLlonable lnslghLs, and commlLmenL Lo
measurable buslness resulLs.
About THE CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
1he CCC Councll ls a powerful and lnLlmaLe gaLherlng of Lhe world's
leadlng cusLomer execuLlves from wldely dlverse lndusLrles. 1he
Councll helps execuLlves achleve ob[ecLlves fasLer and more easlly by
leveraglng besL pracLlces. lL helps valldaLe and reflne sLraLegles and
lnlLlaLlves Lo avold experlmenLlng aL cusLomer expense. Membershlp
ls by lnvlLaLlon only, and purposefully cross-polllnaLed wlLh Lhe mosL
forward-Lhlnklng companles, large and small, so as Lo help cusLomer
execuLlves dellver solld, cusLomer-cenLrlc buslness resulLs. lor more
lnformaLlon, emall lnfo[ccocouncll.org or call 978-226-8673.


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www.ccocouncll.org
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!"# %&'()*#+ ,-./.#*#-( !+/0#1()+2 - ln Lhls 34-."/* 5674')+2 CurLls
provldes a framework for undersLandlng where engagemenL emerges ln Lhe
buslness-cusLomer relaLlonshlp Lo provlde lLs greaLesL value.
ln addlLlon, you'll also learn how real world companles such as MeLLlfe, Cracle,
and 8loL Cames are engaglng Lhelr cusLomers and en[oylng boLLom llne
lmprovemenLs Lo revenue and shareholder value as a resulL.
uowolooJ yoot ftee copy toJoy ot www.ccocouncll.org/Lheblnghamadvlsory/
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ccocouncll.org/vldeo

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ccocouncll.org/excluslveresources

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(lor vs and above)
CCC Councll neLwork