Last month, I broke down why proving CX ROI is such a struggle. I’ve been there—knowing the work delivers real value but watching leadership shrug because the impact isn’t spelled out in dollars. Too many CX teams track metrics that don’t resonate with execs, making it easy for them to dismiss our work as a “nice to have” instead of a business necessity.
I covered how to fix that: focus on the right metrics (churn rate, customer lifetime value, cost to serve), translate them into dollars, and tie everything back to business goals. Just as important—tell the story in a way leadership actually listens to. Now, let’s put that into action.
Create Your ROI Story
A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating an ROI story shouldn’t feel overwhelming. By following a simple process, you can make this repeatable, clear, and impactful every time. Here’s a streamlined version:
- Pick a Clear CX Initiative
Choose a project with measurable impact—reducing churn, cutting costs, or boosting retention. The key is to pick something where you can track a clear before-and-after difference.
- Define the Baseline
What was happening before you made changes? Gather data on key metrics like churn rate, revenue loss, or support call volume. This is your starting point.
- Gather the Results
Now, compare the numbers. What changed? Did churn drop? Did self-service adoption go up? The goal is to connect your initiative to real business impact—revenue saved, costs reduced, or customer value increased.
Now that you have the numbers, it’s time to bring them to life. Raw data alone won’t convince leadership—you need a story that makes it clear why this matters.
- Craft a Leadership-Friendly ROI Story
Now, turn your data into a story leadership will actually care about. Use this detailed prompt to structure it:
“I want to create a leadership-friendly ROI story for a CX initiative. Here are the details:
- The initiative: [Brief description of the project].
- The problem it addressed: [Specific challenge or pain point].
- The measurable impact: [Quantifiable results like revenue saved, cost reductions, or customer satisfaction improvements].
- Financial impact: [Dollar amounts tied to the results].
Please write this as a simple, engaging story that highlights the problem, the solution, and the results. Make it concise, clear, and tailored to a leadership audience.”
Example ROI Story:
“Before we launched our proactive engagement program, 25% of customers churned annually, costing us $500,000 in lost revenue. Many cited frustration with unclear billing and account management as the reason for leaving. We introduced a targeted email campaign with personalized reminders and step-by-step guidance. The results? Churn dropped to 20%, saving $100,000 annually. Customer satisfaction jumped from 70% to 85%.”This kind of story highlights the pain point, solution, and measurable results, making it relatable and impactful for leadership.
- Make It Visual
Turn your story into a simple, focused dashboard. Include:
- The Problem:What wasn’t working? Add a quote or stat.
- The Fix:What did you do to improve things?
- The Results:Show key metrics and their dollar impact.
Use this ChatGPT prompt:
“Help me design a simple ROI dashboard for my [CX initiative name]. The goal is to show [metrics like revenue saved, cost reduction, or lifetime value increase]. The initiative involved [brief description]. What key data should I include, and how can I display it effectively? Bonus: Add a summary box that ties it all together.”
ROI Dashboard for the Proactive Engagement Program
This proactive engagement program reduced churn by 5%, saving $100K annually. Customer satisfaction increased by 15%, demonstrating improved experiences and revenue protection.”
- Share and Refine
Once you’ve built your dashboard, don’t just send it off and hope for the best. Get feedback from key stakeholders to make sure it lands. A quick review session helps you fine-tune the messaging and fill in any gaps before presenting it to leadership:
- Ask Targeted Questions: “Does this dashboard clearly communicate the problem, solution, and results? Are there any metrics or visualizations missing?”
- Encourage Feedback: Invite stakeholders to suggest improvements or clarify details they find unclear. Their perspective ensures the story resonates across different teams.
- Iterate Thoughtfully: Use their feedback to refine the dashboard, focusing on aligning visuals with leadership priorities. Ensure the final version highlights metrics tied to financial and customer outcomes.
Dashboards simplify the story and make it easier for leaders to see the value of your work. Visuals work because they are processed faster than text and help focus attention on what matters most. A well-crafted dashboard isn’t just a tool—it’s your story’s proof of impact.
Bringing it All Together
This process isn’t a one-time thing—it’s how you turn CX into a business priority. If you want CX to get the attention (and budget) it deserves, every initiative needs an ROI story attached to it.
So, pick an initiative you’re working on right now and go through the steps. Build the habit. The more you do this, the easier it gets—and the next time someone asks, “What’s the ROI on this?” you’ll have an answer that shuts down the skepticism fast.
Mark Levy is an experienced business leader with over 25 years of expertise in digital and customer experience. Currently serving as the Vice President of Customer Experience at Frontier Communications, Levy is responsible for spearheading initiatives aimed at enhancing customer experience across the organization.
He is also an executive coach, author, and publisher, having recently published a book titled “The Accountability Team Handbook.” Levy also writes the Decoding Customer Experience Newsletter and Podcast, which offers weekly insights, trends, and best practices for customer experience professionals. Find him on LinkedIn.
