3 Keys to Customer Engagement Success – Part 2
- Ryan Redmond
- Dec 22
- 6 min read
Summary
Customer engagement success doesn’t come from a single rollout or big launch. In Part 2 of this series, we explore the “Wheel of Change” and why successful CRM and customer engagement initiatives rely on taking small, deliberate steps, delivering clear value and benefit, and committing to continuous improvement. When these practices are applied consistently, organizations reduce risk, improve adoption, and create systems that evolve alongside the business.
After over two decades of designing, building, and deploying Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Customer Engagement (CE) systems, I’ve observed recurring themes that distinguish successful projects from less successful ones.
This approach has been refined through years of consulting, learning from the school of hard knocks, studying Lean Manufacturing practices, and leading successful Agile Software Development projects.
I'll continue using the term Customer Engagement (CE) to cover both CRM and CE projects, particularly those built on platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM.
As discussed in Customer Engagement Success – Part 1, Executive Engagement, Business Fit, and User Adoption form the foundation for long-term success.
In this second blog, I’ll focus on the “Wheel of Change” (outer blue circle) from my Customer Success graphic below.
The graphic illustrates some simple concepts that have driven success in CE projects throughout my career.
Customer Engagement Success Framework
This framework reflects the patterns I’ve seen repeatedly in successful customer engagement projects. At the center are Executive Engagement, Business Fit, and User Adoption, three elements that consistently show up when projects stay on track and deliver real value.
The outer “Wheel of Change” represents how those projects move forward over time. Progress doesn’t come from a single rollout or big launch, but from taking small, deliberate steps, focusing on value and benefit, and continuously improving based on what the business and users actually need. The sections below break down how that plays out in practice.
1. Small Steps
The first section of the Wheel of Change is “Small Steps,” but what constitutes a “small” step?
The answer is that it’s relative to the size of your project.
For a large Enterprise CE Project, a Small Step might be a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that delivers Value to early adopters.
For mid-market projects, a Small Step might involve a 90-day sprint to deploy CE to a regional Sales Team.
The important thing is to break down your project into iterative steps or phases, delivering tangible Value to your users at each stage. This is a principle that aligns closely with modern CRM implementation best practices.
The size of your “Small Step” will depend on your project, but generally, it should range from 30 to 120 days.
Any longer and will you start introducing unnecessary risks, such as:
Shifting business needs, making it more difficult to stay on target
Declining project momentum and user enthusiasm
Increased project scope, complexity, and cost
These risks often compound over time and are common contributors to CRM project failure, especially when projects are allowed to grow without clear checkpoints.
Incorporating AI-powered analytics from Power BI and project management tools like Microsoft Azure DevOps can help you control scope creep and maintain project momentum.
AI can also assist in optimizing project timelines and predicting potential risks.
By using AI-driven tools, you can better understand project dynamics and execute your “Small Steps” more effectively.
2. Value & Benefit
The second section of the Wheel of Change is “Value & Benefit.”
Value is the measurable outcome of an iteration, typically represented in monetary terms.
For example, increased revenue from improved sales or reduced costs from streamlined customer service or field service processes would both demonstrate Value.
Benefit, on the other hand, relates to people and is often less quantifiable but equally important.
Benefits include improvements like faster access to customer records or automated order confirmations.
To identify what will provide Benefit, just ask your users.
What are their pain points?
What do they find cumbersome?
Fix those issues and you will produce Benefit.
Clearly understanding the Value and Benefit will add fuel to the success of a CE Project.
Once understood, it is very important to publicize the success to project stakeholders and your users. Take your victory lap and do your endzone dance, you have earned it.
Your executive team needs to see the value and benefit so that they will continue to invest in the success of your project.
Leveraging AI-augmented processes with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Copilot Studio can effectively minimize user pain points.
You can analyze user behavior and feedback to suggest improvements that enhance both Value and Benefit.
For instance, with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Copilot working together, you can automate customer support tasks, reduce response times, and improve customer and employee satisfaction.
3. Continuous Improvement
The third section of the Wheel of Change is "Continuous Improvement."
Organizations that embrace this strategy typically outperform those that rely on static or large-scale changes.
A well-known Japanese term, Kaizen, translates to "continuous improvement" or "change for the better," embodying this mindset and being widely adopted in various industries to foster a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Unlike accounting or ERP systems, customer engagement systems evolve constantly and change rapidly to stay competitive.
Continuous Improvement completes the circle and ties everything together, allowing you to enhance employee engagement and customer experience, incrementally and over time.
Integrating AI into your constant improvement strategy can accelerate progress. Microsoft Power BI offers real-time feedback and recommendations for ongoing enhancements, helping you stay ahead of competitors and adapt to changing market conditions.
For example, AI can monitor customer interactions across various touchpoints, providing insights into trends and areas for improvement.
Here are 7 steps to kickstart Continuous Improvement in your organization:
Know your customer: Use AI tools to gain deeper insights into customer behavior and preferences, enabling personalized experiences.
Develop a culture of change: Foster an environment that encourages agile and iterative improvements, making adaptability a core value.
Improve communication: Use AI-powered tools to streamline interactions, ensuring clear and efficient communications with customers and across teams.
See what is working: Analyze metrics and data to pinpoint effective strategies and replicate successes.
Measure outcomes: Use AI-driven analytics to track performance and impact, providing actionable insights for informed decision-making.
Celebrate success: Recognize and reward achievements to maintain motivation and reinforce a positive improvement culture.
Plan your next step: Use AI insights to plan future enhancements, staying ahead of market trends and customer expectations.
And don’t forget, the point of Continuous Improvement is to repeat these steps, evolving with each “Small Step.”
Bringing It All Together
As outlined in Customer Engagement Success – Part 1, Executive Engagement, Business Fit, and User Adoption are the three foundational elements of a successful customer engagement implementation.
In this article, we explored how turning the “Wheel of Change” through small, iterative steps, clearly defined value and benefit, and a commitment to continuous improvement helps those elements work together in practice.
Customer engagement initiatives are most successful when they evolve alongside the business instead of being treated as one-time projects. By delivering value incrementally, listening to users, and refining the system over time, organizations can reduce risk, improve adoption, and create lasting impact.
If you’d like to see how these concepts come together in real-world scenarios, you may find the Unlocking Sales with AI webinar helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is customer engagement success?
Customer engagement success means delivering a system and experience that aligns with how your business operates, how leaders make decisions, and how users actually work day to day. Successful customer engagement initiatives balance technology, process, and people so that the system supports real interactions instead of creating friction.
Why are small steps important in CRM projects?
Small steps reduce risk by allowing teams to deliver value incrementally instead of waiting for a large, all-at-once deployment. Shorter iterations make it easier to adapt to changing business needs, maintain momentum, and gather real user feedback before problems become expensive to fix.
How do value and benefit differ in customer engagement initiatives?
Value is typically measurable and often financial, such as increased revenue or reduced operational costs. Benefit focuses on people and experience, including improved usability, faster access to information, and reduced frustration. Successful customer engagement projects account for both, recognizing that benefits often drive long-term value.
What role does continuous improvement play in CRM success?
Continuous improvement ensures that customer engagement systems evolve alongside the business. Rather than treating CRM as a one-time implementation, organizations that embrace ongoing refinement are better positioned to respond to user needs, changing markets, and new technologies while sustaining long-term adoption and impact.
About the Author
Ryan Redmond is the founder of Optrua and has spent over two decades helping organizations improve customer engagement and CRM systems. His work focuses on aligning technology with real business processes so teams can work more effectively without unnecessary complexity.
Ryan works closely with sales, service, and operations leaders to design CRM solutions that support how people actually work, not how systems are supposed to work on paper.
Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn.
