CLIENT STORIES: ZENDESK
Nicole Saunders: A Strategic Bet on the Zendesk Community
Zendesk hired Nicole Saunders to bring disparate product communities into one powerful, unified experience. The taste of success with the initial unification project led to a bigger strategic bet and a thriving Zendesk Community program that spans discussion forums, user groups, brand advocacy, and community events. The executive team wanted the Zendesk Community to be best-in-class among B2B technology communities, so Nicole engaged Erica Kuhl Consulting as a strategic advisor to help define and rationalize strategy based on her deep industry experience.
Nicole & Erica
“We were trying to evolve our community from basic support to a fully-blown best-in-class community, and the best way to do that was with Erica’s deep expertise.”
the work
Through a series of engagements and ongoing advisory services, Erica Kuhl Consulting has helped the Zendesk team with everything from defining community strategy and priorities, to launching a user groups program, and ongoing internal alignment.
Through it all and even now, three years into their relationship, Erica is a right-hand to help Nicole validate and rationalize innovative ideas. She’s the advocate who helps Nicole see blind spots before they become bumps. She pushes back with thoughtful questions and challenges when necessary, and helps the team think fully through whatever they’re trying to do.
With Erica’s help, Nicole and team have been able to:
BUILD A CLEAR STRATEGY
Evolve from a support-focused discussion forum to a full ecosystem of programs and content focused on customer engagement.
01
CREATE A ROADMAP
Identify and prioritize where to focus for immediate impact, and where to lay the groundwork for the future.
02
UNDERSTAND ROI
Get smart about how to calculate, measure, report on, and demonstrate the value of our programs and initiatives.
03
ARTICULATE STRATEGY
Communicate strategy to leadership and get cross-company alignment on plans.
04
EDUCATE & ENGAGE
Educate and engage teammates throughout the company with helpful resources and templates, and unique perspectives backed by years of experience.
05
Launch a user group program
Build from the ground up based on industry best practices, customized recommendations, and roadmap creation.
06
“As the most senior community leader at my company, I can’t go to my boss for community experience and expertise when I get stuck. That’s why Erica’s perspective is invaluable to me and the team.”
IN nICOLE'S words: working with Erica
“Insightful. She always has good ideas, good information, and different perspectives. We have such a good connection. I’ve grown to genuinely consider her a friend through all of the work that we've been able to do together. It is fun, and there's deep value to what you're able to do when you're working with her.”
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