The Customer is the Hero with Tom Augenthaler Joe Lynch and Tom Augenthaler discuss why the customer is the hero. As the founder of an influencer marketing company, Tom helps companies tell stories that make the customer the hero. Having customers and influencers talk positively about your company is one of the best ways to attract and win new business. About Tom Augenthaler Tom Augenthaler is the Founder and CEO of The Influence Marketer. On the website, Tom shares his ideas and knowledge of influencer marketing with others looking to learn about this powerful strategy. Tom is a pioneer in the space and has been working with influencers since 2007 while with Hewlett Packard, and as a consultant helping corporate clients since 2009.  He is an international speaker, corporate trainer, and recognized as one of the Top 50 experts in the field by Talking Influence. Tom writes for several media outlets including Social Media Examiner and Social Media Today. Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Gettysburg College and a Master of Liberal Arts in English and American Lit from Harvard University. About 551 Media and The Influence Marketer The Influence Marketer is the best place to learn about B2B influencer marketing. Tom Augenthaler has been helping top brands utilize B2B influencer marketing since 2007, he is a true pioneer in the space. The Influencer Marketer provides lots of free content on influencer marketing and is the place to go for any company looking to start or improve their use of influencer marketing. Tom offers full team training on the many different aspects of the process, one on one mentoring, or strategy calls. He consults digitally and in-person to help B2B businesses build a marketing strategy that is right for them. Key Takeaways: The Customer is the Hero When a company or salesperson talks too much about themselves or their company, they are not treating the customer as the hero. In business, the most compelling story is a customer (or sometimes an influencer) talking about their positive experience with a product or service. Successful marketers are using the success stories of their customers to attract and win new customers. The heroic customer journey can be viewed as a transformation from their previous state (stuck, unsuccessful, unhappy) to their new desired state. In the journey, the customer is positioned as the hero and the brand is the guide helping the customer overcome their challenges and accomplishing their goals. Sales and marketing people need to better understand the problems and challenges faced by their prospective customers. Customers and prospects are busy, and they do not always share their reasons for buying. As marketers, we must dig deeper, beyond the superficial to get a true understanding of the customer's challenges and motivations for buying. In the podcast interview, Tom said the company, Coupa does a great job positioning its customers as heroes. On their website and at their conferences they let their successful customers share their stories of successful transformation. Learn More Tom Augenthaler Linkedin The Influence Marketer Tom Augenthaler Twitter A Better Way to Reach Your Target Market with Tom Augenthaler The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast