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CXPA Board Chair Bob Azman, CCXP, recently appeared on The CX Leader Podcast with Steve Walker to talk about considerations for delivering better customer experiences around the world.

While acknowledging the importance of implementing consistent brand elements when operating globally, Azman notes that local culture must also be considered. “There needs to be, in my view, sensitivity towards what’s happening locally. What’s the local culture? And how does your brand interact with that culture? And how does the customer experience translate?”

Global brands that create experiences viewed solely through the eyes of the U.S. customer, Azman explains, do so at their own risk.

“[Leaders] need to understand the risks as well as the benefits of globalizing [their] organization’s products and services. Saying ‘whatever I do in the U.S., I’m going to do it in France, or India, or Japan…’ It doesn’t always work,” Azman explains. “If you’ve got a global brand, and you’re only listening to the Voice of the Customer that’s based in the U.S., I’m not sure you’ll have much success in rolling out that product or service globally. You’ve got to listen to all the voices.”

As Board Chair of CXPA—which has made international engagement a key piece of its growth strategy—Azman knows that the voices of global members must be heard. “We, too, are facing the exact same thing we’re talking about: how do we be sensitive to the local areas worldwide, and not cast a U.S. blanket on that and say, ‘well, this is what worked in the U.S. and it will work everywhere.’ It’s a credit to our international members that they’re guiding us on how we can expand more effectively.”

Going global is not an easy task—either for U.S brands expanding to other parts of the world or for international brands entering the U.S.—and Azman says that leaning on the community of CX professionals to avoid missteps is key. “Tap into the global expertise that we have in the CX profession. There are so many great professionals worldwide who have done this who you can link in with. You can go to CXPA and become a member and associate with great companies like Walker that have globalized. Tap into that collective expertise and learn from it.”

To hear more of Bob’s interview with Walker, visit the CX Leader Podcast.