My favorite business book ever written is The Experience Economy by Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore, I’ve written and talked about this business classic many times.

I recently sat down with Pine to talk about his new book, The Transformation Economy, for an episode of Amazing Business Radio. The interview was so good, I wrote about it in my weekly Forbes article, and the response to the article was so good that I wanted to summarize the core idea and share it with you in my newsletter and weekly video. 

First and foremost, you must understand the concept of transformation. The Oxford dictionary defines transformation as a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance.

A house is remodeled. An old, beat-up car is restored to pristine condition. A person begins to work out and loses 50 pounds, going from overweight to fit.

These are examples of transformation, and Pine eloquently shows in his book how any business, regardless of what it sells, can add transformation to the customer experience. The concept is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let’s take the example of the person working out and losing 50 pounds.

If I were in the treadmill business, I might focus my sales and marketing efforts on the treadmill’s features, such as speed, various programs, and more. But those are just details, and while they may be important, what’s really important is to sell the end result, which, in this example, is losing weight.

This is where Pine’s wisdom comes in. He says, “The transformation economy is about how companies can help customers change. It is about how your business can help them achieve their aspirations.” The treadmill company sells more than just equipment. It is selling transformation, helping customers become healthier and more confident versions of themselves.

Consider Disney theme parks. They don’t just sell an admission ticket to a ride or attraction. They sell magical experiences that transform ordinary days into extraordinary memories that families will enjoy and treasure for the rest of their lives.

As many of you know, I’m hired to be a keynote speaker at company and industry conferences. Clients often hire me as the opening speaker for their event. They expect me to deliver a speech that wakes the audience up, sets the tone for the conference, and gets people excited about what’s to come.

Clients will sometimes tell me something like, “I want my audience motivated, and their minds shifted and ready to learn.” Yes, they want me to share my expertise and insights into customer experience, but if all they wanted was the information, they could buy the book and read it to the audience. But they want the audience to be moved. That’s a transformation.

So, here’s your assignment: Start by understanding your customers’ aspirations. What do they really want to accomplish? What change are they hoping for? Then position your product or service as the bridge from where they are now to where they want to be. When you move from customer experience to customer transformation, you’re creating value that builds loyalty and gets customers to say, “I’ll be back!”

This article answers the question:

What Happens When Customer Experience Becomes Customer Transformation?

One-sentence answer: Customer experience becomes customer transformation when a business stops merely delivering a service and instead helps customers achieve a meaningful, lasting change in their lives.

Other questions:

What’s the Difference Between Experience and Transformation?

One-sentence answer: An experience creates a memorable moment, but a transformation creates measurable, lasting change.

How Do You Move from Customer Experience to Customer Transformation?

One-sentence answer: You move from experience to transformation by identifying your customers’ aspirations and positioning your offering as the bridge to achieving them. If the change isn’t measurable, it’s just an experience.

How Does Transformation Build Loyalty?

One-sentence answer: Customers are loyal to companies that help them become who they want to be.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.