I’m thrilled to announce that the Qualtrics XM Institute is launching the XM Professionals Online Forum (“XM Pros Online“). It’s an online community where XM professionals from around the world can connect with each other, learn from each other, and tap into the latest thinking from the XM Institute. Our goal is to help XM professionals successfully design and manage their XM programs.

I explain a bit more about XM Pros Online in this video.

 

Features of XM Pros Online

XM Pros Online is the place where XM professionals can come together to help each other drive successful XM programs. There are several ways to participate in the community:

  • General Discussions: XM Pros members are encouraged to start and participate in discussions with their peers on an ongoing basis. XM Institute faculty will also participate in general discussions, to offer additional expertise. They’ve already initiated discussions on a couple of hot topics: How do you adjust your CX program in an economic downturn? and How do you adjust your EX program in an economic downturn?
  • Topic of the Month: Every month we’ll introduce a topic to focus on. We’ll start with a brief presentation and continue with a facilitated discussion in the online forum throughout the course of the month.
  • Expert Q&A: For one week every month, we will offer an open Q&A session with an XM expert.  During this week, you can ask your questions in the discussion and the expert will provide a response.
  • Virtual Meet-Ups: We’re holding online networking sessions for XM professionals to get together and discuss different topics via Zoom. We’re planning on holding these monthly at times that work across different regions. Follow us on Twitter @XM_institute for details on upcoming meetups, or check out the schedule in the Upcoming Events section of XM Pros online.

I urge you to join the XM Pros Online and become an active member of the community.

 

JOIN XM PROS ONLINE!

 

Answers to Some Anticipated Questions

  • Is the XM Pros Online for me? Maybe. If you’re an XM professional who is leading an XM program (which includes a CX, EX, PX, or BX program), then this is a great community for you. If you’re looking for help on using or administering the Qualtrics platform or navigating Qualtrics’ services, then this is not the right community for you; a better option is to join the Qualtrics user community.
  • How can I join XM Pros? You start by using this link to a survey, which starts the process. I’ll apologize in advance that the process is not as streamlined or as automated as we would like it to be. You’ll need to have a Qualtrics user account (don’t worry, you can sign up for a free account). Please bear with us, we’re doing the best that we can for right now.
  • Why is XM Institute doing this? This is who we are. XM Institute’s mission is to create a thriving global community of XM professionals. We’re passionate about helping professionals succeed, and to connect them with and learn from each other.
  • Is this a global offering? Absolutely, but we’re only supporting English conversations. We want to connect XM professionals across the world and facilitate global learning and sharing. The discussions that happen asynchronously allow anyone in any time zone to participate. For our “live” events, we’re generally holding them at a couple of different times to support participants from around the world.
  • Can XM Professionals join if they’re not a client of Qualtrics? Yes. XM Pros Online is meant for any XM professional. To join XM Pros Online, however, you will need a Qualtrics user account. But don’t worry, you can sign up for a free account and join. As you may have guessed, employees of vendors who compete with Qualtrics are not welcome to join.
  • How is the XM Institute participating? XM Institute has a dedicated community management team that is focused on building and supporting XM Pros. Our XM Institute faculty (subject matter experts across Qualtrics) will be actively participating in the community to share our perspectives and to learn like everyone else in the community.
  • Is this for professionals who focus on CX, EX, BX, or PX? Yes, all of them. While some discussions may deal with specific customer experience, employee experience, brand experience, or product experience topics, others will be more general XM topics. Our goal is for XM professionals across these areas to share their learnings and best practices.
  • Will XM Pros have in-person networking opportunities? Stay tuned. The goal of XM Pros is to create a thriving global community of XM professionals with a combination of XM Pros online and local events. We won’t be immediately covering the globe with local chapters, but we plan to facilitate community activities in a number of cities across geographical regions.
  • Will anyone be selling things to me in this community? No. The XM Pros code of conduct does not allow for any sales activities within the community. The goal of the community is to share best practices across XM professionals, not to sell products or services.
  • How is XM Pros Online related to the Qualtrics Community? XM Pros Online is run on the same platform which holds the Qualtrics community, so members of XM Pros Online will also have access to other areas of the Qualtrics community. However, XM Pros Online is quite different from those other areas as it is focused on designing and leading XM programs, while other parts of the community are focused on using Qualtrics.
  • Will there be a lot of activity in the community? As with any network, it will start slow and gain volume over time. So it may be a little less dynamic in the beginning than what we expect to see in the future. But there’s also an upside to that…  early members will get more access to XM Institute faculty.

 

JOIN XM PROS ONLINE!