Have you ever wondered why some card players seem to win a disproportionate amount of the games they play? They have the very same odds of winning as anyone else at the table, yet somehow they almost always seem to win. Is it because they understand the game better? Or is it because they know the other players; because they are more observant; because they know the odds better; because they are smarter; because they put on a more convincing performance; or because they are just lucky? What is it that gives them their edge?
While in card games you're stuck with the cards you're dealt, that's not at all the case in business. You can largely stack the deck in your favor if you have a firm understanding of how the game is played. In today's highly competitive marketplace, and with increasingly demanding and fickle customers, the game can end quickly. It's critical to create winning strategies, execute well, take chances, learn from mistakes, and try again. As important as those undertakings are, they're no longer enough to secure the success of a company.
The businesses that will thrive in the next decade are those that most consistently play the Amazing Customer Experience (ACE) card. A trump card is a playing card that prevails over all others. In the experience economy, an Amazing Customer Experience is the trump card that will be required to propel a company to success. Until you have found a way to create an ACE, you're going to continue to chase your customers instead of having customers chase you.