Whatever your business, it's probably true that competition for customers is becoming more intense. As customers have more and more options, business executives that want to drive success have to do many things to stay competitive. But there is one thing that has a greater impact than any other: Becoming customer-obsessed.

CIOs, IT leaders, and other execs need to connect with customers, both internal and external, in order to learn their preferences. The Wall Street Journal's Irving Wladawsky-Berger sums this up in a single sentence: "The customer experience, that is, making each of its clients feel special, is increasingly the key factor for a business to stand out from its competitors."