Customers are the core of every business, and with digital technology you have a chance to interact with them more than ever before. However, customers also expect more. A lot more.
Create a bad experience, and you’re more likely to lose that customer. Create a connected, positive experience and get more business. Three out of four consumers say they spent more money with a company because of a positive customer experience (source Salesforce).
So how do you create better customer experiences that encourages new business and loyalty? Here are five suggestions to get you started.
1. Use a CRM.
Customer Relationship Management platforms are not new. In fact, the biggest name in CRMs is turning 20 years old in 2019. Salesforce has led the way in sales automation but has grown to offer a dozen different solutions, all designed to provide better customer connections. By using a CRM, you can get a better view of your customer with relevant data and then organize that data to enhance customer service. Check out our previous post about the benefits of Salesforce here.
2. Integrate.
A CRM is a great first step, but once you get started it can quickly get overwhelming. Sales automation is just one of the dozen or more platforms and systems you use daily, and there is unique data in all of these different systems, from SAP to Oracle. In order to make better use of that data (and not pull your hair out managing multiple systems) your IT team needs to effectively integrate all of these platforms. Only then can you deliver a seamless view of your customers to your business. Your success depends on IT integration.
3. Use Data Better.
According to its 2018 State of Marketing report, Salesforce found only 47% of marketers say they have a completely unified view of customer data. Data is only helpful if it’s good data and if you’re using it – both efficiently and appropriately. First of all, teams need to be unified so all data is imputed uniformly across customer touchpoints: managing marketing, sales, finance, and customer support. Then it needs to be easily accessible and understandable to your teams so they can act on the data and make better business decisions. This is a lot more than data science, as Gartner points out as its top tech trend of 2019.
4. Personalize.
Customers are learning more and more that brands have their personal data. Many are willing to share that information, but for something in return: Personalization. Here’s how Salesforce sums this up: ‘behind every Tweet, every ride-share request, and every other interaction, there is a customer who expects a personalized, unified experience, regardless of which department they engage. And they expect the same level of service from an organization who employs 50 locally or 50,000 people across the globe.’ Brands must use their data to get a 360-degree view of their customer and then create customized experiences that build a connection between brand and consumer.
5. Go Beyond the CRM.
Let’s be honest, CRMs can be hard. Salesforce management takes skills, training, and can be expensive. There’s a new update or innovation every few months that needs to be learned and implemented, and it can feel like steering the Titanic when you need to scale up and execute a global strategy. That’s where we suggest finding a partner. Technical partners allow you to keep your eye on the results while they handle the details of implementation, delivery, and governance. Partners can also create custom applications with you and discover where you can optimize your vision for a clearer 360-degree view of your customers.
Looking for help? Stefanini TotalCare for Salesforce provides the expertise to integrate all of the many Salesforce capabilities and customer data across marketing, sales, and service to allow companies to truly deliver a connected customer experience. Customized to your specific needs across the Salesforce lifecycle from helpdesk, administrative support, custom development, integration, and strategic advisory services, TotalCare allows you to maximize your ROI by leveraging cost-effective yet highly-skilled resources when you need them most.
