How do we as sales organizations build trust, add value, and give customers the information they need? There’s a great opportunity to build customer relationships with CRM.
Let’s face it. Customers are a cynical lot.
The current challenge in the customer relationship sphere is to become – and stay – profitable through building authentic, personalized, and effective customer experiences. In other words, where is the love? And how do we as marketers and sales professionals, get a piece of it?
The Answer: We must earn it. We want people to buy our products, enjoy using them, and come back for more.
Finding love in a hopeless place: Knowledge is power
To deliver outstanding experiences, we need to know our customer – intimately. This means using data and insights to build customer profiles with panache, permission, and adding value in mind.
An effective CRM will provide a single platform for a personalized customer experience. There will be the flexibility to evaluate, test, and deliver innovations to drive sales. At the same time, it should be adaptable enough to meet the needs of B2B, B2C, or B2B2C market models.
Integrated components should ensure a holistic and responsive experience with a variety of functions for customers and sales professionals. This includes an effective customer and sales cloud with streamlined digital billing capabilities.
Great expectations – building trust via CRM
Developing trust is the foundation of all relationships, and this is especially true for brand relationships.
Key issues are how organizations protect data, and how transparent they are about sharing data with partners. Not being open about these two aspects will lead to potential dissatisfaction.
Additionally, it is important to understand how customers wish to be contacted, and what information they are willing to volunteer. It’s a game of give and take; a value exchange. Whether it’s by email, shopping history, or through mobile, adapt your approach accordingly.
Ask yourself each time – is this interaction necessary to build the brand, sustain the relationship, and grow a prospects profitability, with the long-term view in mind.
Improve customer relationships with CRM
Every customer interaction is an opportunity to strengthen or weaken the brand.
Marketers must communicate consistently with customers, never letting engagement become mundane. They must provide a personalized customer experience, across the entire product line.
Finally, thinking out of the box, and offering incentives (surprises and rewards) will all contribute to a delightful interaction.
