Expert weighs in on needed CX tools

With so much of marketers' and retailers' efforts moving online with shoppers, many businesses are struggling to keep up with what their customer base wants. We asked a digital expert how brands can improve their CX programs to better engage.

by Kristina Knight

First, be intentional about how you communicate

"The business world has been turned upside-down as many leaders rushed to convert operations remotely and faced drastic revenue upheaval. Customers and prospects are nearing peak email and soliciting fatigue. Customer experience professionals will need to focus on value-based communications. Ask yourself "If I'm taking time out of a customer's day, what am I adding back into it?" Condense your communications into digestible parts and focus on what is most useful to the customer in their immediate future. Better yet, call your customers if you have an established, consistent relationship. If you don't adapt, don't expect a reply. It's absolutely essential for your marketing, customer experience and sales professionals to be in alignment regarding the account's needs and status," said All Tiscornia, Chief Customer Officer, Sendoso.

Those intentions should focus on the content of messaging campaigns, but so in how a business is measuring overall campaign success. Things like customer sentiment, how a consumer in interacting with a brand, what is prompting a transaction can be invaluable in helping brands measure overall campaign effectiveness.

Next, be meaningful about brands' connection with the shopper

"Transactional relationships might've flown in the past, but meaningful connections with customers will play a large role in the new normal. In-person conversations, such as sales meetings and conference events, will occur less frequently as more companies embrace permanent remote working options. With limited opportunities to put a face to a name, each interaction with a customer needs to differentiate your brand. Show appreciation for customers through personalized touchpoints, whether it be via a direct mail item or an eGift. Find creative ways to celebrate your client wins - highlighting case studies is a great way to help them gain positive publicity in front of a new audience, all while highlighting how they use your product or service," said Tiscornia.

Along with being meaningful about how you're connecting, Tiscornia says brands must also be intentional about how - and where - they are spending ad dollars. Which leads us to tip three:

Be intentional about ad spend

"In a downturn economy, every part of your organization's spending must be justified. This way of evaluating customer experience may be a struggle for CX professionals to adjust to. In a healthy economy, ROI isn't the primary focus; rather the C-suites' goal may prioritize revenue generation or efficiency. But with the right talent, tools and metrics, CX professionals will have the best chance at proving their department's value to the organization's health and future growth," said Tiscornia.

Tags: advertising, advertising trends, CX tips, CX trends, ecommerce, Sendoso