Although the public-health aspect of the COVID-19 crisis is slowly receding in the United States, many other facets of our lives and livelihoods have a ways to go before they reach pre-pandemic normalcy. Putting ourselves in our customers’ shoes, the list of personal and business disruptions of the past year includes — but is certainly not limited to –
- A likely loss of family and friends to a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic
- A complete overhaul in the way they do their job
- Radical changes in the way those who are parents manage their kids’ education
- New perspective on the importance of personal safety, risk assessment, and how to protect themselves in public
- Permanent closing of businesses that they’ve relied on or enjoyed in the past
- An economic climate in which prices are up, product availability is down, and service (customer experience or CX) in many fields has unquestionably suffered as companies struggle to adapt to seismic change
Against this backdrop, I believe B2B marketers need to step up to deliver the best CX we possibly can. In doing so, we’ll help customers, stand out vs. the competition and, hopefully, win loyal new customers.
As a discussion starter, I want to share 10 of the many touchpoints where I think B2B marketers should focus to deliver the best possible CX:
KEEP EMAILS WITH MARKETING OFFERS CLEAR AND DIRECT
Marketing offers are your first outreach to customers and prospects, so put your best foot forward. Deliver a clear message, crisp CTA, and simple next steps. Plus an easy opt-out in the event your message is not to the recipient’s liking.
MAINTAIN CONTINUITY IN EMAILS THAT ARE PART OF ONGOING CAMPAIGNS
Be upfront on what action, if any, is required or requested. Keep it succinct. Tie the current message to others so there’s continuity and the recipient doesn’t need to go looking for previous messages.
LIMIT FOLLOWUP/CONFIRMATION EMAILS TO THE MAIN POINT
Give them what you promised (such as downloadable content), make the next action on their part as straightforward as possible, and don’t get pushy with additional offers or calls to action.
KEEP WEB OFFERS (LIGHTBOXES, RETARGETING) EASY TO ACCEPT OR DISMISS
Make your offers as unobtrusive as possible. Make it easy for site visitors to back out, close, or otherwise exit if that’s their preference. Don’t make the process ponderous or difficult in a bid to keep them at your site. When retargeting, keep in mind some prospects resent the feeling that Big Brother is watching.
MAKE CHATBOTS USEFUL AND HELPFUL
Since chatbot apps have become so prevalent, it’s important we all recognize that the potential creep factor is high for customers and engage them respectfully. Don’t follow them all over your website. If they ask a question, give them a useful answer in a timely way. Remember, not every interaction warrants a followup survey.
Customer loyalty starts with a high quality customer experience, which is why 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. I hope you can make use of these five of the timely ways you can up the quality of your customer experience. I recommend looking out for another post later this week, which will have five more timely CX tactics.
