Digital transformation has been an overarching goal for many businesses over the past few years. Out of necessity, these initiatives took on a new sense of urgency throughout last year, when businesses were forced to transition from brick-and-mortar to virtual environments.
During this time, innovative organizations realized customer service tools such as co-browse, screen share and video could provide online engagement for their sales force or advisors who typically would complete high-touch transactions in person. This digital shift, often referred to as Guided CX, is a way to earn the trust of customers and prospects as well as drive meaningful business outcomes.
Driving Outcomes In the Digital World
Salesforce found that 74% of consumers are likely to switch brands if the sales process becomes too cumbersome. In the age of online consultations that require white-glove service, this means a consumer does not want to wait to download unfamiliar software or leave a site to travel to a new tab.
Integrating digital engagement tools with live advisor interaction creates a true Guided CX solution that empowers businesses to increase revenue, extend brand value, and maintain customer loyalty. Sales consultants can use any combination of screen share, cobrowse, or video to enter the session and help guide the prospect to the right solution, while answering questions in real-time, and most importantly, build rapport that leads directly to a sale.
Guided CX solutions are perfect for helping customers choose the best product or service for their particular needs, while also instilling a sense of comfort and confidence right through the interaction, This, in turn, translates into more opportunities to upsell and cross-sell, which for many companies, becomes the Holy Grail.
For example, a digital media company that uses Guided CX tools can help its sales team significantly increase close rates with corporate clients and reduce the time needed to write deals. Its reps can efficiently launch cobrowse and video capabilities at strategic times during their sales presentations to show exactly how ads will look online, and offer placement, promotion, and content suggestions. By engaging with the enterprise customer in the digital session, the sales team positions itself as a trusted advisor, which of course, should lead to more deals going forward.
Simplicity Is Key
Guided CX solutions should be easy to launch and should work identically across all devices, operating, and network infrastructures. Keeping all customer conversations within the digital property is also critical. Nothing can derail a sales conversation easier than requesting a customer leave an online session and move to a third-party collaboration tool to continue the discussion. Maybe the prospect doesn’t have that particular collaboration software, and needs to download it. Perhaps they’re unfamiliar with the features. Or, perhaps they’re just frustrated that they must abandon a conversation they’ve invested time in, and most likely repeat the process all over again. This is the point where abandon rates go through the roof, and sales activity hits a wall.
Launching a Guided CX solution right in the digital brand leaves nothing to chance. Consultants and advisors can meet within the digital session, and all concerns and questions are immediately addressed. In-brand Guided CX solutions deliver the intimacy and confidence and security that allows businesses to optimize every sales opportunity.
One wealth management firm found this out firsthand. Initially, it used a popular video collaboration service to schedule calls with customers that visited its website. While customers were strong prospects when visiting the site, the sales process was essentially re-set to zero at the start of every video call. Advisors had to start each conversation asking for basic information, and customers, many of whom invested significant time conducting research online, quickly became frustrated by the lack of pace and inefficiency. There were also numerous sales opportunities that were abandoned because customers had no interest in participating in a scheduled call. When the immediacy and urgency of the opportunity subsided, investors either moved on to another firm or gave up altogether.
The investment firm realized it needed to engage with these prospects when it mattered—within the digital session—and then adopted a Guided CX solution that enabled the sales advisor to enter a session with a single-click. This substantially streamlined the sales process by allowing the advisor to answer questions, provide assistance, build rapport, and close the deal. As a result of its decision to implement Guided CX capabilities, the firm saw its sales figures and customer satisfaction scores rise significantly within a few months.
A solution that is simple for all stakeholders to use – sales teams as well as clients – can pay dividends in a very short time.
Guided CX Drives Growth
Businesses have long appreciated the efficiency of automated digital tools. There’s also the reality that these technologies have limitations, and when questions become more intensive and time-sensitive, there is no better tool than integrating Guided CX, featuring live human support, into a digital session to convert an opportunity into a sale.
Any organization with the capacity to engage with prospects through digital properties can easily reap the benefits afforded by Guided CX. The technology enables companies to close more deals faster and less expensively, and create long-lasting bonds that translate into upselling, cross-selling and repeat business.
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