SalesForce recently released the 6th edition of their State of the Connected Customer survey. Of all of the insights that they explored, the part that stood out to me the most - especially with small to medium sized businesses in mind - was about how customers expect businesses use their personal data and the opportunities that personalization opens up for your business.
What this data is telling me is that customers (both business and consumer) want an engaging and personalized experience with your company, but that most companies are not doing this yet. What is personalization When you think of a "personalized experience", think of it as more than adding "first name" to an email, but rather creating relevant messages that interact with that person along their journey. For example, if you see that people who buy product A also like to buy product B, then you can create an email for people who have product A (but not product B) to promote the benefits of product B and how it works well with product A. Or, your in-store team can use those same talking points to encourage in-store shoppers to add product B. The same can be said for service-based businesses. These personalized recommendations not only improve sales, but helps to build trust and retain your customers. How to identify opportunities One of the best ways to identify opportunities for personalization is to map out the customer journey for your ideal customers and where you can improve each step. When you focus on the journey of your ideal customers, you will build a personalized experience that will not only build loyalty with your current customers but attract others like them. Now, the process to map out your customer journey will take time and energy from you and your team, but the results will ultimately help improve business outcomes. And, you don't have to do this alone. We have years of experience mapping out the customer journey for companies of all sizes. We can help you and your team through the mapping process, identify opportunities, and implement those changes.
Get started by contacting Kellie Crawford, owner of Violet Clover Consulting, kellie@violetcloverconsulting.com or 515-490-3509.