It’s time to bring your engagement into the digital realm.
Gavin Finn, the CEO of Kaon Interactive, a top B2B sales and marketing engagement platform, believes that the main obstacle for European B2B companies is adjusting to the growing need for digital customer engagement. He states that European companies face a unique challenge in changing their traditionally cautious approach to keeping up with the pace of change. The transition from traditional face-to-face interactions to digital platforms is a permanent change that will greatly influence your B2B sales tactics in the coming years.
In addition, Finn stresses the significance of adjusting to modern methods of engaging with clients. Your company should reconsider its traditional strategy of placing importance on physical proximity and shared culture. Instead, you must capitalize on opportunities for global expansion. This strategy will assist in retaining your presence in current markets and also pave the way for future development.
However, you will also need to address the difficulties of adhering to the guidelines of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Although the GDPR has been in effect for some time, you may face new challenges in meeting compliance requirements as you revamp your engagement strategy. According to The Digital Marketing Institute, “Under GDPR regulations, companies must clearly state how they gather personal information for marketing purposes.”
Self-service is the key ingredient for improving engagement.
Investing in customer self-care and hybrid engagement platforms should be a top priority for your company in order to effectively address the aforementioned challenges. According to the expert, these platforms allow customers to independently research and explore all aspects of the problem and potential solutions before the company even presents its products. This includes interactive visual experiences and digital collaboration tools that enable real-time sharing of workspaces and solution demonstrations.
The aim is to assist your clients in overcoming their business obstacles in any platform they prefer. This highlights the significance of providing your audiences with choices rather than imposing strict guidelines on how, when, and where they engage with your company. This approach will also ensure that all parties involved feel heard, as you can address various viewpoints, issues, and worries.
However, there is an important note to consider: You need to be cautious not to limit potential and existing clients to only using self-service platforms. Rather, present self-service portals as one of several methods for communicating with you.
Make sure to incorporate the self-serve portal into various channels and points of contact. It should be seamlessly integrated and not treated as an afterthought, but rather as an integral part of a customized journey. Providing a fully immersive self-serve experience will give your clients the ability to connect with you on their own terms.
Steering Clear of the Challenges of Digital Change
According to Finn, it is important to avoid the mistake of simply converting current processes into digital ones. He believes that the true essence of digital transformation is to completely transform processes and embrace a new way of working. Business leaders should be cautious of just replicating traditional methods in a digital form, as this can result in missed chances and cause dissatisfaction and disorientation among sales teams and customers.
He suggests implementing digital solutions using a platform-based structure, emphasizing the importance of maintaining consistency, modularity, and flexibility to handle ongoing changes. Choosing not to use a platform can result in a fragmented and unmanageable collection of applications that do not communicate or share data. On the other hand, utilizing a platform approach allows for a more comprehensive customer experience and provides valuable insights for your business.
When strategizing for a digital overhaul, prioritize the processes you intend to change. Once you have pinpointed these processes and their workflows, you can establish measurable objectives. Only after this step should you consider methods to bring about change and reach these goals by incorporating digital interactions, workflows, and processes. According to Harvard Business Review, it is crucial to understand that digital transformation is not a singular entity, but a multifaceted journey with unique objectives depending on your industry and level of digital advancement.
Simply put, the main focus of any digital transformation effort should be the transformation itself. Simply making changes or converting business processes without purpose will result in wasted resources and unsatisfactory outcomes, hindering progress towards long-term growth objectives.
Digital Transformation — A Long-Haul Approach to Business Management
As you begin your journey towards digital transformation, it may be tempting to prioritize quick wins and flashy technological upgrades. However, it’s important to also keep in mind the ultimate goal of revamping your marketing strategy to gain a lasting competitive edge. Instead of just digitizing old processes, focus on transforming for the benefit of your customers.
Putting the customer at the forefront of your actions will allow you to make smart investment decisions and drive your business towards success. Stay adaptable, open to new ideas, and steer clear of superficial digital fixes.
The content was not created by The Independent’s newsrooms or editorial staff.
Source: independent.co.uk
