MAIN INSIGHT 29
Dean Smith
CHIEF SALES & MARKETING OFFICER
What does being customer centric mean in a post-pandemic world?
For a long time, businesses have prided themselves on being customer-centric, but that couldn't be further from the truth. There is only one thing a business needs to do to be customer-centric: simply listen. By listening on a deeper level, not only do differing needs between different types of customers become more apparent, but businesses can also start to identify micro-differences between customers within the same industries. Two similar prospects may have near-identical business objectives, but their purchasing priorities are far more subjective. For one, a sustainable solution could take priority over absolute ROI, and for another, the decision-making process could be heavily influenced by the management hierarchy around the prospect. Particularly as the post-pandemic sales cycle continues to be a predominantly digital experience, customer centricity is more important than ever. A crucial part of becoming customer-centric is learning to understand how much each prospect wants to be engaged digitally and how much face-to-face interaction they require. In complex sales cycles, particularly service-led ones, face-to-face meetings are still the best way for a buyer to establish whether a vendor is a good fit for them culturally and if they can really deliver what they need. Another challenge within the post-pandemic, digital-led world is that we are all bombarded with content daily, personally and professionally, so standing out is more challenging than ever. When you demonstrate to a prospect that you have listened to them and understand them deeply by serving relevant and meaningful content in a timely manner, your chances of winning their business improve significantly.
What is the first thing a business should do when trying to align sales and marketing in the digital world?
Adopt or build a robust CRM system that not only allows you to track data from every stage of the buying journey but that also gives you insights to drive continuous improvement across both sales and marketing. A well-structured CRM becomes an essential growth tool for both new and existing customers. Whenever a new prospect engages with your business, be it by opening a cold email, reading a LinkedIn message, or downloading content from your website, that needs to be recorded in the CRM. Over time, you'll begin to see how different types of prospects move through the sales cycle and develop tactical playbooks to help move them along the cycle. As the insight improves in granularity, the playbooks can become more targeted and personalised. Personalisation is key as this will allow you to build 'human' connections within an increasingly digital sales journey. A well-managed CRM becomes the brain of your business and empowers you to spend your budget intelligently, but more importantly, it also allows you to focus your energy intelligently. Remember - if you can't track it, you can't gain insight from it.
Adopt or build a robust CRM system that not only allows you to track data from every stage of the buying journey but that also gives you insights to drive continuous improvement across both sales and marketing.
A human connection isn't just about physically meeting someone. It's also about talking in a way that resonates with your prospects and creates an emotional reaction.
How important are human connections when marketing and selling in a digital world?
Even in a world of rapid change, people still buy from people. Particularly during lengthy or complex sales processes, contracts are more often than not rewarded after some form of human-to-human interaction. Case studies and references do an excellent job of building authenticity and credibility, but seeing the whites of a person's eyes and spending time with them creates the trust needed to convert from prospect to customer. But a human connection isn't just about physically meeting someone. It's also about talking in a way that resonates with your prospects and creates an emotional reaction. This is where a robust CRM can add further value. You will learn what language and positioning engage them most as you see how different seniority levels, backgrounds, and industries react to your content and sales approach. Perhaps an email was getting lots of opens but no response or click - that's not a negative result; it's an opportunity to learn and strengthen that human connection. If your sales team can contact the recipient and have an honest conversation about the content, you will learn more about how to improve your content for all prospects, build a deeper connection with that individual, and understand their circumstances. It could be that they will be looking for your services or products later in the year and that now is not quite the right time to talk, but when it is the right time, you will have a distinct advantage over a competitor who is starting from cold. Over time, building these human connections will pay increasing dividends. If an individual enjoys the experience of working with your company and knows that you can deliver what they need, should they move to a new business with similar needs in the future, you can bet that they will give you a call before anybody else.
The Delta Group empowers global brands to connect to consumers through a range of end-to-end services from Creative strategy, Design, Point of sale, Digital, Outdoor, Events and Compliance.
