21-02-2020 | By: Geertjan Vorstenbosch
Connected Experiences: win by cleverly connecting! Here’s how
Expectations of consumers and customers towards organisations are increasing all the time. Companies that excel set the bar higher every day. Only organisations that know how to connect, and at least match expectations can keep up with the pace. Approximately 92% of all organizations say they want to transform this year, over 80% expect that otherwise they will lose customers and business.
What do we understand by ‘Connected Experiences’?
Connected experiences is above all about experiences that positively affect people. Positive experiences that consumers or customers remember. Such experiences lead to more trust, greater loyalty and ultimately more business. Well-designed organisations continuously live up to this and implement it consistently.
How do they do that?
First of all, it is good to understand what positively touches people. Among other things the following:
- A personal approach or way of communicating. Both during the offline and online customer journey. If the contact closely connects to the customer’s search, the customer will quickly feel heard and understood and will be inclined to continue.
- A short, smooth processing in which minimal customer effort is required. The greatest annoyances arise when a consumer or customer has to take many steps to get information or make a purchase, for example.
Responding to any previous experience, order or personal characteristic of the customer. After all, as a customer you want to be heard and remembered. - And finally you want to predict and use the next step in the customer journey. In this way you as a customer will be positively surprised. The latter is only possible when the customer journey is understood through and through.
Of course, all this has to take place across different channels. Are you as an organization able to connect with the customer or consumer in this way, then we speak of ‘connected experiences’ or maximum connection.
Connecting is a continuous process across all channels
If you want to make a strong connection with your customer, you need to have a clear view of all stages of the customer journey. The questions that play a role in each phase are mapped out and where possible already answered.
This also means that all possible communication channels ‘touch points’ are known and well attuned to each other. Both physically (offline) and online, as well as through third parties, such as retailers and distributors.
Nowadays, an average customer journey as soon has three touchpoints. And by now, almost 50% of customer journeys already have four or more touch points. This multichannel approach and recognizing and responding to the same customer is the challenge. The right (software) systems and technology can help. But it is mainly the internal organization and the well tuned processes that are crucial here. They ensure that the teams work closely together and that the customer (journey) really takes centre stage. More about this below.
81% of all consumers still experience a disconnection (Salesforce worldwide survey 2019).
A unique experience starts with yourself, with an internal connection.
In order to offer customers a unique experience, you first need to be clear about what you stand for as an organisation: what is your vision, your promise, your story? What distinguishes you from others and why should a customer choose for you? This story should excite and arouse curiosity. Subsequently, your service, product or offer should immediately make clear what it brings to your customer. Translate your story into a good communication plan and extend this throughout the online and offline customer journey. As soon as all the touchpoints are connected, a powerful and consistent journey is created to which you keep your customer connected.
In addition, everyone in the organization needs to know and breathe this story. Every day again. Especially the departments that are close to the customer such as marketing, sales, customer service, etc. They are as close as possible to the customer journey. A good starting point is to actually go through this journey with the teams from a customer perspective. Constantly ask the simple question: How do you want to be helped or what can you do to make the customer journey even more fun or easier?
Stay connected and avoid Drop Off
Sketching your customer journey is an important starting point. Because if you don’t yet have a picture of how customers come to you, the journey will soon end. Which steps does your customer go through in his or her search? Which questions do they raise? The more questions you are able to answer, the smoother this journey will go. In this way the connection will be maintained and you will build up to a maximum ‘connected experience’.
During this journey there will always be moments when consumers and customers may drop out. And that is where you, as an organization, suffer an immediate loss. We call these Drop-Off moments. A reason for Drop-Off can be, for example, when your product or service raises too many questions or ambiguities with your consumer. As soon as you have insight in the Drop-Off moments of your customer you can start reducing this loss. And if you know how to reduce multiple Drop off moments by a few percent – you will soon realize a substantial profit at the end of the journey. Literally and figuratively.
Know your customer or consumer. Together with your team(s), look for the ideal customer journey. Go through this journey and see how you can continuously improve it. Step by step you will create a better connected experience that will let you win tomorrow!
A good example of Connected Experiences brings the Dutch Suitsupply. A (positive) customer journey has a strong focus, the physical stores as well as the online environment are closely connected. Every possible next step in the total customer journey is fully anticipated.
Want to know more?
TheNewTomorrow helps organisations to create better connections. We are not consultants or an agency, but a group of business guides. Together with our clients, the internal experts and our external specialists, we form the right teams and guide them in delivering Connected Experiences that lead to better business.
Using the following sources:
Salesforce
Quandago
Mulesoft