The best way to engage with your customers is by listening to them
Have you heard of Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation before? Often mistaken as a technique rather than what it really is – a management philosophy – it originally referred to the production of goods to meet customer demand in time, quality, and quantity.
Developed and perfected by Toyota in the early 1970s, the approach only has a chance of success if every individual within an organization is involved and committed. For JIT to be successful, systems and processes need to be arranged for maximum output and efficiency, while quality and production programs need to be scheduled to meet demands. We don’t know about you, but to us, this sounds like a great blueprint for success in any industry – omnichannel business messaging included.
Think of almost any business today – they work on the premise that design comes before demand. So, for example, create demand by designing attractive products and services. Flip that on its head, though, and you get a disruptive concept you may have never heard of before – Consumer to Manufacturer, also known as C2M.
Challenge the status quo
The concept that design should come before demand has rarely been challenged, but now it is starting to be challenged in the e-commerce landscape. eMarketer forecasts that retail e-commerce sales worldwide will increase by 18.1% this year, tipping the scales at nearly $5 trillion. Customers are increasingly looking for unique products that differentiate them from the crowd and personalization at the forefront. But there traditionally has been one substantial hurdle for this – price, an eye-watering high one.
Tailored solutions have been associated with stratospheric pricing since the dawn of time, so anything that can deliver what equates to the holy grail of retail is more than worth investigating. C2M is disrupting things, making customized solutions more accessible to more consumers. And now, the dawn of a C2M type approach to mobile customer engagement is upon us.
Omnichannel for the win
The days of a face-to-face, email, and telephone-only approach for enterprises to stay in touch with customers are potentially long gone. The idea of sending the same content, with zero customization, to all your customers utilizing the same channel is no longer good enough. Yet still, so few have switched on to the benefits of employing a truly omnichannel approach. According to Mobilesquared, 80% of businesses globally do not use business messaging, so there is clear headroom for growth.
With 5 billion users globally and a message read rate of 98%, Application-to-person (A2P) SMS is leading the charge. Still, chat apps such as WhatsApp Business and Viber, enterprise apps, and more can be brought together in one easily accessible and cost-effective offering. This unity is the very essence of omnichannel communications. Now, with so many channels available, how do enterprises build deep connections with their clients? Well, we’re back to customization again.
Customize your approach
Enterprises need to personalize interactions. People want to feel like the individuals they are. This means authentic tailoring to the needs of each consumer – both in terms of content and channel used – is the only way a business can genuinely expect to build long-term relationships. And if you think this is too expensive and difficult to achieve, we assure you it isn’t.
Ask your customers how they want to hear from you. Then, let them tell you when they want to hear from you – both in terms of frequency and schedule. Preferences known, melding these with existing client data (purchasing habits, etc.) can create the optimal client communication blueprint.
Say your client’s birthday is June 29th and their preferred contact channel is SMS. Send them customized, heartfelt birthday greetings via SMS on June 29th, including a special offer that you know they will truly value. Use the data to have an honest conversation with your customer and build a relationship.
Excellent customer engagement is about truly listening to your customers and getting the basics right. And this is something Mitto can help you accomplish. Our global enterprise clients rely on us to power their client conversations in the ways their customers desire, aiding both client retention and acquisition, letting them get on with the job of building their businesses.
