From Customer Experience to Sales Force
Your business, like every other business, would be nothing without your customers. And their potential is greater than you may realize...
In 2024, the customer experience (CX) should go beyond the simple transaction. Customers post over 10 million reviews annually (and rising). This means brands face more competitors that customers can research, try, and then evangelize or decry, to a wide audience.
It’s more important than ever to look at your customers as your brand’s greatest sales force (or its loudest critic). A recent survey revealed that 89 percent of consumers switch to a competing brand after a single poor experience. Just the one. You won't be winning them back with freebies or discounted products and services—cost is no longer king. 64 percent of customers consider the customer experience to be more important than the price. CX cannot be an afterthought of your business strategy. It should be one of your greatest focuses.
What Makes a Good Customer Experience?
A good CX isn’t just about one part of the experience. Getting in the door—proverbially, if your business/production is online—browsing products, making a purchase, etc., is all part of it. CX is the totality of your customers’ experiences. We’re talking from the moment they first hear about your brand, product, or service to the moment they decide to spread the good (or bad) word about you. So, simply hiring a few more reps in your customer service department is no longer the answer (if it ever really was).
It Starts With a Team Effort
Step one in creating a great CX begins with a united front from your team, understanding who your target customer is, and what they value most in their interactions with your brand and products. For the moment, let’s forget about the price, as our earlier stat showed, sometimes, saving a buck or two isn’t the be-all and end-all.
If it’s not price, what drives these people to your brand/product? Easy online ordering, perhaps? Maybe it’s fast delivery? Does your product have plenty of options? Do you offer personal customization? Does your brand present good corporate transparency?
Now, think about what your customers don’t like. They aren't crazy about overly complicated phone trees. Nonsensical corporate speak could be a nonstarter. Disingenuous green- or rainbow washing? The list can be short, or it can be long, but it’s probably a good idea for you to know what drives your customers in and out of the door.
Steps Along Brand Interaction
Understanding these values lets you take a closer look at the touchpoints your customers are experiencing during each step of interacting with your brand. Those steps, along with what an enthusiastic customer—let's call them Esteban—might have in mind during them, are as follows:
Awareness
“Hey, [your product/service] stands out to me.”
Interest
“I think [your product/service] is the solution to my problem.”
Decision
“I simply must have [your product/service].”
Delivery
“Wow, you got me what I wanted, when I wanted, with no surprises.”
Use
“You knew my questions before I even had them, plus getting help was super easy.”
Loyalty
“No doubt about it, I’d buy from you again. In fact, what else could I get from you?”
Advocacy
“I gotta say, not only do I love [your product/service], but I will tell people about it.”
Thinking about your current touchpoints with those steps in mind, ask yourself, “What are my customers saying?” Sure, they could be as excited as Esteban, but if they aren’t, how close are they to saying those things? If they aren’t this excited, it’s time to start taking action.
Five Tips to Improve Your Customer Experience
The road to improving your CX isn't easily traveled, but it’s the only road to where you want to go. Let’s begin that journey with these five steps.
1. Have a Team Approach
This exercise isn’t just for your marketing department. It’s about your whole team getting involved and buying in to make the necessary changes.
2. Be Simple. And Brutal.
It's time to take a look in the mirror. Check out your current touchpoints in each step, give your team a simple scoring scale, and talk it out. Figure out what's working, and more importantly, what isn't. No sugarcoating.
3. Worst Comes First
Working off the previous step, it’s time to focus where the work is needed most. Those are the places you're in danger of losing customers, and worse, where you're not sniffing out new ones.
4. There Are No Bad Ideas
Your team is there on the ground daily, so let’s hear what they have to say in terms of ways to address the problems. Capture all ideas that go toward improving CX. We’re in a magical realm where money is no object, so let the ideas roll in free and clear.
5. Easy Is Good, Hard Might Be Great
After you’ve collected these ideas, what do you do with them? First, identify which of those ideas would be the most impactful on your customers and their experience. Next, determine which are easy to accomplish and which aren’t. Unfortunately, we’re out of that magical realm and need to implement something.
Do it for Esteban.
Improving your customer experience isn’t something that happens overnight. Mad Genius knows it takes time and effort. Luckily, we know a thing or two when it comes to strategy to get you there. If you’re looking to learn about us, and how we can help your brand, fill out the contact form below, and let’s chat.