CX Demo

Author: Franz Malten Buemann

  • How To Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

    Did you know that far more employers will look at your LinkedIn profile than will ever look at your resume? This means your LinkedIn profile needs to be a priority, if it isn’t already. Most individuals think that LinkedIn is simple, you toss up an… Read More

  • What Netflix Bingeing Taught Me About Digital Experience

    Next time you open Netflix, I want you to try something.
    When you see your tailored suggestions, as the platform starts the video right where you left off on your iPad, stop and take note of that experience.
    How do these experiences actually make you feel?
    Does the device handoff give you a rush of excitement and gratitude?
    Probably not.
    Start over. Imagine opening Netflix again.
    Your recommendations are gone, replaced with an unfiltered list of content. The list feels random, but then you’d expect at least a couple of shows to be of random interest. They’re not. That episode you’re halfway through on your iPad? You’ll have to scroll back and forth to find your place. Ultimately, you’ll probably just rewatch parts of the episode “just to be safe”.  

    If you’re like me (my apologies if you are), you’ll react more to this moment of friction than the moment of seamless performance. The seamless experience is largely invisible — it’s unfelt — while the bad experience is impossible to ignore. Based on how bad it is, it’ll haunt you and sometimes make you question your life choices.
    It may even push you toward Hulu or Disney +, or another platform that you trust more.

    The same dynamic is at play for the digital experiences you deliver to customers.

    2020 and 2021 accelerated digital transformation across industries, creating a new set of expectations in your customers’ personal and professional lives.
    For them, being delighted isn’t a capstone to their experience as your customer; it’s the cornerstone your relationship is built on. Today’s buyers have more options, and disruptors are acquiring — and retaining — new business through the experience they provide their customers.
    These new expectations present huge opportunities for those who are willing to rethink their digital experiences and a huge risk for those who are not.
    So, why are so many businesses failing to meet these expectations?
    Is it because they just don’t care about the customers’ experience? Sometimes — but not usually. A vast majority of businesses would love to deliver a delightful experience.
    The reason they don’t is mostly because cobbled-together point solutions can’t deliver a clear view of the customer.
    After all, scaling companies are in a constant state of adaptation. As new needs and opportunities arise, companies introduce a network of individual solutions that solve discrete problems: a CRM to manage customer data, a CMS to build their website, and marketing automation to scale their efforts.
    Over time, as you add more solutions, your company’s tech stack grows so unwieldy it becomes a barrier between you and your customers instead of a bridge. It keeps you from the agile reporting you need and makes automation way more complicated than it should be. It makes personalization unreliable and messaging fragmented.
    Since the dawn of the digital age, the status quo has been to rely on a separate CRM, CMS and automation tool. It’s what many marketing leaders have accepted as a necessary evil — despite the friction it causes for customers.
    So, how do today’s companies win?
    By delivering a best-in-class, unified digital experience that exceeds customer expectations. Doing this requires two foundational elements.
    1. Information
    Any marketing based on assumptions is doomed to failure. To get the digital experience right for every individual customer at scale requires reliable, organized and actionable data.
    Not just ‘who are your customers?’ but ‘who is this customer?’ How and where have they interacted with you digitally? What do they need from you right now, and more importantly, what will they need from you next?
    At HubSpot, we built the Customer Code with this philosophy in mind: Use the data you have access to, don’t abuse it. But in order to leverage the data you gather to create better digital experiences, all of your customer-facing teams need a single source of truth for that data — a key ingredient that’s beyond the reach of companies that still use cobbled-together solutions. That’s where centralization comes in.
    2. Centralization

    Providing a seamless experience across touchpoints is really a matter of shifting from ad hoc point solutions to a crafted, unified platform that provides a single view of the customer. When a CMS sits alongside key sales, services, and marketing tools in a centralized system, every customer-facing team knows how customers are interacting with their business and — more importantly — how they can help.
    And this is the key: if you want your marketing, sales and service teams to deliver a great experience, you have to give them a fighting chance. You do this by having the systems and data they use aligned and unified.
    For example, consider a repeat visitor to your pricing page. If both marketing and sales can see this activity, the marketing team can send a discount code or helpful resources that contextualize your pricing while sales can reach out to offer guidance or a product demo.
    With this centralized platform and toolset, you can see and anticipate customer needs and take action immediately. You can tailor digital experiences on an individual level, across touchpoints, using the most up-to-date insights on customer needs, questions or interests — just like they expect you to.
    The CRM for Today’s Customer Expectations
    The answer to these business challenges isn’t just to use a CRM. You probably already have one of those. If you’re really unlucky, maybe even two. It probably doesn’t allow you to easily do any of what I just described, and it likely can’t deliver the seamless experiences your customers expect.
    Instead, you need a CRM platform that has been designed specifically to meet today’s sky-high customer expectations; one that you can adapt to changing customer expectations, align your teams around, and adopt without an uphill change management battle. (And no, there are no change management battles that are downhill).
    To pull off this digital experience at scale, you need to rethink the underlying components of the experience itself.
    The customer-facing pieces — your website, email content, advertising, member portals — are front and center. But only touchpoints that are powered by a modern, purpose-built CRM provide the personalization and timeliness that distinguish an average digital interaction from an elite one.
    And whether it’s Netflix, HubSpot or your corner cafe, delivering elite customer experiences is the key to navigating uncertain times, thriving in the digital-first era, and ultimately, growing better.

  • Why Call Center Agent Engagement Matters

    The numbers are in, and the truth is out: the American workforce is pretty underwhelmed these days.
    Only 30% of American workforce says they’re engaged and inspired at work, with the other 70% identifying as ‘disengaged’ employees who do the bare minimum. For call center managers, this disparity is a big cause for concern.
    Call center managers who can’t discern an engaged call center employee from one who has their foot firmly out the door are at a big disadvantage. Those leaders focusing only on the task-based output of workers while ignoring agent engagement and general well-being will likely lose top employees to competitors, and have to foot big bills related to recruitment, training, and turnover. Plus, every time an employee leaves, they risk lowering their call center’s morale, threatening the engagement of the staff who are left behind.
    How to Foster Agent Engagement in a Hybrid Contact Center
    If you want high productivity and a positive culture for your contact center, but don’t value or monitor call center agent engagement, your growth will be forever stunted. Luckily, taking steps to monitor and improve call center agent engagement is fairly easy. Read on to learn what engagement actually looks like, and why you should care.
    What does an engaged call center agent look like?
    Like any top-notch, dedicated employee, the engaged call center agent is diligent, finds joy in their day-to-day tasks, always seeks to improve their skills, and understands your mission and your business’ bottom line. Need help identifying the cream of the crop? Keep an eye out for agents who exhibit at least one of the following behaviors.
    1. They’re motivated to excel in their work.
    Engaged contact center staff are “present,” active participants in their daily work. While their motivations may vary (career growth, rewards or benefits you offer them, furthering the company’s profile, or a simple happiness in their job), they show up to the office every day with great enthusiasm and give the sense that they really want to be there and help your department and the overall company succeed.
    2. They understand the big picture of the business (and their role).
    Agents who are focused and enthusiastic on the job are more likely to be those who understand the overall mission of the business, where it is headed, and how their specific role contributes to this overall big picture. They are able to visualize the overarching goals of the company, as well as their own personal goals. Their approach to day-to-day work is inextricably linked to contributing to both sets of goals. This is why engaged employees tend to respond positively and proactively to any goal-setting steps you may take as a manager.
    3. They always take ownership.
    Dedicated, satisfied employees tend to take ownership rather than pass the buck, remaining committed to improving themselves and growing their set of responsibilities. They ultimately take ownership of and pride in their own role and daily tasks, knowing how every action they take relates to the overall machinery of the business. Additionally, they are likely to find workplace challenges a fun exercise, proactively seeking solutions in order to learn, grow, and support their fellow staff.
    5 Important Strategies for Agent Engagement in 2021
    Why does call center agent engagement matter?
    There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that call center agent engagement impacts your workplace culture as well as your call center budget. Once you invest in your agents and their overall engagement, you will see a significant correlation between agent engagement and higher performance, better customer satisfaction (CSat) scores, and overall call center culture.
    There are several reasons why call center managers should focus on engaging their agents in a way that makes them feel valued by the overall business.
    1. Recruiting new call center agents is expensive.
    When a call center agent is disengaged, not only do they leave the premises, they leave their call center with the cost of recruiting, re-hiring, and retraining in their dust. Replacing a single call center agent can run a company as high as $20,000 USD in costs. This doesn’t even include the deficit in knowledge that occurs when a senior agent bids your call center farewell.
    So, how does a customer service department save themselves some serious funds? They should focus on engagement, which ultimately drives agent retention as well as a boost in consumer-focused metrics. According to Gallup, “highly engaged business units achieve 59% lower turnover,” which help them achieve a 10% increase in customer metrics and a 20% increase in sales.
    Taking steps to improve engagement and avoid big costs doesn’t have to be complicated. Working on team communication, rewarding your agents when they really excel, and giving solid feedback on a consistent basis are all low-cost steps to improving engagement, and retention, in the long run.
    2. Happier employees means higher profits.
    On a related note, engaged employees can impact your business’ bottom line by nurturing higher profit margins. In fact, companies with higher employee engagement are reported to be 21% more profitable.
    It is likely, then, that you’ll see some impressive ROI if you begin investing in call center agent engagement and well-being. Even small steps like offering virtual lunchrooms or meet-ups, or instituting consistent meetings or huddles can have a huge impact on revenue. In fact, McKinsey reported that one company was able to produce a sustainable 50% boost in revenue as a result of frequent and focused huddles.
    Ultimately, investing in agent engagement is an investment in the overall business, which has a long-term positive impact on sales growth and customer retention.
    3. Agent attrition is a growing problem.
    Fonolo’s 2020 State of the Contact Center Report found that agent attrition is actually getting worse. This is in part related to COVID-19’s impact on agents’ physical and emotional states, as it has increased demands on their listening skills, their ability to emphasize, and their stress levels. How does this affect the bottom line for businesses? Contact center leadership is now reporting that recruitment and turnover are serious and extremely costly challenges they face.
    Finding ways to engage your agents can increase their happiness and, in doing so, make them less likely to leave you behind. Saving them from saying ‘bye’ can also save you on turnover recruitment, and training costs.
    How to Make a Call Center Agent Engagement Survey
    4. Happier agents could mean happier customers.
    The math makes sense: if your call center agents are happy, they’re more likely to nurture a happier customer experience, which in turn could boost return customers and reliable sales. (And, if you’re concerned with metrics, positive engagement has been proven to increase CSat scores.)
    One of the pathways into your call center agents’ hearts is to give them the tools they need to tackle the most stressful parts of their jobs, such as spikes in call volume during peak periods. Boost engagement by showing your agents you support them by offering them tools that take the edge off these high-anxiety moments, like overflow handling services or call-backs. These ensure your agents don’t get overloaded during peak periods, and can reduce stress and boost positive attitudes in the workplace.
    The time is now to double down on improving engagement in your call center. When you do, you will see a significant pick-up in sales, call center metrics like CSat scores, and in general, the health of your call or contact center.The post Blog first appeared on Fonolo.

  • Abstain from abstaining

    Even when you’re not completely certain.

    Because we can never be certain about the future.

    So we show up for the work, do the reading, engage with the problem. The challenge is to find a point of view if we don’t have one yet.

    The exception is simple: if, after being well informed, you are willing to accept every outcome, you do us all a favor when you stand down.

    Hiding doesn’t help us.

  • 5 Best Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses

    A steady stream of leads is vital for any small business. It allows you to grow your email list, customer base, and increase revenue year over year. But without a lead generation strategy, you’ll lose valuable market share to those that have refined this process. The good news is there is more potential than ever…
    The post 5 Best Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses appeared first on Benchmark Email.

  • We have a tight budget–needing some affordable options, any advice?

    I just started with a small-ish business recently. They’ve been around for 30+ years, but they were big on the “let’s send an email blast by manually entering our clients’ emails” approach. For reference, I was given a lead spreadsheet on Friday with 20,000+ names. I was asked to bring them into the 21st century, basically. The only issue is that, apparently, our monthly budget is pretty tight. I pitched some automation program options–I’m SharpSpring certified, so I tried to push it–and was told my budget was $50-100 a month. Yikes, right? My question is: is there any program that does automated lead tracking for an affordable price? I want to do as much as I can, just to prove that automation should be a part of the monthly budget in a big way.
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  • 4 Strategies to Simplify the Customer Journey

    Investing in new technologies, products, and services is a requirement to keep up in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace. But a new study that aggregated the results of hundreds of studies on customer preferences, found that an overwhelming majority of those studies reported simplicity as a top priority for consumers. For example, one survey, conducted by leading brand consultancy Siegel+Gale with over 15,000 consumers across nine countries, found that brands perceived as providing the simplest, most seamless experiences boasted both the strongest stock performance and the most loyal customers. Of course, simplicity is easier said than done. There are four interrelated steps that can help any organization deliver the smooth, simple experience today’s customers demand:
    Identify and communicate what simplicity means to you.
    Don’t just build a simple product. Build a simple customer journey.
    To achieve external simplicity, embrace internal complexity. Remember that simplicity isn’t always the answer.
    Full article: https://hbr.org/2021/05/4-strategies-to-simplify-the-customer-journey
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  • Marketing Automation Statistics For 2021

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  • Employee wellbeing in 2021: Tales from the contact centre

    Throughout the pandemic, people turned to contact centres to get the crucial help, assistance, and information they needed. With shops shut, information offices closed and banks unable to open, customers had little option than to call a contact centre to resolve a broadband issue, defer a mortgage payment, or find out when their online shopping…
    The post Employee wellbeing in 2021: Tales from the contact centre appeared first on Customer Experience Magazine.

  • Why People Visit YouTube & How to Engage Them [New Data]

    YouTube is the second largest website globally with over 2 billion global users.
    Still, despite its huge audience, it can be challenging to gain engagement on your videos.
    Ultimately, to gain views, likes, shares, and even subscribers, your content will have to engage at least part of YouTube’s huge audience while fulfilling their needs.
    But, if you’re just starting on YouTube, or struggling to grow your strategy, you might not know what the platform’s audience wants just yet.
    To help marketers learn more about YouTube’s huge user pool, and their interests, I asked nearly 300 consumers: “Why do you most commonly visit YouTube?”
    Here’s what they said.

    Why Do People Visit YouTube?
    Before we dive into what people picked as the most common reason they visit YouTube, it’s worth mention one thing you won’t see on the list below: product discovery.
    Just a measly 3% of respondents visit YouTube primarily to “learn about products.”

    Data Source
    However, you shouldn’t panic just yet. Keep in mind that we just polled a small group of general consumers about their most common reason for visiting YouTube. Had we asked them for their top three reasons, polled a larger group, or polled a specific demographic, the results could have been different.
    It’s also worth noting that many demographics search out product videos when they’re researching a prospective purchase.
    In fact, in a 2020 recent survey, 94% of people said they watch explainer videos to learn about products. While many YouTube users might not go to the YouTube platform just for product videos all the time, they probably still watch them when they’re relevant to their buyer’s journey.
    However, knowing what YouTube audiences are looking for on YouTube will help you make a video related to your brand or product that still mixes in elements that can engage them and fulfill their viewing needs.
    So, why do people visit YouTube? Let’s dive into the three most popular motives.
    1. To watch videos that entertain me.
    When we asked consumers why they visited the world’s second-largest platform, a whopping 65% of them said they did so for pure entertainment.
    This stat might be terrifying for marketers, especially if you sell a product that might not be considered super flashy or attention-grabbing.
    But, the stat above shouldn’t have you panicking just yet. Keep in mind that this is just one small survey. Had we asked people of certain age groups or industries this specific question, the results could have swayed in another direction.
    However, it is very important to keep in mind that people on YouTube want to be entertained or at least intrigued by the content they’re watching. So, whether you’re planning to launch YouTube video ads or standard videos, you’ll want to add a touch of entertainment, action, or interesting information to them.
    Here’s a great video, created by Headspace and LOL Network, that features actor Kevin Hart struggling to meditate and using the Headspace app to help him relax while jogging.

    Even if you can’t work with a big-name celebrity, this video is still a great example of content that tells an entertaining story about how a product solves common problems. While Hart’s fame might pull people in, watching him worry about relatable, everyday things as he jogs could be relatable and funny to audiences.
    2. To learn how to do something.
    We’ve all had a moment in life where we couldn’t figure out how to do something and scoured the internet for a video that could help. That’s why it’s not surprising that 13% of respondents primarily visit YouTube to “learn how to do something.”
    As a marketer, you can leverage the YouTube audience’s need for advice and guidance with videos on how to do things related to your brand, industry, or even your product.
    On top of zoning in on the how-to format, you could also mix in entertaining elements, such as an influencer or entertaining video host, to fulfill a viewer’s need for interesting content
    Here’s an example of a how-to video from B Simone Beauty, a cosmetics brand named after its founder B Simone. In the video, Simone, also known for her work as a stand-up comedian, offers a step-by-step tutorial on how to give yourself a glamorous makeover.

    While the video highlights B Simone Beauty products, it focuses on makeup tutorial tips. Not only does this help audience members who have purchased cosmetics from the brand, but it also gives prospects helpful tips. By watching this video, you not only see what using B Simone products is like in real life, but you also learn how knowledgeable Simone is about makeup. Both of these elements could enable viewers to trust the company and product quality.
    3. To learn about something, such as a hobby, interest, or industry.
    While some people use YouTube to find step-by-step guides on how to do something, some just watch videos to soak up as much valuable information as possible. In our poll, 13% of respondents said they visit YouTube to “Learn about something related to a hobby, interest, or industry.”
    As a marketer, you can also leverage this YouTube user need in your videos or in-stream ads. Here are just a few ways to weave valuable information into your next video.

    Leading the video with a surprising or interesting stat.
    Featuring expert tips or insight-filled interviews from your company leaders or industry experts.
    Recording an explainer video with fun graphics, charts, and interesting information about a topic related to your industry or brand.

    Here’s an example of a video HubSpot posted that discusses how TikTok’s audience has begun to mature by discussing stats and facts about the platform.

    Although HubSpot isn’t a TikTok tool, it has a large marketing audience that the company is engaging with this video that educates viewers on a highly trendy topic.
    By creating informative or educational videos related to your industry, you enable the viewers with similar interests to learn something new while also developing trust for your company. So, even if you aren’t explicitly mentioning your product, viewers could remember your brand and your expertise next time they’re shopping in your immediate space. Similarly, if someone does do product research and comes across your YouTube channel, they might trust that a brand with solid knowledge around an industry will create high-quality products.
    Other Answers
    Aside from the top three responses, 3% of people said they go to YouTube primarily to watch videos of their “favorite celebrities or influencers” while another 3% primarily use the platform to find videos related to “news and trends.”
    While these responses don’t need to inform your strategy, they align well with the themes that people are looking for entertainment and interesting information.
    Catering to YouTube’s Giant Audience
    Ultimately, it’s unlikely that every single YouTube viewer will love your content or search out the types of videos you make. However, since the audience is so broad, there’s at least a large segment of it that could engage with your marketing strategy. As you develop or fine-tune your tactics, keep these tips in mind:

    Know your audience: Learn the ins and outs of who uses the platform, identify the best demographics or targets to go after, and look at what types of videos they engage with most.

    Mix education with entertainment: While many people visit the platform for entertainment or escape from their daily lives, others crave valuable or helpful information. So, try to create content that intrigues viewers, while also giving valuable information related to your brand or industry.

    Don’t limit yourself to product videos: While you can certainly post a few demos, interesting customer stories, and mention your product in a few videos, keep in mind that YouTube visitors might not be looking for commercial-like content. Try to add variation with explainers, expert interviews, or other interesting, but on-brand, video formats.

    Need more help with developing or expanding your YouTube strategy? We’ve got you covered.
    Check out this data on why people click out of YouTube videos, this Ultimate Guide to YouTube Marketing, or download the free resource below.