As the world is slowly reopening from the pandemic, businesses need to adapt to the “new normal” to continue adhering to the new laws around social distancing.
A company’s Salesforce CRM holds an incredible amount of data points that companies need to leverage on to be able to continue trading and thriving in business terms.
Today, as businesses around the globe decide how and when to reopen, it’s a great time to revisit our assumptions about our Salesforce CRMs. Like the changes in consumer buying habits have moved on from instore to online, your customers too have most likely changed due to the pandemic.
Based on experience and what Salesforce has learned from it’s own customers, we recommend the following three basic principles to guide data-driven leaders in reassessing their approach towards their CRMs customer data.
No matter what industry, your company needs to start personalising the communication between consumers.
Personalised communication is less about you as a company and more about your customers – i.e. their wants, needs, and attitudes in the moment.
Uncovering customer “needs” from data is even more important during times of uncertainty and change, and it’s a key differentiator in customer connections. Salesforce research found that 71% of consumers said that companies who showed sensitivity to the current climate were more likely to earn their loyalty.
Customers also disclosed that they were willing to share information with companies that inspired trust by clearly communicating how, when, and why they’ll use the data. In fact, 58% of respondents in the Salesforce “State of the Connected Customer report” said they agreed with the statement “I’m comfortable with relevant personal information being used in a transparent and beneficial manner,” while only 17% disagreed.
Key takeaway: Rather than focusing only on data pipelines, customer data teams should also double down on communication, telling customers exactly how and why they’re collecting and using their data, and what they’ll get in return.
This strategy is known to produce happier and returning customers.
During the early months of the COVID-19 crisis, brands in particular had to overnight halt their multi-million pound marketing campaigns in order to adhere to the new normal world of social distancing. Toyota for example revoked their old marketing campaigns and created a new campaign with the slogan “We Are Here For You” - emphasising home and family. The new revamped campaign thus reflected their customers’ changing needs.
Like the automotive industry, which was one of the top industries to be hit the hardest, we really saw what brands were able to stand out from such industries because they recognised that they needed to understand how their customers' behaviours changed and how their categories of products and services are now being perceived. The question then that these brands could ask themselves was how they can fit into their lifestyle now.
For example, “nonessential” businesses who sell products such cosmetics like makeup and skincare who were not forced to stay closed for the majority of the pandemic last year are now seen as even more important by many “sheltering-in-place” today.
Key takeaway: Your customers are going through a lot of changes, and it makes sense that what worked pre-pandemic may not work so well now.
Previous analyses into your demographics including segments, attitudes, and positioning will have to change.
Re-evaluate them and develop tools such as surveys and tests to fill data gaps and build your Salesforce Marketing campaigns from there.
There is ample evidence showing us that investing in fundamentals such as R&D, workforce training, and brand advertising especially during tough times yields long-term benefits.
This same principle goes for customer relationships. So if you can afford it, reorienting your short term business goals around Sales, Profit and Revenue towards adapting a more holistic approach should definitely provide long-term dividends.
Now is a time when most B2C and B2B companies are dealing with price sensitivity. Meaning that discounts and other money saving deals are becoming more frequent. This has been a common strategy adapted amongst companies to help revise company annual sales targets, as relatively few companies are struggling to maintain their pre-pandemic momentum.
But, shifting from this “topline-focused KPI” approach such as net sales or profits may not work anymore.
Companies that are instead willing to be patient, and shifting to a focus on the retention and loyalty through superior empathy and service will likely overcome this “temporary dip” in revenue.
Key takeaway: As we all gear up and return to work, we owe it to all our stakeholders and customers to ensure we’re infusing clarity into our data collection and communication, we’re revisiting our pre-pandemic data assumptions, and we’re focused on making recovery work for the long haul!
Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers solutions for digital marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, customer journey mapping, marketing analytics, marketing automation, and B2B marketing to help you personalise customer communications across every digital touchpoint — from anywhere.
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To find out more about how our partners have supported our customers and in turn help you with your recruitment needs, please do not hesitate to contact us via technology@savantrecruiment.com or visit us at www.savantrecruitment.com
