To maintain contact with their clients, companies long relied almost exclusively on the telephone. While its power and effectiveness are still very relevant, the rise of the internet and the development of various communication methods have completely reshuffled the cards of client relationships. Tablets, smartphones, social networks: all these technologies and innovations are now familiar to many clients and prospects. The era now favors the proliferation of communication channels and the diversification of touchpoints, which are essential to companies' marketing strategies. But how is developing a multichannel customer relationship so advantageous, and what is its impact on communication?
Adopting a multichannel communication strategy to stay competitive
Today, it is complex to know or anticipate which networks prospects and clients use and which communication channels they prefer. This is why B2B and B2C companies recognize a multichannel approach as a crucial aspect of customer relationships. This strategy aims to reach the prospect with maximum efficiency, leading to a higher conversion rate and increasing revenue.
For a company, a multi-channel tactic, combined with the diversification of touchpoints, ensures:
- More opportunities to meet the expectations and needs of its clients;
- Satisfaction and loyalty;
- Guarantee of high-quality customer service, essential to a company's good reputation.
In the same way, multichannel communication allows for much more effective engagement with prospects, converting them into new clients. Smooth, fast, and seamless communication inspires trust and significantly enhances engagement.
There are five main channels for an effective multichannel customer service.
The telephone
Regardless of the multichannel strategy envisioned and the preferred channels, the telephone remains crucial. Comparable to face-to-face interaction and inherently personalized, it is the most direct relationship tool, highly effective for reassuring clients, addressing various objections, and communicating a company's values. It is inconceivable to design a customer service approach without including this well-established communication channel.
The website
It is also a highly effective communication tool because it does not pressure the prospect: they can navigate freely, gather information, and form an opinion about the company's products or services. Similarly, the company can offer a chat feature or a contact form to create interaction with the client, establish a business relationship, and generate leads in a smooth and automated manner.
It is one of the most frequently used communication channels by clients and, as such, must be impeccably managed. The email address should be easily accessible, and the flow of emails should be properly managed. In the age of digital communication, companies must make extra efforts to provide prompt responses to various email inquiries and complaints. Response times significantly impact the perception of reliability and professionalism that a company projects.
Social media and mobile apps
Other channels, such as social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) and mobile apps, also play a key role in a multichannel marketing strategy and customer retention.
Traditional channels
A multichannel customer service cannot ignore the most traditional methods, as it risks alienating a portion of its clientele that values physical contact or lacks comfort with digital tools. Thus, physical mail and in-store locations remain essential.
Developing a multichannel, omnichannel, or cross-channel customer relationship?
At the heart of relationship marketing, the concept of 'customer experience' is gradually replacing 'customer relationship,' reflecting a commitment to placing customers at the center of attention. This shift in perspective involves being able to respond to them at every moment in a personalized manner.
Customer relationship management now involves not just offering a product or service, but also, and more importantly, gathering feedback and needs from each client, getting to know customers or prospects better in order to provide a tailored and more suitable offering.
In the strategic development of a multichannel customer relationship, it is important to expand your approach to include omnichannel and even cross-channel methods.
A multichannel customer service diversifies contact channels for a marketing approach focused on all available vectors, aiming to reach the maximum number of clients and prospects, regardless of their habits and preferences. This diversification can be further enhanced and approach the excellence of customer experience through omnichannel and cross-channel strategies. Highlighted by certain observations, these two specifics leverage new data:
- Consumers are increasingly using multiple channels simultaneously: this is cross-channel;
- Prospective or existing clients value the consistency between the offer presented on a website and what is actually available in-store: this is omnichannel.
Each strategy is important for developing a comprehensive and effective multichannel customer service. Therefore, it should be tailored to the specific activities of each B2B or B2C company.
Outsourcing the management of multichannel customer relationships
To optimize and sustain a multichannel communication strategy, it can be beneficial to outsource customer relationship management. Utilizing a multichannel contact center allows for:
- A standardized response, regardless of the communication channel used (SMS, emails, messaging apps, etc.), and increased responsiveness;
- An optimized customer experience through the centralization of interactions in a CRM accessible to advisors for better tracking, ensuring client satisfaction as they are not required to repeat their explanations at each contact, and improved response quality;
- a smooth, personalized, and relevant customer relationship for each client and prospect, regardless of the nature of the requests, thanks to effective processing and tracking of cases.
Developing a multichannel customer relationship: a winning strategy
In both B2B and B2C, multichannel communication enhances the precision and quality of customer relationships, while strengthening the client's sense of engagement with their provider. As consumer types become increasingly complex and diverse, it is important to expand touchpoints to adapt to different behaviors.
Multichannel relationship management is an essential strategy in the era of digital communication: when executed well, it represents an opportunity for converting prospects and retaining clients. Indeed, feedback gathered through various channels allows for true personalization of interactions and enhances the customer experience.
To maximize the effectiveness of this strategy, it is recommended to outsource its management to a dedicated center where the team members are experts in customer relationship management. Leads Provider offers you the full expertise and strength of its teams and supports you in deploying your multichannel communication strategy. Contact us!