Manufacturers: Are you offering a personalized digital customer experience?
The one-size-fits-all approach to the customer experience (CX) is no longer acceptable. Product alone isn’t enough to stand out in today’s manufacturing landscape. CX is the competitive differentiator. Those with an excellent customer experience are closing more sales and improving the customer lifetime value (LTV).
Providing a personalized, digital experience is essential to continued success.
Industry 4.0 and the customer experience
The fourth revolution in manufacturing, more commonly referred to as Industry 4.0, is revolutionizing the sector. Automation, machine learning, and Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices are bringing the manufacturing industry wholly into the digital age.
This digital transformation and introduction of the Smart Factory is doing more than simply improving the operations on the factory floor. The increase in data collection and the inclusion of technologies like CRM for manufacturing is changing the way manufacturing approaches customer experience management as well.
CX in Industry 4.0 strengthens customer relationships through the data that’s being collected. Omni-channel communication and consistency across channels are crucial to success. Personalization is the best way to approach these evolving expectations. In fact, a personalized digital experience is the future of manufacturing.
Expectations of the modern customer
We are living in a digital age. Customer expectations have evolved alongside technology. Customers now expect streamlined, omnichannel experiences when they interact with a brand.
Basic email and phone communications aren’t enough anymore. Interactions through online chat, social platforms, email, phone, video support, and more are all part of today’s customer experience.
Platforms like Salesforce can help manufacturers integrate customer support and service into the sales and fulfillment processes.
B2B Customers Want A B2C Experience
The traditional B2B customer journey is now an antiquated concept. B2B customers want an experience similar to the ones they experience as direct consumers. They want easy access to their order status, inventory, and stock data and the ability to speak to the manufacturer quickly and easily when needed.
A robust CRM for manufacturing can be the difference between a great B2B CX and one that falls short. The collected data can power the customer journey and give the client the experience they are aren’t just wanting but expecting.
How to improve customer experience
When it comes to the B2C sales and marketing process, we know what works well: personalization. B2B companies don’t need to rework the wheel. How do you give B2B customers a B2C experience? Personalization.
Customers know that you are collecting their data. They can’t interact with a brand without some form of data collection. They are offering you private information with the expectation that you will use that data to better their experience with your brand.
Email marketing is one example where personalization is key. Very few manufacturers are investing in email marketing, which is a mistake. Email marketing has a 4,200% ROI potential in 2022. The data you collect will allow you to personalize more than just the emails themselves; you will be able to personalize the customer journey through segmentation.
Marketers who use segmentation to drive the customer journey can see as much as a 760% increase in revenue. Segmented lists and campaigns allow manufacturers to speak to specific pain points, send promotions to the customers most likely to interact, and more.
Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is #1 for manufacturing
Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is an AI-powered, cloud-based platform built for manufacturers. It takes all of the customer data and centralizes it, allowing for more customer-centric operations.
It is more than a CRM. It is a powerful tool with the ability to better forecasting—something 88% of manufacturers say they need. You’ll be able to leverage embedded analytics to make faster, more informed decisions.
In addition, Salesforce Experience Cloud helps you increase customer engagement with a highly customizable personalized experience—giving your prospects and clients that experience they need when they need it.
Aggregate data from across channels—including sales, finance, marketing, and customer service—and automate S&OP. Simplify collaboration with better data synchronization and provide customers with a truly seamless omnichannel experience.
Some find that implementing Salesforce on your own can be difficult, especially if no one on your team has worked with such a highly customizable CRM before. Ensure that you are leveraging everything the platform has to offer by working with a Salesforce Implementation Partner.
You can consolidate real-time sales agreement data, get a unified customer view, improve your marketing ROI, and provide a personalized, digital customer experience.
Forcivity has helped several manufacturing companies implement Salesforce solutions to improve the customer experience. Forcivity is trusted by companies that put their customers first because we employ a customer-satisfaction-driven approach to our service.
Your partner in Manufacturing tech
We combine our technical expertise with business experience to ensure a smooth implementation that starts producing results quickly. Contact us today to see how improvements to your customer experience can result in a higher close rate and better business outcomes.