Intelligent CXO Issue 18 | Page 17

TECH TRENDS
Embrace Artificial Intelligence ( AI )
AI has shaped customer experiences over the past five years and will continue to do so and become easier as it advances and organisations integrate it properly .
AI can help drive more profitable outcomes such as intelligent lead scoring , predictive forecasting , personalised recommendations and next-best actions , as well as predicting and preventing churn . AI-powered automation is changing CX experience teams ’ workload with machines doing more repetitive , labour-intensive tasks , allowing teams to work on more complex , higher-value and revenue-generating tasks .
Foster emotional intelligence
Designing an emotionally aware organisation is increasingly rising to the top of the boardroom agenda . AI is replacing conventional feedback surveys and the manual task of sorting through large data sets to understand customer sentiment .
AI uses sentiment analysis capabilities to amplify CRM system functions such as sales , marketing and service interactions , along with the insight of knowing each customer ’ s emotional state and intent .
This is done through leveraging a combination of Natural Language Processing ( NLP ) and AI to surface next-level or next-best action for empathic customer engagement . Frontline agents can then understand how to respond using customer behaviours and emotions .
Ensuring that empathy is at the forefront of marketing strategy leads to an increase in new customer generation , as well as increased trust amongst existing customers .
Align teams to create coherence and increase functionality
Perhaps the biggest concern when there are continuous advances in technology is the misuse of such technology and misalignment on how to use it coherently . This is no different when aligning IT , marketing , sales and CRM teams across the customer experience landscape . To do so involves creating an environment with open communication so that employees can be transparent about what is and isn ’ t working for them . Once this is established , all teams can work towards creating a customercentric mindset , choosing the right technology and management tools to help all teams work towards unified KPIs and expectations .
Businesses must also understand the benefits of using a shared CRM data system that can use the data collected from sales , marketing and CRM teams to connect stakeholders . Such benefits include saving time on administrative tasks with the CRM system compiling a complete real-time customer view and providing actionable insights for teams to use to act decisively at every critical touchpoint .
Companies that are focused on continuously improving customer experiences are more likely to succeed and retain customers . This needs to be underpinned by flawless support at every customer touchpoint . To do this , companies need to ensure that the right technology – specific to the individual company – is integrated so that teams are always aligned to hit KPIs and deliver great customer support fit for the 2020s . x
HALF OF SALES LEADERS ADMIT THAT THEY CANNOT ACCESS CUSTOMER DATA ACROSS MARKETING , SALES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS . www . intelligentcxo . com
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