It's time to take your engagement digital
According to Gavin Finn, CEO of Kaon Interactive, a leading B2B sales and marketing engagement platform, the main challenge for European B2B companies is adapting to the increased demand for digital customer engagement. He explains: “European companies have the unique challenge of addressing their historically risk-averse approach in the face of change.” The shift from traditional in-person interactions to digital platforms is here to stay and will undoubtedly shape your B2B sales strategies for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, Finn emphasizes the importance of adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. His brand must rethink its traditional approach of prioritizing geographic proximity and cultural affinity. Instead, you will need to take advantage of international procurement opportunities. This approach will help you maintain your presence in existing markets while opening the door to long-term growth.
However, you must also face the challenges associated with compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). While the GDPR has been in place for a few years, you'll encounter new compliance headaches as you reinvent your engagement approach. “With GDPR legislation, companies must be explicit about how they collect personal data for marketing purposes.” says The Digital Marketing Institute.
Self-service: the secret sauce for better participation
Your business should prioritize investing in hybrid customer engagement and self-care platforms to effectively overcome the above-mentioned challenges. “These platforms allow customers to research, explore and investigate all aspects of the problem and solution space long before the company introduces its products and solutions,” he says. This includes interactive visual experiences and digital collaboration solutions for real-time workspace sharing and solution demos.
The goal is to help your clients solve their business challenges wherever they choose, which means the importance of providing options to your audiences rather than dictating how, when and where they interact with your brand. The methodology will also help you make all stakeholders feel recognized, as you will be able to address multiple perspectives, pain points, and concerns.
Still, there's a caveat: Be careful not to pigeonhole customers and prospects into self-service platforms. Instead, consider self-service portals as one of the many options available to connect with you.
Additionally, make sure the self-service portal is integrated into other channels and touchpoints. It shouldn't feel like an afterthought, but part of a larger, personalized journey. Offering an immersive self-service experience will empower your customers as they will be able to connect with you on their own terms.
Avoid the dangers of digital transformation
Finn warns against the common dangers of simply digitizing existing processes, arguing that “the core idea behind digital transformation is to transform [and that] “The digital part is the facilitation of a new way of working.” He warns business leaders that they should not simply transform traditional processes into digital ones. This superficial approach can lead to missed opportunities, creating frustration and confusion among sales teams and customers.
He advises implementing digital solutions with a platform-based infrastructure, emphasizing the need for coherence, modularity and the ability to adapt to continuous change. Giving up on the platform approach can leave you with a disjointed, unmanageable patchwork of applications that don't communicate or share data. At the same time, a platform approach creates a more comprehensive experience for customers while providing your company with useful information.
When planning a digital transformation, focus first on the processes you hope to transform. Once you identify processes and workflows, you can set measurable goals. Then, and only then, should you explore ways to affect change and achieve these objectives through the strategic digitalization of interactions, workflows and processes. “The key to overcoming the confusion is to see that digital transformation is not a single thing,” he writes Harvard Business Review. “but a multifaceted journey with different objectives depending on your industry and digital maturity.”
In other words, the transformation itself should always be the cornerstone of any digital transformation initiative. Changing or digitizing business processes for the sake of it will involve significant waste and mediocre results, neither of which will get you any closer to your long-term growth goals.
Digital transformation: a long-term approach to business management
As you embark on your digital transformation journey, it can be tempting to focus on short-term wins and technology additions that will make a “big splash.” While you should work to condense your time to deliver value, don't overlook the underlying goal of reinventing your marketing strategy: gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Transform for the good of your customers, not simply as a way to digitize analog processes.
When the customer is at the center of everything you do, you will be better positioned to formulate smart investment strategies and drive your business forward. Be flexible, open-minded, and avoid superficial digital solutions.
The Independent's newsrooms and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.
