We’re living through a period of profound transformation framed by rapid technological innovation and new ways of thinking. The World Economic Forum calls this the Fourth Industrial Revolution – and extraordinary world events have only accelerated it. The way people interact has changed forever, making the quick transition to digital even more urgent. Salesforce, and its 360 degree customer view can help you meet the challenge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Building on the Third Industrial Revolution (computing), the Fourth Industrial Revolution is about connectedness, with advances in cloud computing, big data, robotics, and artificial intelligence. The connected era has enabled consumers to be more educated and more empowered in their purchasing decisions. So the purchasing experience has gained new importance.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution creates a world in which virtual and physical systems of manufacturing cooperate with each other in a flexible way at the global level“. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, however, is not only about smart and connected machines and systems. Its scope is much wider. In essence, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the trend towards automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes which include cyber-physical systems (CPS), IoT, industrial internet of things, cloud computing, cognitive computing, and artificial intelligence.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has made the marketing and selling experience more important. Salesforce is a tool that when thoughtfully implemented in your organization can assist in responding to the ever changing desires of the consumer.
Working off a sense and respond model, we could say the first step is to “sense” what our customers need – and to fully understand the opportunities that need creates for our business.
Perhaps it is time to grow beyond offering a premium, best of brand product, to a premium customer experience. Maybe your customers are looking for that little something extra. A little something extra is exactly where your sensing skills come in. Customers can’t tell you what it is because they may not know. Or may not know until they experience it. With the speed that everything changes, customers’ wants and needs are rapidly changing, too.
This is where the opportunity forSummit and Salesforce to help you innovate at the speed of your customer.
Pull out your handy customer journey map. Now dig in. This journey can become the backbone of all decision-making as you innovate at the speed of your customer. Activities to drive customer satisfaction and engagement should be prioritized based on whether they are likely to drive customer loyalty by alleviating a customer pain point or maximizing a moment of “wow.”
So what’s the best way to see your products, services, and experiences through your customers’ eyes? Really define who they are, beyond a churn or segmentation model – describe them as people with needs, wants, and desires. Give each customer persona a name. Visualize them as a whole person with a birthday and a family and a career.
Now look at the real life customer. Start by observing and studying them, then use the insights gathered to define common personas that comprehensively articulate what customers want and need from you. In the process, you may discover an unmet need in a different part of their life that you can serve. After understanding who your customers are, explore the journey you’re currently providing them.
Ask questions like: What are the steps of the lifecycle? What other products and services do they need that we currently offer or could offer? How do we meet, exceed, or fail their expectations?
The answers to these questions are the opportunities you want to address as you innovate at the speed of your customer.
Summit LLC offers consultative discovery sessions with clients that address these questions and uncover the opportunities you have to wow and amaze. In the next article in the series, we will look at how Summit LLC can help you explore and validate these opportunities and meet them with the Salesforce ecosystem.
