LIKE.TG Live: Asia, running on July 8, 2020, is a virtual event for everyone. One of the event highlights is the Trailblazer-led sessions. A Trailblazer is an individual or company doing amazing things with LIKE.TG. They drive innovation, solve problems, transform their companies, and grow their careers. Hear from Trailblazers across Asia who are successfully navigating today’s new business environment. Our Trailblazers discuss technology-driven customer engagement, innovative business strategies and solutions, and other lessons on thriving in the new normal. With more than 30 Trailblazer-led sessions, covering businesses of various industries and sizes, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss these Trailblazers First up, the main keynote broadcast at 10 a.m. (Singapore Time). Tune in to hear our executives and Trailblazers discuss how the digital transformation imperative has never been stronger. Today, business leaders face more uncertainty than they have in decades. What’s more, different businesses, industries, and geographies operate at different paces. The secret to thriving in the new business environment? Using technology to stabilise, reopen, and grow. Our lineup of Trailblazers includes some names that you might be familiar with: Singapore Global Network (SGN) is a branch of the Singapore government’s Economic Development Board. Jasmin Lau, Executive Director, shares how SGN leveraged technology to build relationships with overseas Singaporeans and friends of Singapore. Technology also enabled SGN to rapidly reach out to overseas Singaporeans at scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prudential Singapore is not just a life insurance company. For the last 90 years, Prudential Singapore’s mission is to innovate and help everyone live well. Join Odd Haavik, Chief Distribution Officer, to hear how the company partners with LIKE.TG to create a Customer 360 vision. Anantara Vacation Club offers luxurious getaways to breathtaking destinations. Matthjis de Man, Director of Club Services and Innovation, shares the club’s story of customer centricity amidst challenging times. He also gives his thoughts on the role of technology in propelling future growth. Grab is one Trailblazer that has made data-driven marketing a reality. Asha Gourinath, Performance Marketing and CRM Lead — Growth Markets, discusses how Grab uses Datorama’s marketing intelligence platform to drive strategic decisions within their fast growing business. Luxasia brings the best beauty and luxury brands to consumers in Asia Pacific. Avis Easteal, Regional Head of Consumer, shares how Luxasia leverages Customer 360 Marketing and Heroku to connect sales and customer data to deliver real-time insights. These insights enabled Luxasia to rapidly shift from an omni-channel presence to a digital-first business. Union Bank of the Philippines has led the way in digitally transforming their business for the new normal. All while putting customer care at the core of strategic decisions. Colleen Toledo, CX Designer, shares how digital initiatives will be the foundation of the bank’s future growth. Mitsubishi Chemical Cleansui-Haili Vietnam, a leading water purifier brand, aims to provide high quality products and services to every consumer. To achieve this, they use Partner Relationship Management on LIKE.TG Customer 360. Trang Le, Business Marketing Manager, shares how LIKE.TG helps them build trust and meaningful relationships with customers. Bluebird Group is a household name in Indonesia. The company offers ground transportation solutions and serves millions of customers every month. During the pandemic, Bluebird expanded its business to include logistics. Learn from Paul Soegianto, Chief Strategy Officer, about Bluebird’s successful transformation and how it continues to evolve digitally to stay relevant and connected with customers. Join the LIKE.TG customer community at LIKE.TG Live: Asia LIKE.TG Live: Asia is streaming live and on-demand on July 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Singapore Time). Join us to learn how you too can stabilise, reopen, and grow your business with LIKE.TG. Register for LIKE.TG Live: Asia here.

If you’re like most people, you probably think there’s a good chance that AI or robots will have a significant impact on the global job market. Yet surveys also show that most of us think that these disruptive technologies are primarily going to affect someone elseーsomeone with a skill set or an educational background that lends itself to repeatable work. This is a risky assumption on everyone’s part, including mine. AI and robotics aren’t just for everyone else to think about. The robots are not only coming — they’re already here. But that doesn’t mean we’re all out of a job. It means that we need to explore opportunities for ourselves and our teams to humanise the future of work to complement and even enhance AI, automation, and productivity. At LIKE.TG, we recently invited award-winning New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose to discuss the impact automation is likely to have on our lives and jobs. Roose shared that AI and automation are already changing the way we work — particularly for highly-educated, white-collar workers, whose everyday jobs are already evolving thanks to AI. Predicting the impact of automation technology on the future of jobs In the course of research for his book “Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation,” Roose found that for hundreds of years, we’ve been predicting what machines can and can’t do — and that usually, we’re wrong. Here are a few examples to his point: “I can state flatly that heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” —Lord Kelvin, 1895 “There is no prospect whatsoever that the employment of electronic digital computers in the field of translation will lead to any revolutionary changes.” —Yehoshua Bar-Hillel, 1962 “You won’t get the best seating or the best fares … what happens if you just press the wrong button?” —travel agency owner quoted in a 1984 New York Times article on the first automated ticket machines at airports The disruptive technologies that would prove each of those predictions wrong went on to reshape economies and workforces forever. Yet at the time, each statement reflected widely-held beliefs. In the early 1980s, for instance, people were very skeptical that computers would ever meaningfully replace human travel agents. That changed quickly with the advent of travel-booking websites, which gave consumers direct access to making arrangements without a travel agency rep or the associated fees. Today, it’s a lot more likely that you use online sites to book everyday travel, except when using a travel agent is mandated as a workplace policy. Where AI is changing the job landscape Although many of us still think of robots on the assembly line as the typical agent of job displacement, AI has made advances in fields that many people never imagined were vulnerable to automation: Healthcare: Machine-learning algorithms can diagnose some types of cancer or perform common X-rays with better accuracy than human radiologists. Other AI applications are in the works that can detect illnesses that range from cancers to Parkinson’s disease from smelling human breath. Creative work: AI can compose music, write prose, build video-game levels, and write newspaper articles indistinguishable from human output. Coding: Low-code or no-code development platforms take the complexity out of coding. Analysis/pattern recognition: AI and machine learning are analysing data sets to identify patterns and trends. They are reporting real-time insights and can even predict, in some cases, what’s likely to happen next. Influencers: Some of the biggest social-media influencers aren’t human — they are AI-designed models. Lip-reading: While the average human accurately lip-reads 54% of the time, a deep network created by Oxford and Google DeepMind scientists, LipNet, reached a 93%success score in reading people’s lips. Creating AIs: Given the ability AI has to quickly process large data sets, it’s able to create child AI applications that outperform human-created AIs. Listening: Whether it’s adding items to your shopping list, or producing meeting minutes from our Zoom calls, AI applications can more accurately capture and process what they hear than many humans. When you hear stories like this, it’s easy to feel uneasy. Like many of us, as Roose was writing about the inroads AI was making, he got worried about his own replaceability as a journalist. He embarked upon a path to research how we can avoid being replaced by robots, which is the premise of the book and the bulk of his presentation. How to future-proof your career Now an important question: What can we do as individuals to protect ourselves from being replaced by AI and robots? First, the bad news: Pretty much every job as it exists today can, in some way, be automated. In all honesty, there isn’t any technology-proof job or career path for the long-term. Now, the good news: Human creativity and resolve is at an all-time premium. And it’s not limited to big “C” creatives like (insert your favourite artist, composer, scientist, or performer). This is not a time to panic — it’s a time to build on the roles and capabilities that can be automated to deliver new value at every level. Upskilling is now for everyone. We are all students again. Creativity, empathy, critical thinking, collaboration, data science, resilience, adaptability, and other “not-so-soft” skills are ranked as critical for everyone in a pandemic world and beyond. As AI drives down the price of goods and automated services, it also increases the value of human goods and human experiences. It rewards those that are good at creating these new things in collaboration with machines. With this in mind, there is one primary thing you can do to make your job a little more future-proof, regardless of what it is: not so ironically, be human. The best way to differentiate yourself is through your humanity and creativity, not your productivity. Accentuate the human labor involved in what you do or what you make — whether it’s making a ceramic bowl, providing customer service, selling a technology product, or how you show up in any given moment to be present, aware, and ready to participate. Think beyond using AI and automation to work as fast, at scale, and cheaply as possible. That’s what everyone else will do. Make that human touch more visible and more value-added. This is what the human economy is about: experiences and feelings that machines cannot replicate. Experiences are personal on every side. That’s what makes them special. They involve human beings and in reality, it’s that humanity combined with meaningful experiences, that we’re going to seek out and pay a lot for. This post was originally published on the U.S.-version of the LIKE.TG blog.

What is Conversion Rate Optimisation? Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is a strategic approach aimed at enhancing a website’s performance by increasing the percentage of visitors who take a desired action. This action, often called a conversion, can range from making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter. In essence, CRO is about maximising the effectiveness of a website and turning more visitors into customers or leads. What is a Conversion Rate? A conversion rate is a key metric in CRO, representing the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action. This ratio is calculated by dividing the number of conversions by the total number of visitors and multiplying by 100. A higher conversion rate indicates that more visitors are taking the intended action, showcasing the website’s effectiveness in achieving its goals. What is a Good Conversion Rate? Determining a good conversion rate depends on various factors such as industry, type of website, and the specific action being measured. While average conversion rates vary, achieving a rate that exceeds industry benchmarks is generally considered favourable. Regular benchmarking against competitors and industry standards helps assess the effectiveness of your CRO efforts. How to Calculate Conversion Rate Calculating the conversion rate involves a simple formula: divide the number of conversions by the total number of visitors, then multiply by 100 to express it as a percentage. This straightforward calculation provides a clear snapshot of your website’s performance in converting visitors into customers or leads. CRO and SEO The relationship between Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is symbiotic. A well-optimised website attracts more visitors through SEO and converts them effectively through CRO. A harmonious integration of both strategies ensures a seamless user experience, positively impacting search rankings and conversion rates. Where to Implement a CRO Strategy Strategically implementing CRO involves focusing on specific pages where user actions are crucial. Key areas for CRO include: 1. Homepage Optimising the homepage is vital for creating a positive first impression and guiding visitors toward desired actions. 2. Pricing Page A well-structured pricing page can significantly influence purchasing decisions, making it a prime location for CRO efforts. 3. Blog Enhancing the conversion potential of blog pages involves incorporating effective calls-to-action (CTAs) and lead-generation elements. 4. Landing Pages Testing and refining landing pages are critical as they are often the entry point for potential customers. CRO Formulas CRO Calculation 1: Conversion Rate Leads Generated ÷ Website Traffic x 100 = Conversion Rate % CRO Calculation 2: Number of Net New Customers New Revenue Goal ÷ Average Sales Price = Number of New Customers CRO Calculation 3: Lead Goal Number of New Customers ÷ Lead-to-Customer Close Rate % = Lead Goal Conversion Rate Optimisation Strategies 1. Create text-based CTAs within blog posts. Add compelling and strategically placed call-to-action buttons to your blog content to prompt user engagement. 2. Add lead flows on your blog. Utilise lead flows—pop-ups or slide-ins—on your blog pages to capture visitor information and convert them into leads. 3. Run tests on your landing pages. Perform A/B testing on landing pages to identify the most effective elements and layouts that drive conversions. 4. Help leads become MQLs. Guide leads through the marketing funnel by providing valuable content and nurturing them into Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs). 5. Build workflows to enable your team. Establish efficient workflows to streamline communication and collaboration among team members involved in the CRO process. 6. Add messages to high-converting web pages. Implement live chat or targeted messages on high-converting pages to provide instant assistance and enhance the user experience. 7. Optimise high-performing blog posts. Identify and optimise blog posts that generate high traffic, ensuring they are conversion-focused and aligned with business goals. 8. Leverage retargeting to re-engage website visitors. Use retargeting ads to re-engage visitors who have previously shown interest in your products or services, increasing the likelihood of conversion. Expert Tips: How to Improve Conversion Rate Optimisation Implementing a successful CRO requires a combination of strategic planning and continuous optimisation. Here are expert tips to enhance your CRO efforts: Understand User Behaviour: Analyse user behaviour through tools like heatmaps and session recordings to identify areas for improvement. Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your website is optimised for mobile users, as many visitors access websites through mobile devices. Clear and Compelling Copy: Craft clear and persuasive copy for your CTAs, landing pages, and product descriptions to communicate value effectively. Loading Speed Optimisation: Optimise website loading speed to prevent user frustration and abandonment. User Testing: Conduct regular user testing to gather valuable feedback and identify usability issues. Social Proof: Incorporate social proof, such as customer testimonials and reviews, to build trust and credibility. Continuous Testing: Implement a continuous testing and experimentation culture to refine strategies based on real-time data. What is the purpose of conversion rate optimisation? The primary purpose of CRO is to enhance the efficiency of a website by maximising the number of visitors who take desired actions, ultimately leading to increased sales, leads, or other valuable conversions. What is a CRO strategy? A CRO strategy involves a systematic approach to improve website performance and user experience. It includes analysing data, setting goals, implementing changes, and continuously testing and optimising elements to boost conversion rates. What are CRO tools? CRO tools are software solutions that help businesses optimise their websites for better conversion rates. These tools encompass a range of functionalities, including A/B testing, heatmaps, analytics, and user behaviour tracking, providing valuable insights for effective CRO strategies.

It goes without saying that customers are at the heart of organisational success. A positive customer experience translates into strong customer advocacy, better return on investment (ROI), and recurring revenue. Successful organisations have found a key element to delivering great customer experience — excellent employee experience. Many customer-centric companies vouch for a strong correlation between happy employees and satisfied customers. Take M1 as an example. This Singapore’s telco empowers its employees to work more efficiently with new tools and applications. With LIKE.TG technology, training time is 50% faster for new sales and service employees. It eliminates repetitive and mundane tasks, making it easier for them to serve customers better. In the long run, efficiency and productivity gains in operations lead to cost optimisation. Why does a happy employee equal a happy customer? In his book ‘Customer what?’, customer experiences (CX) specialist and author Ian Golding talks about how empathy is the biggest factor in creating a positive customer experience. However, empathy should not be limited to the customer and must also be directed at your staff. If you don’t get it right for your team, they won’t direct it toward your customers. Customer experiences frequently mirror how employees feel about their work; thus, happy and supported staff are more likely to facilitate excellent customer experiences. Employees who are happy and engaged at work are more likely to have a positive outlook, be more attentive, use innovation and creativity in their interactions with customers, and represent your business to them in the most favourable manner. So, how can you ensure a great employee experience? Build your Digital HQ on Slack to help teams break down internal silos, foster cross-functional working relationships, and provide the right people with the right information at the right time. 1. Remove barriers in communication Frequent and effective communication is one of the first steps to an enhanced employee experience, whether in a physical, remote, or hybrid setting. In a research conducted by LIKE.TG, connected tools and communication methods improve return on investment (ROI) greatly. Marketing teams on Slack experience 16% faster campaign execution and carry out 8% more campaigns per year. Sales teams using Slack saw an average 13% increase in deals closed and reduced onboarding costs by 39%. Service teams experience an 11% average increase in customer satisfaction and a 9.2% average increase in a company’s net promoter score with Slack. Overall, there is an increase in employee productivity by 26%* using Slack. In return, companies saw an increase in ROI from improved customer satisfaction and reduced cost of customer service tickets. How can your teams leverage the power of real-time communication with Slack? Slack allows your employees to discuss specific projects and issues in one-on-one conversations or within small groups. Urgent request? No problem, just tag the person to get their attention instantaneously. You can also create separate channels for different topics, teams, or groups – to which access for employees can be extended or restricted as needed. Invite people from outside the company to these channels. For brief meetings, Slack provides huddles, either within a channel, between coworkers, or for the entire team. And if you need to provide context — exchange files, documents, images, and videos from your device or directly from the cloud within a message. No time to send a written note? Start a video or voice chat within Slack. In fact, Slack supports all the widely used video conferencing services. 2. Make it easier to find information Searching for a particular message from hundreds of email threads and private conversations requires a lot of time and effort. In Slack, you can simply pin messages to designate which ones you wish to find later. Or use the search function to find specific chats or messages, or even to analyse archived conversations. There is a wide variety of modifiers available in Slack that you may use to focus your search and locate the particular note you’re looking for. This allows your teams to spend their time more productively on value-added tasks. 3. Enable seamless collaboration across teams and time zones Need to speak with someone, but they’re out of the office or in a meeting? Schedule the message to be delivered when they come back online. While sending a message, Slack will suggest times and let you know what time it will be in the recipient’s time zone. Or you can also set a custom time for message delivery if you know when the recipient will be back at their seat. This ensures important messages are not misplaced, while ensuring that they don’t interfere with an employee’s me-time or focus hours — a foolproof way to nudge those employee experience scores higher. 4. Let go of the surveys for a bit! It is quite possible that the employees do not open or fill in the feedback surveys designed to boost employee engagement rates. The reasons could be many — lack of time, lack of interest, or complicated process. But in the process, you are losing out on valuable information such as which workers feel appreciated and engaged, who needs training programmes, what are the possibilities for skill development and so on. Make Slackbot your friend. Get the friendly assistant to ask your employees some relevant questions on a weekly basis. These could include something along the lines of “Are you satisfied with the recognition you get for your work?”, “Are you happy with how frequently your direct manager provides feedback?”, “Do you recognise how your efforts support the objectives of my organisation?”, etc. Employees can complete this in just a few minutes, encouraging regular feedback cycles across the organisation. Additionally, Slack also lets you run employee appreciation programmes to recognise and reward excellent work and high-performing individuals. 5. And finally, leverage technology to take the struggle out of work Leveraging technical solutions is almost always good for increasing the employee experience. You can simply automate routine, repetitive processes inside and outside Slack simply by using clicks rather than extensive coding. Plus, your team can access almost any app from where they work, thanks to the more than 2,400 apps listed in the Slack App Directory. Technology + engaged employees = Satisfied customers Employees can make or break your success story no matter how great your customer-facing app is or how resilient your supply chain is. Engaged, motivated employees go the extra mile to serve the business, providing better customer service and keeping customers satisfied. Thus, it is important that employers put in place the right processes and tools that empower employees to do this. With LIKE.TG and Slack, you can take multiple steps to enhance employee experience. Choose from the countless ways to tailor Slack to your remote team’s needs, and establish a strong remote work culture that keeps employees engaged, and empowers them to provide great customer experiences. Learn more about how LIKE.TG + Slack can help you empower your teams and build your Digital HQ. DOWNLOAD GUIDE Source: 2022 LIKE.TG Success Metrics Global Highlights study. Data is from a survey of 3,706 LIKE.TG customers across the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Australia, India, Singapore, Japan and Brazil conducted between June 8 and June 21, 2022. Results were aggregated to determine average perceived customer value from the use of LIKE.TG. Respondents were sourced and verified through a third-party B2B panel. Sample sizes may vary across metrics. This post originally appeared on the I.N.-version of the LIKE.TG blog.

The past year and a half have seen a decade’s worth of digital change. Everything we do—from communication to commerce and consumption—has been transformed by digital technologies. These advancements can unlock tremendous value for our societies. But they can also reinforce and exacerbate inequalities, unless we bridge the digital skills gap—starting with the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. A recent report from AlphaBeta (commissioned by Amazon Web Services) found that by 2025, the number of APAC workers requiring digital skills will grow over five-fold. The average worker will need to learn seven new digital skills. This will call for about 5.7 billion digital skill trainings. How do we get to this point? What can businesses and governments in the APAC region do to improve access to digital skills training? To find some answers, LIKE.TG hosted a panel discussion on ‘Bridging the digital skills gap in the APAC region’. The panel featured several industry thought leaders and government luminaries: Terence Chia: Cluster Director, Human Capital Cluster, Digital Industry and Talent Group, Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Singapore Ved Mani Tiwari: COO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), India Patrick Kidd: CEO, Digital Skills Organisation, Australia William Sim: VP, Trailhead Academy (APAC), LIKE.TG Here are a few key takeaways from the session that are particularly relevant to Singapore: Gaps can be transformed into opportunities To close the digital skills gap, we first need to understand what’s missing. Then, find a way to transform that gap into an opportunity. For example, as banking consumers moved increasingly away from in-person banking towards digital banking, DBS Bank proactively trained branch tellers in digital skills that would enable them to provide better service to customers, including as video-tellers. That way, DBS Bank engaged their employees as partners in the bank’s digital transformation journey. Many solutions that fill digital gaps can be replicated across the economy. IMDA facilitates this through initiatives, like the Open Innovation Programme, that connect technology solution providers with companies that need such transformative solutions. Sharing and scaling up digital capabilities, techniques, and solutions can prepare our industries for a digital future. “Let’s see the gaps as opportunities to do good.” Terence Chia | Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Singapore The supply of digital skills must match the demand There’s plenty of demand for digital skills. The LIKE.TG economy alone is expected to create 8,500 direct jobs and 17,000 indirect jobs in Singapore between 2019 and 2024. To fill these jobs, we need skilled people, including Salesforce-qualified professionals and other skilled resources. That’s why Trailhead is taking the initiative to empower students and aspiring professionals with the in-demand digital skills that will set them up for a successful career. LIKE.TG strongly believes that access to quality training shouldn’t be based on an individual’s propensity to pay for it, but simply their propensity to learn. Therefore, all Trailhead courses are free. The end goal isn’t just to train or upskill individuals, but to place them within LIKE.TG’s global ecosystem of customers and partners. It’s a win-win for everyone. Aspirants can connect to exciting job opportunities within the LIKE.TG economy. In turn, LIKE.TG’s customers and partners gain access to a range of skilled professionals. “Through our digital skilling programs, we want people to achieve better jobs, better living standards, and a better future.” William Sim | Trailhead Academy (APAC), LIKE.TG Both public and private sectors have a role to play The Singapore government runs surveys every year to assess digital inclusion and skills. They also rely on the private sector for industry feedback and information. Both parties must work together to generate a positive impact at every level of the ‘digital skills stack’. The lowest level, base skilling, is about ensuring that every Singaporean has basic digital literacy skills. Schools already train children to understand the fundamentals of software coding. The private sector can support these efforts by, for example, funding student laptops and providing basic IT skills training. The next level, cross-skilling, is about recognising that digital skills are crucial not just for software programmers or data scientists, but also for marketers, service reps, and other professionals. Therefore, digital skills training should be an integral part of academic courses at the university level. The private sector can help by ensuring that academic curricula are aligned with industry demands. The last level, upskilling, is about making sure that digital skills evolve at the same pace as industry opportunities. This is where the private sector can play the largest role. For example, LIKE.TG’s Trailhead Academy has partnered with Workforce Singapore to run the LIKE.TG Professional Conversion Program (PCP). The program equips working professionals for new career opportunities with LIKE.TG customers. More public-private partnerships like these can help unlock Singapore’s true growth potential. “Let’s simplify, align, and collaborate. Then we can exert influence.” Patrick Kidd | Digital Skills Organisation, Australia Digital skills development must be holistic In the digital age, technical skills like software programming and data science will continue to be important. But as AI and automation take over more tasks, soft skills like thinking critically and communicating well will also become essential. A truly effective digital skills program will hone both hard and soft skills. Digital now pervades every industry—including those that were traditionally non-tech. Logistics, for example, uses sensors, robotics, and even self-driving trucks to transport goods faster. The education sector is experimenting with gamification, smart boards, and chatbots to make learning more engaging. Even skills training programs are using augmented and virtual reality tools to help professionals upskill remotely. All of this goes to show that digital is the future. The faster we close the skills gap, the better positioned we will be to thrive in an all-digital, work-from-anywhere world. “Since the pandemic, digital skills have become survival skills.” Ved Mani Tiwari | National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), India Visit the LIKE.TG Professional Conversion Programme page to learn how you can improve your digital skills and employability in the Infocomm Technology sector.

Customer experience (CX) at retail banks has dropped in priority over the past year. It is important to address this shift and reprioritise the relationship between customers and banks. Doing so is beneficial for both long and short-term financial goals. Eighty percent of customers value the experience a company provides as much as its product and service offerings. Consumers want a personalised experience and instant resolution and communication from their banks. One proven way to deliver meaningful experiences at every customer touchpoint is by implementing autonomous finance, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to deliver optimised experiences. Autonomous finance can help provide these personalised, seamless experiences for consumers and bring the “service” back to banking. Here’s how retail banks can optimise customer experiences in this new, all-digital world. Personalising the customer experience matters No one wants to feel like just another name on a list of customers. By analysing customer data, businesses can predict their customer’s needs and communicate consistently across all channels providing a personalised experience. Banks should tailor offers to each customer, keeping in mind what their financial portfolio looks like. For instance, if a customer already has two credit cards, they’ll find constant offers for a new credit card exhausting. Although people demand the convenience of digital offerings like mobile and online banking, they still want to know there’s a person on the other end who cares. Understand where your customers are at in their lives and offer services to best fit them at that moment in time — whether it’s refinancing student loans or creating a new savings account to prepare for a family. Transparency is key to establishing trust and loyalty A little transparency goes a long way, especially in personal banking when dealing with people’s finances. Communicating with customers often can build trust and loyalty while also improving financial literacy. Offering automated notifications for high and low balance as well as free credit scores establish transparency. If a small business needs a loan, they’ll want to know what stage the loan review process is in. In this case, a real-time digital tracker or notification updates can provide the transparency customers seek. Users want a simple, intuitive experience Digital banking services are now standard, which means customers know what to evaluate when comparing the speed and usability of online and mobile offerings. Users want easy-to-use banking platforms that offer quick logins, digestible features, and products they need. Banks need to meet customers where they prefer to communicate, whether it’s through a chatbot, live agent, contact form, SMS message, WhatsApp, or social media. Chatbots are especially helpful in addressing customers quickly and helping them navigate the platform to get the answer they need, without being put on hold or speaking with an automated representative. Digital culture drives experience improvements Banks need to be flexible and allow both in-office and remote work as we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. If not all teams are digital, it can create a disconnect and a subpar customer experience. Getting all employees from the back-office to frontline workers onboard with the digital journey to work towards one goal as an organisation is important. For example, in early 2020, people working from home had to constantly make trips to the office to get loan paperwork when it could have been transferred to digital files. This inefficient practice led to delayed customer service and communication. Consumers today have so many choices of who they allow to manage their finances. For retail banks, improving customer experience is a critical competitive edge. Research shows 81% of companies will mostly or completely compete on the basis of CX over the next few years. People want all the benefits of digital but still crave human interaction. But, overhauling any aspect of a business can sound intimidating. However, it can drive business growth and customer loyalty. Autonomous finance can address these areas, setting the industry up for future success. This post was originally published on the U.S.-version of the LIKE.TG blog.

We’re delighted to share that Hyperforce is coming to Indonesia in late 2023. Delivered through our partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), any business will be able to deploy LIKE.TG apps and services in the region by leveraging the scale and agility of public cloud computing. “Digitisation is the key to developing deeper relationships with customers and building a flexible workforce,” said Sujith Abraham, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ASEAN, LIKE.TG. “We are proud to bring the benefits of Hyperforce to organisations in Southeast Asia. With Hyperforce, organisations can unlock the ability to host data locally with the scalability of the public cloud as they grow and pursue innovation.” LIKE.TG, Reimagined on Public Cloud Hyperforce is a reimagination of our platform architecture built to securely and reliably deliver the LIKE.TG Customer 360, including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, Industries, and more, on major public clouds. A complete re-architecture of LIKE.TG, Hyperforce delivers a powerful and scalable platform to support the success of our global customer base. Key features include: Performance at B2B and B2C scale. With the elasticity of public cloud, customers can more easily access compute capacity as required to be more flexible and efficient. Hyperforce allows resources to be deployed in the public cloud quickly and easily — reducing implementation time from months to just weeks or even days. Built-in Trust. Hyperforce’s security architecture limits users to appropriate levels of access to customer data, protecting sensitive information from human error or misconfiguration. Encryption, at rest and in transit, comes standard, ensuring the privacy and the security of data. Local Data Storage. Through Hyperforce, customers around the world can choose to store data in a particular location to support compliance with regulations specific to their company, industry, and region. Backwards Compatibility. Every LIKE.TG app, customisation, and integration, regardless of Cloud, will run on Hyperforce. The Next Chapter for LIKE.TG Customers LIKE.TG is committed to accelerating our customers’ digital transformations by empowering them to grow, fast and at scale, on our trusted platform. Through our partnerships with major public cloud providers like AWS, LIKE.TG will continue to deliver Hyperforce around the world. We will empower our global customer base to enter new markets and succeed from anywhere, while ensuring customer trust by remaining compliant with local regulations.

Customer service is the support you provide your customers before and after they purchase your product or service. Offering timely service that consistently meets customer expectations leads to a positive experience of your brand. It helps you build trust and foster long-term relationships with customers to help grow your business. The pandemic has significantly shifted customer engagement to digital channels. But even as lockdowns and social restrictions continue to ease, this digital shift will continue to evolve. According to McKinsey, 75% of first time digital channel users will keep using these channels. This has also significantly shifted the service standards expected by customers. 76% of customers now expect consistent interactions across different departments and touchpoints. While customer service agents play a crucial role in delivering quality customer service, the systems and processes that support them are as important. Here are a few tips to help your business bring people and systems together to provide excellent customer service: 1. Invest in customer service training Businesses with high-performing customer service teams invest in their agents. By providing training to improve product knowledge, troubleshooting, empathy, and customer management skills, businesses can empower agents to build trust with customers. As newer contact centre systems and processes are implemented, agents need to be continually trained. This helps them take advantage of the improved tools at their disposal to deliver unparalleled customer experience. 2. Deliver personalised customer experience To deliver great customer service, agents need to understand the changing needs of customers. When they have a 360 degree view of customer data across channels, they can gain insights into customer behaviour. This helps them meet expectations at every stage of the customer journey. A cloud-based CRM can help your customer service teams stay connected to every customer interaction. They can deliver connected experiences with unique and personalised service, thereby increasing affinity for your brand. 3. Embrace analytics and automation Identify and automate the most repetitive customer service tasks to free up agents’ time to focus on more complex, rewarding work. Some businesses build AI chatbots to help answer basic customer questions. Others use tools to automate the collection of basic information and logging of service requests. A CRM analytics platform can empower service agents with just the right data and insights they need to make quick, informed decisions. By enabling them to solve challenging customer problems, it can help improve agent satisfaction levels. 4. Never lose customer focus Create a customer journey map to help you see things from your customer’s perspective. Focus on what matters to customers by analysing the journey data continuously. This helps you craft a seamless, connected experience across customer channels and keep up with customer demands to stay ahead of competitors. When channels are connected, senior executives also get an overview of service standards to make the right operational decisions. Staying customer-focused helps your teams come together, serve customers better, and grow your business. Boost customer loyalty and deliver connected, personalised customer services across every touch point with LIKE.TG Service Cloud. WATCH DEMO

Within the business profession, building strong customer rapport is no longer a “nice-to-have,” but a fundamental key to business success. Customer rapport refers to the mutually beneficial relationship built on trust, understanding, and positive interactions between a company and its customers. A key component of this is fostering successful business relationships, which hinge on the ability to empathise with and understand customers, thereby creating a partnership feel in all interactions. When businesses prioritise rapport-building, they unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including increased sales, enhanced customer loyalty, and a robust customer retention rate. Join us as we look further into the significance of customer rapport, explore proven strategies to establish it, and discover the transformative impact it can have on your business. The importance of customer rapport Customer rapport is the basis of business success, a bridge that connects businesses with their customers, fostering trust, loyalty, and mutual understanding. Building rapport is not simply a pleasant endeavour; it is an essential investment that reaps rich rewards. Meeting and exceeding customer expectations in this area not only fosters a sense of trust but also makes customers feel valued, encouraging open and constructive communication. When businesses prioritise rapport-building, they sow the seeds of customer satisfaction, a crucial element in retaining a loyal customer base. Satisfied customers are more likely to continue doing business with a company, becoming repeat customers who contribute to the company’s long-term growth and profitability. Exceeding customer expectations enhances customer loyalty by making the customer feel heard, understood, and valued, which is fundamental in fostering a positive relationship. Customer rapport also acts as a catalyst for increased sales and revenue. Customers who feel valued and understood are more receptive to a company’s offerings, often becoming willing advocates for the brand. They are more likely to make repeat purchases, engage in upselling opportunities, and spread positive word-of-mouth recommendations, transforming satisfied customers into brand ambassadors. Rapport is the bedrock of trust and credibility, vital qualities to have within business. When customers trust a company, they are more inclined to engage with its products or services, confident in the knowledge that they are dealing with a reliable and trustworthy entity. Credibility builds customer confidence, leading to increased brand loyalty and a willingness to invest in the company’s offerings. Positive word-of-mouth and referrals are the golden fruits of customer rapport, spreading a company’s reputation far and wide. Satisfied customers, enthusiastic about their positive experiences, become vocal advocates, sharing their experiences with friends, family, and colleagues. These unsolicited endorsements carry immense weight, often influencing the purchasing decisions of potential customers and expanding the company’s reach. Encapsulated, customer rapport is not just a desirable trait; it is a strategic imperative. By nurturing rapport, businesses unlock a treasure chest of benefits, including increased sales, customer loyalty, retention, trust, credibility, and positive word-of-mouth. Investing in customer rapport is an investment in the future of your business, paving the way for sustainable growth and enduring success. Why establish rapport with customers? Establishing rapport with customers is a pivotal strategy within the business for those wishing to achieve long-term success. It forms the bedrock of trust and credibility, the two indispensable mainstays of any flourishing business relationship. When customers perceive a genuine connection and a profound understanding from a business, they are more likely to develop a deep-seated sense of loyalty and become steadfast repeat customers. Rapport-building plays a pivotal role in elevating the overall customer experience and satisfaction. By actively listening to customers’ concerns, demonstrating empathy, and maintaining honesty and transparency, businesses create an environment where customers feel valued and understood. Showing genuine interest in customers’ needs and concerns further strengthens this rapport, ensuring that customers feel truly heard and appreciated. This positive customer experience translates into increased customer retention and loyalty, ultimately leading to business growth and success. Today various industries have become oversaturated, and customers are often inundated with choices. Rapport-building presents a unique opportunity for businesses to differentiate themselves from the competition. Customers often gravitate towards businesses that prioritise building personal connections, seeking a human touch amidst a sea of options. Establishing rapport allows businesses to stand out, creating a competitive edge that drives sales and revenue through repeat business and referrals. Rapport-building is an investment in the future of a business. It lays the groundwork for long-term customer relationships, fostering trust, loyalty, and satisfaction. Businesses that prioritise rapport-building reap the rewards of increased sales, customer retention, and competitive advantage, setting the stage for sustained success and growth. Rapport-building is a strategic investment in the future of a business. It’s a proactive approach to creating a positive customer experience, fostering loyalty, and gaining a competitive edge in a crowded marketplace. It’s a testament to the significance of human connection in business, where trust and understanding are the keys to unlocking long-term success. 10 Ways to build rapport with customers Building rapport with customers is an art that can be cultivated through deliberate efforts. Here are ten effective ways to establish rapport with your customers: Active Listening: Give your customers your undivided attention when they are speaking. Make eye contact, nod your head, and let them know that you are actively engaged in the conversation. A skilled call centre agent knows the importance of praising the customer during these interactions to create a positive experience. Empathy: Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and try to understand their perspective. Show that you care about their concerns and are genuinely interested in helping them. Mirroring the customer’s tone, except when aggressive, can significantly enhance this connection, demonstrating that you are in tune with their feelings. Handling Angry Customers: When faced with angry customers, allow them to express their frustrations without interruption. It’s crucial to build rapport by waiting for them to finish venting, then using empathy statements to acknowledge their situation and show understanding. Honesty and Transparency: Be truthful and open with your customers. Admit mistakes, take responsibility for errors, and be transparent about your business practices. Follow Through on Promises: Keep your promises and deliver on what you say you will do. This builds trust and shows that you are reliable and dependable. Go the Extra Mile: Exceed your customers’ expectations by going the extra mile. This could involve providing additional support, offering personalised recommendations, or simply taking the time to listen to their concerns during customer calls, ensuring a positive connection is established. Personalise the Experience: Address your customers by name and remember their preferences. This shows that you value them as individuals and that you are interested in building a relationship with them. Be Authentic: Be yourself and let your personality shine through. Customers are more likely to connect with you if they feel that they are interacting with a real person, not a corporate robot. Be Positive and Enthusiastic: A positive attitude is contagious. Show your customers that you are excited about your products or services and that you are passionate about helping them. Ask for Feedback: Encourage your customers to provide feedback, both positive and negative. This shows that you value their opinions and are committed to improving your business. By following these tips, you can build rapport with your customers and create a strong foundation for long-term business success. The benefits of building good customer rapport for customer satisfaction Building rapport with customers offers a plethora of advantages for businesses seeking success. One of the primary benefits is enhanced customer retention. When customers feel a strong connection to a business, they are more likely to remain loyal and continue doing business with them over time. This loyalty translates into repeat purchases, positive word-of-mouth referrals, and a stable customer base that serves as the foundation for sustained growth. Establishing this connection not only helps in creating loyal customers but also ensures that businesses can retain customers by building trust and providing positive experiences that encourage them to return. Another significant benefit of rapport-building is increased sales. Customers who trust and respect a business are more inclined to make purchases and invest in its products or services. They are also more receptive to upselling and cross-selling opportunities, recognising the value that the business offers. By fostering rapport, businesses can unlock the potential for increased revenue and profitability. Rapport-building also contributes to the development of strong brand loyalty. When customers feel a personal connection to a business, they become advocates for its brand. They are more likely to recommend the business to friends, family, and colleagues, expanding the reach of the business and attracting new customers. Positive word-of-mouth serves as a powerful marketing tool, enhancing brand recognition and reputation. A positive relationship with customers is an all-important step for this advocacy and referrals, highlighting the importance of genuine interactions and understanding the needs and preferences of the audience. Improved customer satisfaction is another key advantage of building rapport. When businesses prioritise rapport-building, customers feel valued, understood, and respected. This positive customer experience leads to higher satisfaction levels, resulting in increased customer retention and loyalty. Satisfied customers are more likely to provide positive feedback, enhancing the business’s credibility and reputation. Finally, rapport-building facilitates better problem resolution. When customers feel a strong connection to a business, they are more likely to be patient and understanding in the event of issues or challenges. They are also more receptive to solutions and resolutions proposed by the business, recognising the genuine effort to address their concerns. This smoother problem-resolution process further enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty. In conclusion, building customer rapport is an invaluable investment for businesses seeking long-term success. The benefits of rapport-building, including customer retention, increased sales, enhanced brand loyalty, improved customer satisfaction, and better problem resolution, are essential for businesses aiming to thrive in such a competitive market. By prioritising rapport-building, businesses can unlock the potential for sustained growth, profitability, and customer advocacy. Customer service with LIKE.TG for managing customer calls Customer service is the backbone of any successful business, and LIKE.TG offers a powerful suite of tools to help businesses deliver exceptional customer service. With LIKE.TG, businesses can manage customer interactions, track customer data, personalise customer interactions, automate customer service tasks, provide real-time customer support, and integrate with other business systems. LIKE.TG’s customer service capabilities start with its robust customer relationship management (CRM) platform. The CRM platform provides a centralised location for all customer data, including contact information, purchase history, and support tickets. This data can be used to create a complete view of each customer, which allows businesses to provide more personalised and relevant customer service. In addition to its CRM platform, LIKE.TG offers a variety of customer service tools that can help businesses improve their customer service operations. These tools include: – LIKE.TG Service Cloud: A cloud-based customer service platform that provides a comprehensive set of tools for managing customer interactions, including case management, knowledge management, and live chat. – LIKE.TG Einstein: An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform that can be used to automate customer service tasks, such as routing customer inquiries to the right agent and providing real-time customer support. – LIKE.TG Communities: A cloud-based platform that allows businesses to create online communities where customers can ask questions, share ideas, and get help from other customers and company representatives. By leveraging LIKE.TG’s customer service capabilities, businesses can improve their customer service operations, increase customer satisfaction, and drive business growth.

The uncertainty businesses felt at the start of the pandemic has re-emerged with many anticipating a global slowdown. The Straits Times reports that almost three-quarters of the World Economic Forum’s Community of Chief Economists believe that a global recession is at least somewhat likely. There are a number of factors driving this uncertainty and market volatility, including supply and demand shocks, intense measures to tame inflation, and a lack of funding for new initiatives. These impact the flow of capital and influence investment behaviours, particularly when it comes to technology. As a result, financial services firms are adopting different methods to adapt to the changing landscape. These include platformification and digitalisation of the front office to manage operational costs while providing new digital services. Firms are also creating value and competitive advantage with new offerings such as sustainable finance. In short, firms have both an opportunity and challenge to reimagine their business models and customer experience. Forging new pathways to success in financial services LIKE.TG Customer 360 can help firms navigate the challenges ahead and unlock new opportunities. LIKE.TG’s Financial Services Cloud provides the platform for financial services institutions to build trust. It unifies the customer experience across channels, geographies, and lines of business for both consumer and commercial businesses. With purpose-built industry functionality and all the capabilities of Sales Cloud and Service Cloud, financial services firms can increase employee productivity, accelerate time to value, and deepen customer trust with every interaction. More importantly, they can be there in the moment for their customers who rely on them and trust them with their financial wellbeing. At the same time, MuleSoft, helps firms easily automate any process to drive efficiency and productivity. MuleSoft also connects multiple systems to streamline the customer experience. Slack supports faster resolution of issues for higher levels of customer satisfaction. The powerful collaboration tool also enables seamless communication with partners and customers, leading to less friction, more innovation, and faster decision-making. New business models are underpinned by embedded experiences and ecosystems seamlessly integrated into the journey of customers, employees, and partners. With LIKE.TG’s innovative solutions, financial services can drive cost savings and build better business resilience. Building resilience and customer engagement with data During the pandemic, data-driven organisations proved to be more confident and resilient. To navigate this next phase of uncertainty, it makes sense for firms to turn to their data. Tableau empowers teams with real-time insights and analytics to make informed decisions. They can make more accurate predictions about where business is heading. They can also identify opportunities to fine-tune operations and increase productivity. With LIKE.TG Genie, firms can integrate data from every step in the customer experience to create a real-time customer profile. This profile enables all teams — across sales, service, marketing, and more — to tailor the experiences they provide in real time. According to our Future of Financial Services report, three out of customers’ top five pain points in their digital experiences tie back to poor personalisation. So for those wanting to grow and engage their customer base, it is more important than ever to provide experiences tailored to each individual’s needs. Balancing corporate responsibility and profitability The need to build more resilient business models and drive sustainable growth will be highlighted at the Singapore FinTech Festival this week. The festival will also examine how organisations balance corporate responsibility and profitability in order to achieve greater stakeholder engagement and satisfaction. LIKE.TG is a passionate proponent of stakeholder capitalism and committed to doing well by all our stakeholders — our customers, employees, partners, communities, the planet, and society as a whole. And we believe that data and technology can support more resilient and inclusive business models that serve the needs of all stakeholders in the financial services industry. Just look at Bank Mandiri, one of the leading financial institutions in Indonesia. At the height of the pandemic, when many of its customers faced cash flow problems, Bank Mandiri leveraged its data to increase flexibility in its operations and assess customers’ suitability for a new loan restructuring program. Customers could still carry out their financial transactions and receive support with their financial and loan repayment needs. Investing in sustainable growth In the current climate, many firms may be feeling pressure to reduce their technology spend. However, investments in technologies like automation software can help drive efficiency and sustainable growth. Additionally, Software-as-a-Service-based solutions that LIKE.TG provides reduce the upfront costs of new technology investments. Firms can pay only for what they need or, in other words, pay as they grow. Visit us in person at the Singapore FinTech Festival to learn more about how LIKE.TG can help you build business resilience and customer engagement. Find us at booth #2H29 in Hall 2 at Singapore Expo from 2 – 4 November 2022.

The pressure on customer service teams continues to increase. Customers expect instant help — either from self-service digital resources or, with a complex problem, by talking to a person. They’re looking for support that’s both easy and expert. However, the traditional support model of escalating difficult cases to managers or other teams doesn’t cut it anymore. In fact, 82% of customers expect to be able to solve complex problems by talking to just one person, according to LIKE.TG’s State of the Connected Customer report. The old way of providing support often results in long resolution times and multiple handoffs for complex cases. That’s frustrating for the customer. It’s also inherently inefficient for the organisation. The solution is case swarming, a collaborative service model that shares the load of solving customers’ complex problems across the organisation. At LIKE.TG, we’ve transformed how we provide support to our customers by adopting case swarming. We are doing this using the newest addition to LIKE.TG Customer 360: Slack. Connect with the right experts, every time Under a traditional model, customer service teams are typically grouped into tiers, based on their level of experience or expertise in a particular product. A customer with a complex problem is often passed from a Tier-1 service agent to a Tier-2 team member, then to a Tier-3 agent. There are clear downsides to the customer experience: time to resolution is longer, and customers often have to repeat information about their issue to multiple case owners. Even with a successful resolution, this drawn-out experience reduces customer satisfaction. A traditional, tiered model requires an overly complex structure, with multiple customer handoffs. Service agents may spend time on cases they are ill-equipped to resolve, reducing their productivity. When an agent escalates a case to the next tier, it can result in a lack of accountability and ownership. Unless they receive formal training, they’re not learning new skills or progressing their careers. In a tiered support model, customers interact with multiple agents to resolve their issue. Recognising these issues at LIKE.TG, we set about solving them by adopting a new model of intelligent case swarming. We redefined our strategy by creating swarm pods, giving customers access to more expertise from a pool of support engineers. We use Service Cloud to route the case to a swarm pod lead who brings in the necessary experts from across LIKE.TG. Case swarming puts the customer at the centre of the support experience. This type of support model is designed to ensure customers only deal with one owner for each case, someone who has quick access to the expertise they need to resolve each issue quickly. Collaboration by default, not escalation Each of our swarm pods supports a different LIKE.TG product, although some pods offer a specific skill set or specialty. Support engineers collaborate within their pods, and can also jump into other pods to help. There’s no need to escalate a complex issue — everyone is collaborating by default, so a case owner can quickly connect with the right person or people to resolve the issue. We use Slack as our collaboration tool because of its flexible, feature-rich environment. It allows cross-functional teams to communicate and make decisions in real time, no matter where they are located. Because it will integrate with Service Cloud, the full case histories will be easily accessible from within those conversations, creating a simpler agent experience in a single, collaborative place. Case swarming helps bring the right experts together to quickly resolve cases. Slack gives our support pods the flexibility they need to work together to resolve even major issues quickly. Here’s how it works: If an engineer needs help on a case, the pod’s lead pushes a swarm request into the appropriate Slack channels, asking other pods, cross-functional subject matter experts, and managers to swarm the case. Workflows built into Slack automate the processes service agents use to bring the right experts to the swarm pod and work through the case together. Slack bots help monitor and process channel activity, post messages in channels, react to members’ activity, and make channel messages interactive with buttons. This approach allows our engineers to resolve customers’ problems faster, while also shielding customers from the complexity and multiple hand-offs of a traditional support model. As a result, LIKE.TG has seen a 26% reduction in case resolution time since introducing a tierless support model with case swarming with Slack, despite an increase in customers and case volume over the same period. Learn, coach, and mentor in real time With the swarming process, our engineers are regularly collaborating with engineers in other pods, while working closely with highly-skilled experts in their domains. They’re constantly learning from each other, accelerating their skills in their areas of expertise, and broadening their knowledge across domains. Meanwhile, pod leads can coach and mentor their teams in a real-time, collaborative way, instead of the traditional, review-style management approach. As a result, the company gets a more highly-skilled support team, while engineers gain more skills and more responsibility, progressing their careers. Scale case swarming to new teams Ultimately, case swarming has improved the dynamic between our support teams, managers, and customers. Looking ahead, we plan to standardise and scale case swarming across LIKE.TG. Having seen its success in customer support, it’s not hard to see how swarming could benefit other teams. Already, for example, Slack channels provide readily available feedback loops for product teams. They can see issues as they unfold, identify trends, and come up with new ways to improve products for our customers. We have amazing people working in security, operations, finance, sales, product development, support, and other departments. We’re already a highly-collaborative organisation, but swarming could take that to a new level, enabling our people to readily share their knowledge, experiences, and resources in real time. Learn more about Slack here. This post orginally appeared on the U.S.-version of the LIKE.TG blog.

Every year, we recognise partners who have gone above and beyond to overcome their customers’ business challenges and deliver a significant impact. These awards reflect the vital role our partners play in our success and, more importantly, the enormous value they create for our customers. We are continually inspired by our partners’ determination in solving unique customer challenges. We are also impressed by the speed at which they’re able to deliver value. In today’s environment, our customers know that transformation needs to happen in weeks, rather than years. That’s why one of the key criteria for our awards is time to value. Additional criteria include: The compelling nature of the business challenge solved by the partner The innovative use of LIKE.TG solutions Demonstration of measurable success Our three award winners in Asia have excelled in all these areas. Spotlight on our winners Best Multi-Cloud Partner of the Year: Telcowin Telcowin is a LIKE.TG Gold Consulting partner in Malaysia and our Best Multi-Cloud Partner of the Year. This award recognises Telcowin’s collaboration with UEM Sunrise Berhad (UEM Sunrise), one of Malaysia’s top property developers. UEM Sunrise Berhad had embarked on digital transformation, with several objectives in mind. It wanted to simplify its business processes and establish a single source of truth for customer data. It also wanted to establish end-to-end visibility over its sales lifecycle. Telcowin helped UEM Sunrise by seamlessly integrating LIKE.TG solutions. It implemented custom components that expanded UEM Sunrise’s digital capabilities on the service front and improved sales visibility. This gave the sales team the agility to connect and engage with customers across multiple digital channels. “This award is proof that we chose the right path when we decided to focus on consulting and implementing LIKE.TG products. The continued trust we build with our customers and opportunities awarded to us will be the important factor for us to keep going, exploring, and expanding our horizon.” Hafiz Izwan, Chief Executive Officer, Telcowin Mid-Market + Implementation Partner of the Year: I&I Group I&I Group Public Company Limited is a LIKE.TG Gold Consulting partner in Thailand. A life insurance company turned to I&I Group to improve their complaint management processes and provide a better service experience for customers. The solution provided by I&I Group included improved case monitoring and automated triggers to ensure cases are responded to within the defined service level agreement (SLA). This resulted in a 34% reduction in cases exceeding the SLA. “Our entire team has worked so hard over the past several years to be the best in what we do to help LIKE.TG customers in Thailand achieve business value for their transformation initiatives. To win this award is extraordinary, but to keep it up is even more challenging. That’s exactly what our team will try to achieve.” Khun Somchai Mekasuvanroj, Chief Executive Officer, I&I Group SMB Implementation Partner of the Year: TechMatrix Pte Ltd TechMatrix is a LIKE.TG Gold Consulting partner that is headquartered in Singapore. Aureus Academy, a music school in Singapore, turned to TechMatrix Pte Ltd to consolidate multiple legacy systems. The school also wanted to create a seamless and high-quality self-service experience for customers. TechMatrix automated and streamlined various processes for Aureus Academy. These include enrolment enquiries, class scheduling, and subscription billing. To improve customer experience, TechMatrix implemented a customised mobile application and self-service web portal. Finally, TechMatrix automated Aureus Academy’s customer journeys and made them more personalised. The solution resulted in a 30% increase in enrolment, a 50% increase in productivity, and zero service backlogs. “We are very excited to win this award two years in a row. It is a testament to our customer-centric approach and our team’s hard work. It also serves as a motivation for us to continue partnering with our customers and driving results on their behalf. This focus on customer success will be key to our approach and success.” Dharamvir Sharma, Managing Director, TechMatrix Pte Ltd Find a partner to unlock your success Finding the right partner can help you to accelerate your organisation’s transformation journey and unlock greater success. We suggest those like our winners who have demonstrated best-in-class attributes and proven success. It’s also more important than ever to find a partner who can accelerate time to value. Look for a partner with experience and intellectual property that are specific to your industry. You’ll also want a partner who understands your unique challenges. To find your ideal match, visit our Consulting Finder on the AppExchange.

As digital technology advances and plays an ever-bigger part in our daily lives, businesses have to keep up with the times. From a broad perspective, it’s simple: Keep up or fall behind. Understanding what digital transformation means to your business requires a bit more exploration, however. What are the drivers in digitalisation and digital transformation? The root of any change in business starts with customers. It has to: Customer happiness is how you win in business. Modern customer expectations are being driven by largely digital technology and digital innovations. The always-connected customer is always seeing new possibilities. When they see new things elsewhere, they want them from you, too. And if you can’t offer them, they’ll find someone else who can. The digitally connected world makes it easier than ever for customers to comparison shop and move from one brand to another, often with minimal effort required. Digital innovation shapes business across all industries. Digital transformation impacts every industry. Whether your business generates revenue through client services, digital media, or physical goods, technological innovations can transform your means of production, distribution, and customer service. Depending on your business, your customer could be a consumer or a business-to-business (B2B) client. Let’s extend our perspective to also include your employees. As we’ll talk about in a moment, employee expectations are being driven by their own consumer experiences, particularly when it comes to digital innovation in the workplace. Customers expect digital technology and innovation. Today’s customers are connected and empowered by the digital era. They’re connected 24/7, and increasingly want and expect that same around-the-clock access to the companies they do business with. The key drivers behind this change in consumer behaviour? Mobile devices and social media. Over half of customers surveyed for LIKE.TG’s report “State of the Connected Customer” said that technology has significantly changed their expectations of how companies should interact with them. More specifically, 73% of customers prefer to do business with brands that personalise their shopping experience, according to the Harvard Business Review. LIKE.TG’s research also reports that 57% of consumers said it’s absolutely critical or very important for companies they purchase from to be innovative. Otherwise, they might just look for new companies to buy from: 70% of respondents said new technologies have made it easier for them to take their business elsewhere. Employee empowerment drives digital solutions. The Apple iPhone is often mentioned as a key driver in the adoption of consumer technology in the workplace. The iPhone wasn’t originally marketed to businesses, but it quickly became popular, to the point that corporate IT departments had to accommodate employees wanting to use iPhones in lieu of other devices. Once a few big employers opened their doors, acceptance of iPhones in the enterprise spread quickly. The iPhone disrupted the status quo for technology adoption in the workplace. Instead of IT leaders telling employees which approved devices to use, enough workers asked for iPhones that IT departments eventually acquiesced. This trend continues today, with more “consumer-grade” technologies making their way into the workplace. Maybe even more noteworthy is the flip side of the trend: Enterprise software has started taking design and functionality cues from the consumer world. Long live ease of use! Digital-first employees are connected employees. Millennials — more than any other subset of the workforce — are proponents of the digital-first mentality. Having come of age on PCs, consumer electronics, and phone apps, millennials expect to enjoy the same powerful, easy-to-use digital tools in the workplace as they do in the rest of their lives. Digital transformations apply this digital-first state of mind to empower all your employees. In the same way that consumers look for businesses ready and willing to connect with them 24/7 via social media and other digital channels, today’s employees thrive in environments that make it easy to collaborate, access information, and work anytime and from anywhere. Digitalisation is a powerful ally of the empowered employee. For small businesses, the upside to building a digital business can be game-changing. Not only is digitalisation key to meeting customer expectations and empowering employees, but it can also help small businesses do more with less. The efficiencies afforded by going digital — having one comprehensive database shared across your entire business, leveraging customer data to create personalised messaging and service strategies, enabling employee connectivity from mobile devices, for example — can free small teams up to spend more time winning and keeping new customers. Bonus: When you build digitally from the beginning, it’s much easier to scale systems as your business grows. Digital innovations are transforming industries. Employees aren’t the only ones benefiting from easy-to-use, always-on access to information in the workplace. Machines themselves are getting smarter, too. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud analytics, and sensors of all sizes and capabilities are transforming manufacturing, production, research — virtually all facets of business across all industries. The examples are never ending. Digital innovations like AI and the IoT are driving all manner of advancements in the production of everything from consumer goods to cars and trucks. Optimised manufacturing processes adapt to changing consumer demand. Cloud-based software affords real-time visibility into supply chain logistics. Customer experience mapping powered by machine learning surfaces key insights to help product planners, marketers, and budget makers alike do their jobs better. Together, these and many more innovations like them are changing the way we do business, from every conceivable angle. Why do businesses need to transform in the digital era? Digital transformation is business transformation. It’s a transformation that’s being driven by the basic desire to make work better for everyone, from employees to customers. The drivers we just walked though are some of the biggest reasons behind the massive changes rippling through the business world right now. Add to that the need every business has to compete for — and win — customers. If your competitors are leveraging digital transformation to streamline production, expand distribution, build a better workplace for employees, and improve the overall customer experience, you’d better up your game, too. But how are these changes taking shape? What does digital transformation look like in practice, across different parts of an organisation? Let’s take a look at some examples. Overview: What Is Digital Transformation?Chapter 2: Examples of Digital TransformationChapter 3: How to Digitally Transform Your Business

What does digital transformation look like in practice, and how has it already changed the way we do business? Let’s take a look at examples of digital innovations in marketing, sales, and service that build closer customer relationships and empower employees across all industries. Examples of digital transformation in marketing. At a high level, the goal of digital transformation in marketing is to find more customers while spending less money. More specifically, awesome digital marketing generates more quality leads and helps you get closer to all of your customers, whether they’re new to your brand or longtime loyalists. The shift from analog to digital marketing materials helps these efforts in two key ways. First, digital materials are generally cheaper to produce and distribute than analog media. Email, in particular, is far less expensive than print-and-mail campaigns. Second, digital marketing opens the door to marketing automation, analytics tracking, and dialogue with customers in ways that analog never could. Instead of planning a one-size-fits-all trip down the funnel, marketers can build 1-to-1 journeys that observe customer behaviours and shape the experience along the way to best suit each individual buyer. And instead of going on instinct and gut feelings alone, marketers now have data-driven insights at hand to help craft those journeys. Digital transformation helps marketers connect with individual customers. Let’s look at some examples that detail how digitally transforming your messaging strategy can increase customer engagement and reduce your costs. Examples of digital transformation in sales. There’s a good reason that the traditional roles of marketing and sales are being redefined in the digital age. It’s all about the data. The ability to collect large amounts of precise data on consumer behaviour lets marketing and sales teams, in particular, approach their work in ways never before possible. Looking at consumers as individuals, and studying their behaviour from the first touchpoint all the way through the buying journey, brings to light the natural bond between marketing and sales. Nurture that bond, and magic happens when these historically separate groups work together. Data makes every sales rep productive. Salespeople particularly benefit from access to more and better data. When marketing and sales teams share information across a CRM, and individual sales reps enter sales activity and keep their pipelines up to date on the platform, information flows freely throughout an entire organisation. From there, two big things happen. First, more eyes on the same information means more opportunities to share intelligence across your entire business. Maybe someone from marketing ops sees a sales rep’s note about a prospect in the CRM, and shares marketing campaign activities related to the prospect that helps move the deal along. Second, as information flows and gathers within your company, you set yourself up to leverage cutting-edge digital innovations like artificial intelligence. Digital transformation creates AI-driven sales techniques. Artificial intelligence systems can be incredibly helpful in their ability to comb through vast amounts of data in search of useful patterns and other insights. As AI services evolve, they’re studying sales and marketing data not only from the end-consumer standpoint, but also to determine the effectiveness of sales techniques and strategies themselves. In addition to surfacing insights around, say, which demographics are more likely to buy at what times of the year, AI can shed light on which sales strategies have proven most effective over time, or what promotions and product bundles bucked long-term trends to move the revenue needle. With more and more datasets available from external sources, AI systems can mine marketplace information as well as your own sales history. From there, the systems look for correlations, patterns, and even anomalies to give your teams a competitive edge when going after accounts. Combining AI-driven insights with the tribal knowledge of your teams is perhaps the ultimate realisation of digital transformation for sales. Social selling strategies are a key component of digital transformations. Social media is everywhere, mashing up news, entertainment, and brand interactions alongside interpersonal connections. PricewaterhouseCoopers recently found that 78% of consumers were in some way influenced by social media during their buying process. And nearly half of consumers said their buying behaviour was directly affected by reviews and comments they came across on social. Consumer participation in social media has changed the buying process, so any successful digital transformation needs to incorporate a social selling strategy. This uniquely digital medium is full of opportunity for the savvy salesperson to connect and build relationships with prospects and longtime customers. As the Digital Marketing Institute aptly said, “Successful social sellers can be regarded as thought leaders, or even trusted consultants, by prospective customers as they provide value through industry insights, sharing expertise and offering solutions to common consumer questions through creating or sharing insightful content.” Examples of digital transformation in service. Customer service, and our ideas around where service begins and ends, are being upended by the digital era as much as any other part of business. Maybe more so. The “on-demand economy” has quickly grown from a few upstart apps that hire errand runners and hail cars for busy urbanites to a global movement to, as Forbes put it, “Uberise the entire economy.” A combination of smartphone ubiquity, electronic payment systems, and apps designed to match demand (consumers) to supply (gig workers) in real time has created a world in which nearly anything you might want is just a swipe and tap away, around the clock. Talk about digital transformation! With everything from pizza delivery to child care now available at their fingertips, customers are expecting more and more companies and industries to embrace digital as their primary means of doing business. For service departments, that means greater expectations for 24/7 problem-solving on the customer’s channel of choice. But it also means greater opportunities to delight buyers and win more business. Social media is the new customer service desk. Listening and responding to customers across all social media channels sounds pretty daunting if you’re just getting started with the Twitter and LinkedIn apps on your own phone. But a host of tools designed for social service makes it easy to highlight customer needs, integrate social channels into your service workflows, and start measuring brand sentiment and activity across social media. Meeting your customers where they already are is a big part of winning business in our digital world. Approaching social service with a digital transformation mindset can really spell the difference between struggling to keep up with customer needs and turning service calls into opportunities to grow your brand. Collaboration across the different parts of your business is key. The LIKE.TG “State of the Connected Customer” report made that clear: 84% of high-performing marketing leaders say that service collaborates with marketing to manage and respond to social inquiries and issues, while just 37% of underperformers say the same. When information is freed from silos, teams collaborate more, and businesses perform better. Self-service is a service agent’s best friend. Remember the days when everything from canned goods to kitchen appliances came with a toll-free customer service number, and that 800 number was your only avenue for everything from product questions to warranty claims? Call centers aren’t quite a thing of the past, but the digital age brings so much more flexibility when it comes to finding the right medium for serving customers in different ways. The self-service portal is a great example. These user-facing tools offer features like password reset, self-logging of incidents, service requests, and knowledge base searches. They can also include more interactive services like collaborative spaces, chat services, and embedded social media feeds that are relevant to service issues. User-friendly design, including search fields that offer suggestions, and user profiles that leverage customers’ purchase and service histories, can go a long way toward personalising self-service for your customers. A good self-service portal can reduce the demands on your service agents. And customers like self-service: 59% of consumers and 71% of business buyers say self-service availability impacts their loyalty, according to our research. AI plays a key role in the digital transformation of service. Bringing artificial intelligence into your service organisation is a prime example of the power of digital transformation. AI-powered chatbots that answer simple customer inquiries serve as a welcoming presence on your website, reducing the time customers have to wait to reach an agent. Deploying chatbots to handle level one inquiries also frees up service personnel to spend time on more sensitive cases. AI-powered bots can serve as the entry point into intelligent case routing systems. When a customer’s query is too complex for the chatbot to handle, natural language processing helps map the question to the best available expert to resolve the situation. Examples of digital transformation across industries. We’ve talked a lot in this chapter about specific examples of digital transformation in marketing, sales, and service. All digital transformations start with the move from analog to digital — that is, taking information off of paper and putting it into the digital realm. From there, these basic ideas apply to all businesses and industries: Meet customers in the digital channels they already frequent Leverage data to better understand your customers and the marketplace as a whole Free your data and share intelligence across your entire business Encourage once-separate groups like marketing, sales, and service to collaborate Digital transformation is helping many industries. Let’s look at how these ideas are being applied in a few specific ones. Examples of digital transformation in banking. Banking has been radically transformed by digital technologies in ways that have greatly benefited many consumers. Not so long ago, the majority of transactions were handled in person by bank tellers. Automated teller machines (ATMs) came along and streamlined the basic transaction process, extending business hours and reducing wait times and dependencies on human employees for cash withdrawals and other popular transactions. Over time, ATM technology has evolved to accommodate cash and check deposits, more secure transactions, and support for multiple accounts, including credit cards and mortgages. More recently, PCs and mobile devices have given way to online and mobile banking, and cashless payment systems. Consumers now conduct more and more bank business via the web, including paying bills and sending funds directly to friends and family. Mobile banking apps let users take snapshots of paper checks to make remote deposits, and a new wave of payment systems, including PayPal and Apple Pay, let consumers pay for everyday purchases with accounts linked directly to their phones, no cash or plastic card required. Examples of digital transformation in retail. Retail has also been radically transformed in the digital era. Digital transformation has both impacted the in-store retail experience and ushered in the age of ecommerce. Digital technologies have improved the retail experience for consumers and proprietors alike, enabling everything from loyalty cards and e-coupons to automated inventory and retail analytics systems. Shoppers who used to clip coupons from newspapers and magazines now just show their phones at checkout to access in-store discounts and deals. When they do this, their purchases are tallied by digital systems that track consumer behaviour trends, tie into inventory and purchasing systems, and trigger individualised customer journey events like email and SMS messaging. Additional personalisation of the in-store experience can be enabled by digital beacons that link to mobile apps to sense when particular shoppers enter the store. From there, anything from a phone alert to a personal concierge can be deployed to enhance the retail experience. Retailers are now even experimenting with subscription-style sales using Internet of Things technology. Amazon, for example, has Dash Buttons: IoT-enabled devices with buttons that trigger automated reordering of an item. Branded Dash Buttons are available for a growing number of household goods and other items regularly in need of replenishment. Just click the button when you’re running low and a refill — billed to your Amazon Prime account, naturally — will be dispatched right away, just like that. Examples of digital transformation in insurance. The impact of digital transformation in the insurance industry is similar to our other examples in that consumer expectations are driving change. Web- and app-based self-service portals make it easy for consumers to comparison shop, enroll in coverage, use multiple agents and carriers for different types of insurance (home, car, life, and so on), and file claims. In fact, much of this is now possible without the need to actually speak to an agent, which saves time for consumers and money for the insurance companies. What’s notable about digital transformation in insurance is the role the Internet of Things is playing in revamping the industry. Inexpensive, IoT-enabled sensors are giving insurers access to a wealth of data that’s informing industry forecasting and claim reviews alike. Take auto insurance as an example: In-vehicle sensors monitor actual driving habits, rewarding consumers who routinely drive safely under the speed limit or log fewer-than-average miles. Sensors connected to phones could also be used to deter texting while driving by disabling a driver’s messaging apps while their car is in motion. Connecting vehicles to wearable devices with blood alcohol measurement capabilities could help prevent drunk driving by temporarily disabling the engine, cutting risk for insurance carriers while also making roads safer for everyone. Overview: What Is Digital Transformation?Chapter 1: Why Are Businesses Going Through Digital Transformations?Chapter 3: How to Digitally Transform Your Business

A digital transformation is a complete business transformation. It’s crucial to keep this in mind if you’re seriously considering transforming your business. It’s not just about updating IT systems and apps. It’s a cultural shift, and a reimagining of all of your company’s processes and ways of doing things. As we said previously, small businesses — even those just getting off the ground — can leverage a digital transformation mindset to build digital first into their company culture. What better way to imagine how digital innovation can benefit customers than by being a digital native yourself in all aspects of growing and running a business? Before we get into how to build a framework for your digital transformation, let’s first go through some of the signs that your business is, in fact, in need of transforming. Signs that a business needs a digital transformation. Signs that your business is in need of a digital transformation can appear across different parts of your organisation. They may not scream “It’s time to go digital!” or “Why aren’t you on Instagram?” Instead, they could manifest as a diverse set of business problems. If one or more of the items on our checklist rings true, it might be time to think seriously about developing a digital transformation strategy. You’re not getting the referrals that you used to get. More and more referrals are now shared online, via social media, apps, email, and messaging. If your business doesn’t have a strong, easy-to-share digital presence, you could be missing out on referrals. Repeat business isn’t repeating like it used to. Customers not coming back to do business with you again isn’t necessarily a sign that your products and services aren’t measuring up. Losing repeat business could be due to competitors’ promotions, lack of follow-up communication on your part, or any number of other reasons. A digital transformation of your messaging strategy could shed light on why your repeats have been dwindling. Tried-and-true promotions are no longer generating leads. Why aren’t your killer promotions effective any more? Are you measuring their impact? It’s hard to pinpoint the impact of print campaigns, and even last year’s best digital strategies may no longer be effective. If your promotions aren’t bringing in leads, it may be time for a new, bottom-up approach to marketing. Cross-departmental complaints are mounting about a lack of collaboration and information sharing, teams operating in silos, and so on. The idea that sales and marketing just don’t get along has gone the way of the dinosaurs. Collaboration is the operative word in today’s progressive business cultures, and getting your data out of silos and in front of whoever needs it is key. At the core of every digital foundation is a plan to make business data accessible and useful across departments. Your technology systems feel old — employees are asking for features they’re used to from consumer apps. Spreadsheets are great, but you shouldn’t be using them for everything. Modern business apps that serve specific needs, integrate with one another for data sharing, and offer user-friendly experiences across desktop and mobile are where it’s at. If your current technology doesn’t offer employees most, if not all, of the above, maybe it’s time to look at a technology platform that can. Digging past the surface to understand the root causes of these problems often leads to the realisation that you don’t have the proper visibility into business data necessary to make good decisions. Many SMBs are built on a patchwork of applications that don’t talk to each other. Fixing your technology infrastructure to facilitate sharing and analysing data across your business is a key step toward better, more informed decision-making. A digital transformation strategy is a business transformation strategy. Remember that just as digital transformations are about business first, and digital second, problems with your business data may be signals to look more closely at how your company is doing business generally. Laurie McCabe, Co-Founder and Partner at SMB Group, said it well: “In fact, it’s usually situations like these that make you realise you don’t have great visibility into your own business data or, even worse, have lost touch with what your customers want and need.” If you’re seeing red flags and realising that your business data isn’t centralised, accessible, and working for you, what’s next? It’s time to craft a digital transformation strategy. How small business leaders can think about a digital transformation strategy. Start with an internal assessment to identify gaps, problems, and areas where you may experience difficulties. What’s your biggest problem? What’s the key to your survival? For very small and very new businesses, the answers may be short and sweet: We need customers and sales. We need a few key processes and systems we can run with. It’s important to involve everyone at your company. All will be part of your digital transformation over time, and you may have more stakeholders than you think. Even if your company is small and new, and the path to digital transformation seems clear now, remember that you’re building for the future. And future you will be bigger. Whether that means more employees, more revenue, or both, your business will grow. Flexibility and the ability to stay nimble as your business evolves should be built right into your digital transformation strategy. Connecting with a LIKE.TG MVP online or in person can be a great — and free — resource as you start thinking about your small business digital transformation strategy. Consider outside help in mapping a digital transformation strategy. Working with consultants, partners, and tech vendors can be great for SMBs because they have the depth of experience and knowledge to help you figure out the best paths to success. Experienced partners have likely helped other companies in similar situations, and so can help you find the most direct paths to meaningful transformation. A great place to look for consulting partners is the consultants directory on the LIKE.TG AppExchange. Many small business leaders hear the word “consultant” and instinctively flinch while reaching a hand to guard their wallets. Don’t assume that getting help is always too expensive — that’s simply not true. Many large companies offer free advice or trainings for SMBs, like LIKE.TG Trailhead. Beyond free offerings, there are all sorts of ways to get advice without spending a lot. You don’t have to create your digital transformation roadmap alone. Remember that the point of hiring or partnering with an external group to craft your digital transformation strategy is to draw upon their expertise. They bring something to the table that you don’t have — experience and industry expertise across many different clients — and can provide value and best practices. Your short-term investment in their time is designed to help your business reap bigger benefits over the long haul. Tapping the right partner to consult on your transformation strategy lets you come up with a better plan than you could on your own, while also letting you stay focused on your core business. It will also help you avoid some of the rookie mistakes that inevitably happen when you go it alone. Collaborate on technology decisions and investments when leading a digital transformation in your organisation. If you’re leading a digital transformation in your organisation, keep this rule of thumb in mind as you consider decisions and investments: Be collaborative. If you have 10 employees, all 10 will be affected by the change, so you need to get them on board. Don’t make decisions in a vacuum. The changes brought by digital transformation will impact everyone’s daily workflow, and are meant to empower employees. Get everyone involved early and solicit ideas. Not only will you get better buy-in, you’ll get a better outcome, too. Avoid common mistakes in your digital transformation framework. Technology integration is key. It’s perhaps the number one area SMBs should be investing in. One of the biggest, easiest-to-make mistakes that businesses make is investing in a bunch of different technologies that don’t integrate. Unfortunately, it’s hard to unwind the resultant snarl of information when your platforms and apps don’t work together. SMBs need to stay focused on getting the capabilities they need now in a way that will scale as their businesses grow. Today’s business ecosystems and platforms make it easy for vendors and developers to build apps tailored to helping SMBs grow. Adopting a scalable platform will help ensure that the processes and information in your company can flow as easily as possible. That’s the foundation upon which everything else can be built. Build bridges to connect your data, employees, and customers. You don’t need to scrap everything and start over when beginning a digital transformation, even if you’re transitioning from a snarl of apps that don’t talk to each other. In fact, the most effective solution is to bridge data silos, and pull all information into a central space — rather than completely starting over. The second part of the process is to unify your data, with the aim of creating a single, unified view of the customer. Once you’ve built bridges between fragmented information, you’ll be able to surface useful insights into customer behaviour and maximise the potential of new technologies like AI. Looking at your business anew with the benefit of new insights and tools is what digital transformations are all about. Overview: What Is Digital Transformation?Chapter 1: Why Are Businesses Going Through Digital Transformations?Chapter 2: Examples of Digital Transformation

Prior to COVID-19, exports from the Philippines were on the rise and reached US$70.3 billion in 2019. However, the country’s export market—like many others— was challenged by the pandemic. The trade shows, which typically boosted exports, were put on pause. This was a real dilemma for the Philippines’ Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). CITEM is the export promotions arm of the country’s Department of Trade and Industry. It is committed to developing, nurturing, and promoting globally-competitive micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), exporters, designers, and manufacturers. So when it became clear that events had to be cancelled, CITEM leapt into action to support these businesses in new ways. Here’s a snapshot of how CITEM moved quickly to advance its digital strategy: Digital tools evolve from an opportunity to a necessity Even before the pandemic, CITEM viewed the move to digital as a powerful tool to build a community for its stakeholders. However, it became a necessity almost overnight, leading CITEM to engage a LIKE.TG consulting partner to digitalise trade promotions. This partner was Third Pillar, a Philippines-based consulting partner, which is now part of Globe Telecom, Inc. “The trade show industry, globally, was caught unaware when the pandemic started so it was really difficult for everyone to digitalise and change their processes. However, CITEM had already started to look at putting together a digital trade and community platform,” said Pauline Suaco-Juan, Executive Director at CITEM. “We did this primarily because we realised that sourcing preferences were beginning to change, with more and more people sourcing products through social media and websites.” CITEM’s vision for digital engagement gave rise to FAME+, a digital platform that connects buyers and sellers within the Philippine home, fashion and lifestyle industries. It also tells the stories behind each product, brand, or designer found on the catalog to optimise their visibility with content creation and distribution. CITEM’s main challenge in launching FAME+ was onboarding sellers. Many of these businesses were not yet using digital technologies; so it was up to CITEM to help them get started. Automation and personalisation drive quick wins Third Pillar has helped CITEM solve the challenge of onboarding sellers by using Marketing Cloud to automate and streamline the process from end-to-end. For example, it has created an email journey which prompts sellers to register for FAME+ and to submit the information needed to build out their product listings. Third Pillar has also enabled CITEM to promote these listings using personalised email journeys based on buyers’ browsing habits. These journeys have been successful in helping sellers reach new audiences and sustain their businesses—and jobs—at a critical time. Additionally, the use of Marketing Cloud has created internal efficiencies for CITEM and trimmed the time it takes to produce campaigns. “What we’ve done is apply LIKE.TG to automate those digital processes that typically take time, allowing the CITEM team to focus on what they do best, which is relationship-building and storytelling,” said Deanna Rubiano, Third Pillar Chief Marketing Officer. Working with Third Pillar, CITEM has also adopted Social Studio to promote the businesses on FAME+ and enhance their digital presence. Social Studio will also allow CITEM to efficiently manage social media, equipping just three people to handle 15 different channels. These include channels for CITEM’s sub-brands such as IFEX Philippines, CREATE Philippines, and the Sustainability Solutions Expo (SSX). Social listening will be especially valuable in helping CITEM to understand and tap into industry trends so that it can continue to lift the profile of the Philippines’ export industry. “CITEM team has worked closely with LIKE.TG and Third Pillar last year to equip ourselves with the necessary tools to take CITEM’s content marketing to greater heights,” Suaco-Juan said. “I’m certain that with all these CRM functions available to us, we will be able to seize every opportunity ahead of us in the digital sphere.” Read more customer stories to find out how other businesses are transforming digitally with LIKE.TG.

In today’s competitive business landscape, understanding your competitors is crucial for success. A well-executed competitor analysis provides valuable insights into their strategies, strengths, weaknesses, and market positioning. By analysing your competition, you gain the knowledge needed to make informed decisions, differentiate your offerings, and stay ahead of the curve. This blog post will explore the concept of competitors, and thorough competitive analysis, its importance, various types, and effective methods for conducting one. Additionally, we will discuss how LIKE.TG can make competitive analysis templates to assist businesses in streamlining and enhancing their own competitor research and analysis processes. What is a competitor analysis? In the ever-competitive business landscape, understanding your competitors is not just crucial; it’s the key to unlocking success. Competitor analysis is the art of dissecting your competitors’ business strategies beforehand, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, and uncovering their secrets to success. It involves meticulously gathering and analysing data on their products, services, marketing tactics, and financial performances. The ultimate goal is to gain invaluable insights that empower you to develop a formidable competitive advantage and propel your very own brand or business to new heights. Competitor analysis is not a one-time project; it’s an ongoing journey of discovery. You stay abreast of the latest industry trends by continuously monitoring your competitors, anticipate potential threats, and seize emerging opportunities. This profound understanding of the competitive landscape allows you to make informed decisions, differentiate your offerings, and stay ahead of the curve in the fiercely contested business arena. Through competitor analysis, you gain an in-depth understanding of your competitors’ strengths, allowing you to draw inspiration from their triumphs and incorporate their best practices into your own business model. At the same time, uncovering their weaknesses presents golden opportunities for you to exploit their vulnerabilities and establish a unique selling and value proposition that sets you apart in the competitive market analysis. By deciphering their strategies, you can proactively develop counter-strategies that neutralise their impact and pave the way for sustained growth for your business. Competitor analysis is not just about spying on your rivals; it’s about learning from them, adapting your strategy to the market dynamics, under competitive pressure, and continuously improving your business practices. It’s about gaining the knowledge and insights necessary to make informed decisions, allocate resources effectively, and stay ahead of the competition in a rapidly evolving business environment. Embrace competitor analysis as a vital tool for your business success, and you’ll be well-positioned to thrive in even the most challenging of markets. Difference between direct and indirect competitors “Direct competition and indirect competitors are two different types of competitors market that businesses need to be aware of. Direct competitors are businesses that offer similar products or services to your company in the same market. For example, if you own a coffee shop, your direct competitors would be other coffee shops in your area. Indirect competitors, on the other hand, are businesses that offer different products or services to your business but still compete for your customers’ attention and money. For instance, if you own a coffee shop, your indirect competitors could be fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, or bookstores. Here is a more in-depth comparison of direct and indirect competitors: Direct competitors: Offer competitors sell similar products or services to your business Compete for the same customers and competitors websites Are usually located in the same geographic area Use similar marketing strategies Have similar pricing structures Indirect competitors: Offer different products or services to your business on competitors’ websites Compete for your own target markets, your target market, audience, and customers’ attention and money in different ways May be located in different geographic areas Use different marketing strategies Have different pricing model structures It is important to analyse both your direct and indirect competitors to get a complete picture of the competitive market landscape. By understanding your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, you can develop a strategy to differentiate your business and gain a competitive advantage. For example, if you know that your direct competitors offer a product or service at lower prices, you may need to adjust your pricing strategy or offer additional value-added services to stay competitive. If you know that your indirect competitors are targeting a different customer base, you may need to adjust your marketing strategy to reach those customers. By conducting a thorough competitor analysis, you can gain valuable insights to help you make informed decisions about your business strategy. Why is competitor analysis important? Competitor analysis is a crucial business strategy that provides invaluable insights into the company’s competitive advantage, market share percentage, market trends and landscape and drives success. By analysing competitors, businesses can identify gaps in the market, uncover opportunities for differentiation, and stay abreast of industry trends and innovations. This enables them to make informed decisions, adapt to changing market dynamics, and gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Understanding competitors’ strengths and weaknesses allows businesses to benchmark their own performance, identify competitors, and pinpoint areas for improvement. This introspection helps identify internal inefficiencies, enhance processes, and optimise resource allocation. By continuously monitoring competitors, businesses can stay agile, respond swiftly to market shifts, and maintain a competitive edge. Competitor analysis also plays a pivotal role in developing effective marketing efforts and sales strategies. By analysing competitors’ marketing tactics, businesses can gain insights into successful approaches and potential areas of improvement. This knowledge empowers them to craft targeted marketing campaigns, optimise pricing strategies, and enhance customer acquisition efforts. Moreover, competitor analysis offers valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviour. By understanding what customers value and how they perceive and analyse competitors” offerings, businesses can tailor their products, services, and customer experiences to meet market demands more effectively. This customer-centric approach fosters brand loyalty, increases customer satisfaction, and drives business growth. In summary, competitor analysis is a vital tool that empowers businesses to make informed decisions, optimise their operations, and gain a competitive advantage. It enables businesses to stay ahead of the curve, capitalise on market opportunities, and achieve long-term success. Types of Competitor Analysis Competitor analysis can take various forms, each providing specific insights into different aspects of the competitive market because competitive analysis involves competitors’ markets themselves, and competitors’ strategies and performance. Here are some key types of competitor analysis: Market Research: Involves gathering data and insights about the overall market, industry trends, customer preferences, and demand patterns. It helps identify market opportunities, gaps, and growth potential. Product Analysis: Focuses sales team on evaluating competitors’ products or services. It includes comparing features, quality, pricing, design, and customer reviews. This competitive analysis of competitors’ pricing enables businesses to identify areas where they can differentiate their offerings. Sales Analysis: Examines competitors’ sales performance, market share, and revenue growth. By analysing sales data, businesses can gain insights into their key competitors” strengths and weaknesses in different market segments. Marketing Analysis: Assesses competitors’ marketing strategies, including branding, and offline advertising campaigns, their social media platforms, presence, and customer engagement tactics. This competitive analysis also helps businesses understand how competitors position their products, target customers, and communicate their value proposition. Financial Analysis: Involves reviewing competitors’ financial statements to assess their profitability, liquidity, and overall financial health. This competitive analysis also provides insights into potential competitors’ financial capabilities and potential vulnerabilities. By conducting these types of competitor analysis, businesses can gain a comprehensive understanding of their competitive landscape, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop strategies to gain a competitive advantage. How to conduct a competitor analysis This section will discuss how to conduct competitive analysis example, a competitor analysis and social media strategy. The key points of competition analysis that will be covered include identifying your competitors, gathering data about them, analysing the data, developing competitive analysis framework and a strategy, and monitoring your competitors. The first step in conducting a competitor analysis or target market research is to identify your competitors. This can be done by searching for businesses that offer similar products or services to your business in the same category or market. You can also find competitors by reading industry publications, attending trade shows, and talking to your customers. Once you have identified your competitors, you need to gather data about them. This data can include information about their products, services, marketing techniques, and financial performance. You can collect data about your competitors by visiting their websites, reading their marketing materials, and talking to their customers. After you have gathered data about your competitor’s pricing strategies, you need to analyse the data. This will help you identify your competitor’s products’ strengths and weaknesses. You can analyse the data using various tools, such as spreadsheets, charts, and graphs. Once you have analysed the data, you must develop a full marketing strategy to differentiate your business from your competitors. This can be done by identifying your unique selling proposition and creating a marketing plan highlighting your company’s strengths and weaknesses. Finally, you need to monitor your competitors’ social media, too. This will help you stay up-to-date on their latest products, services, and marketing techniques. You can monitor your competitors by following their various other social media channels, platforms and accounts, reading their industry publications, and attending trade shows. By following these steps, you can conduct a competitor analysis that will help you gain a competitive advantage. Benefits of competitor analysis Competitor analysis offers a wealth of advantages that can elevate your business to new heights. By closely examining your competitors, competitive analysis is important you gain a deeper understanding of the market landscape and identify market gaps that can be exploited. This knowledge empowers you to develop innovative products or services that cater to unmet needs, giving you a distinct edge in the competitive arena. Furthermore, competitor analysis provides invaluable insights into your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. This information allows you to refine your strategies, capitalising on their vulnerabilities while fortifying your own’ market share and position too. Learning from their successes and avoiding their pitfalls can accelerate your growth and achieve sustained success. Staying abreast of industry trends is crucial for any business that wants to remain relevant and competitive. Competitor analysis serves as a powerful tool for monitoring the latest developments and innovations within your industry. By closely tracking your competitors’ moves, you can identify emerging trends early on and swiftly adapt your strategies to stay ahead of the curve. This forward-thinking approach ensures your business remains at the forefront of industry advancements and maintains its competitive advantage. Last but not least, competitor and competitive market analysis can help you uncover potential partners or collaborators who share similar goals or values. By doing competitive analyses and identifying businesses that complement your strengths and weaknesses, you can forge strategic alliances that multiply your impact and expand your reach and target audience. These collaborations can lead to groundbreaking innovations, shared resources, and increased market share, ultimately propelling your business to even greater heights. How LIKE.TG can assist with competitor analysis Harnessing the Power of LIKE.TG for In-Depth Competitor Analysis Within the dynamic business landscape, staying ahead of the competition requires meticulous competitor analysis. LIKE.TG emerges as a game-changer in this arena, empowering businesses with an array of tools and insights to gain a decisive edge. LIKE.TG serves as a robust customer relationship management (CRM) platform that goes beyond managing customer interactions. It empowers businesses to delve into competitor analysis, providing a centralised hub for tracking and comparing vital competitor data. This comprehensive approach allows businesses to monitor competitor products, services, marketing strategies, and financial performance with unparalleled precision. By consolidating competitor data into a single platform, LIKE.TG facilitates the identification of trends, patterns, and market opportunities. Customisable reports and interactive dashboards transform raw data into actionable insights, enabling businesses to make informed decisions and effectively communicate their findings. LIKE.TG’s capabilities extend beyond data consolidation. It offers a suite of tools that empower businesses to analyse competitor data and develop robust competitive strategies. Customer journey mapping becomes effortless, allowing businesses to visualise and comprehend customer interactions with their and competitors’ offerings. Additionally, SWOT analysis becomes a breeze, enabling businesses to pinpoint a competitor’s marketing efforts’ strengths and weaknesses, thereby devising strategies that exploit these vulnerabilities. The benefits of leveraging LIKE.TG for competitor analysis are multifaceted. Businesses can gain a decisive advantage by staying ahead of industry trends, identifying potential partners, and making data-driven decisions that set them apart from the competition. LIKE.TG has become an indispensable tool for businesses seeking to thrive in a fiercely competitive marketplace. LIKE.TG essentially empowers businesses to transform competitor analysis into a strategic advantage. By using competition analysis and harnessing its capabilities, companies can uncover new market opportunities, develop innovative products or services, and maintain a competitive edge that propels them towards sustained success.

“You are caller number 10; please stay on the line.” A few years ago, a phone message like this from a company was a standard part of the customer experience.But today, customers expect more. They expect callback options. They expect to open a chat window on your website, send a text message or a tweet, and get a near-instant reply. They expect that you already know who they are when they call, that you’re aware of their most recent order, and that you understand what they need next. They don’t want to repeat their information. And they definitely don’t want to wait.Customer expectations for good experiences keep soaring. They don’t just want the right product at the right price — they want the full package. In our annual State of the Connected Customer report that surveyed nearly 17,000 global customers, 91% of business buyers and 86% of consumers said the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services.As products become less distinguishable by brand and price, a great customer experience has become essential for companies to differentiate themselves. Here are some ideas and strategies for building customer relationships that last.What is customer experience?Customer experience, also called CX, gets thrown around a lot. But how is it defined, and what does it mean?“Customer experience and service have converged,” said Peter Schwartz, LIKE.TG senior vice president of strategic planning. “It’s more than call centres and successful responses to problems. It is service opportunities in sales, support, and marketing. Delivering great customer experiences now means providing amazing, almost magical service at every opportunity.”For example, think back to the last time you called your cable company, filed an insurance claim, or booked a vacation. When you were finished, how did it feel? Was the overall experience easy and enjoyable? Or headache-inducing? What did you think of the company that provided the experience?What’s the difference between customer service and customer experience?The customer experience is broader and deeper than just the level of service received. Customer experience is the total perception of the company, interaction by interaction, from the first touchpoint to the last. This may include navigating the website, talking to sales reps over the phone, visiting a store, sampling a product or service, and experiencing an onboarding phase after a purchase. The point is that at every one of these moments, customers form judgments about whether a company is living up to their expectations. Is that company making it easy and enjoyable for them to do business with? In other words, customer experience is the sum of all interactions.Why is customer service important?Customer service isn’t just about addressing concerns or fixing issues; it’s about forging relationships, building trust, and creating memorable experiences that your customers will reflect on for all the right reasons. Let’s unpack why investing in premium customer service should be a no-brainer for today’s businesses.Increased brand loyalty thanks to great CXWhen customers feel valued and understood, they’re more likely to stick around. Every other positive experience and interaction they have with your brand reinforces their decision to choose you over competitors. Conversely, a single negative experience can be enough to push them towards competitors. Indeed, one in six shoppers will abandon a purchase after just one bad experience.Prioritising excellent customer service is your ticket to building a loyal customer base. And you’ve no doubt realised for yourself how much easier it is to convince an existing customer to buy from you again than it is to convince a prospective customer to buy from you for the first time. Not only that — increasing customer loyalty (retention) by just 5% has been shown to increase profits by somewhere between 25-95%.Minimised churn through genuine careChurn, or the rate at which customers stop doing business with an entity, is a metric no business can afford to overlook. This is the flip side of the brand loyalty argument. Since it’s much more complicated (and more expensive) to win a new customer than keeping an existing one, the churn-reducing impacts of providing great customer service are similarly immense. The difference here is that brand loyalty refers more strongly to customers making repeat or additional purchases. Whereas, churn is more relevant to subscription- and membership-based businesses as it’s more strongly related to people choosing to cancel a service rather than to choosing not to make a repeat purchase. (Note, you can measure a churn rate even if you sell non-consumable products. However, the reasons for churn in those circumstances are harder to determine and attribute. Often, the reason is simply that a customer doesn’t need any other products from you.) Effective customer service acts as a vital buffer against churn by proactively addressing concerns, listening to feedback, and showing customers they’re more than just numbers. We instinctively understand that it’s easier for a customer to choose not to make a purchase in the first place than it is for them to cancel an ongoing subscription or membership. (The former is really easy. The latter takes effort.) But if you thought one in six shoppers abandoning a purchase after a bad experience was bad, this may just make you fall off your seat. A whopping 86% of shoppers will leave a brand altogether after just two bad experiences!Additional sales opportunities with stellar serviceEver heard the phrase ‘people buy from people’? When customers have an emotional connection with a brand, they’re not just more likely to buy but also are more loyal customers and likely to upsell or cross-sell. And they’re also much more likely to share their positive experiences with their friends, relatives, work colleagues, and even just acquaintances. In fact, 72% of customers will share a positive experience with six or more people.Delivering top-tier customer service can lead to increased sales opportunities, from repeat business to referrals. When customers love your service, they won’t just come back — they’ll bring friends.Standing out in a saturated marketWith so many options available at the click of a button, what makes a customer choose one brand over another? More often than not, it’s the experience they anticipate or have received. In a market teeming with similar products and services, standout customer service can be the difference between being a customer’s first choice or a forgotten brand. And 81% of businesses believe the experience they give their customers differentiates them from their competitors.Ability to charge higher pricesImpressive though the above CX benefits are, there’s one amazingly direct benefit that makes investing in superior customer experience and service even easier to justify. Customers will pay for a better customer experience. And we’re not talking about a minority here. An overwhelming majority (86%) of shoppers are willing to pay a premium for great customer service.How to create good customer experiencesCustomers have always wanted a consistently good buying experience and the best value they can get. If they’re not happy buying expensive razor blades, they can sign up for inexpensive monthly delivery. If they’re fed up with mediocre hotel chains that don’t offer value, why not try Airbnb?Technological advances have led to disruption across every industry. Customers have more choice and great freedom to take their business elsewhere if they’re not receiving the experience they expect. In fact, 71% of consumers switched brands at least once in the past year.And, social media and review websites like Tripadvisor and Yelp give consumers an unprecedented platform — for better or worse — to amplify poor experiences to a much wider audience.Together, these factors give consumers an upper hand dealing with companies. And service with a smile is no longer enough.Customer experience isn’t a new concept, but it’s never been more relevant. According to our State of the Connected Customer report, 88% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services — the highest it’s been since LIKE.TG began tracking the sentiment.Customer service teams aren’t the only ones responsible. Once mainly concerned with driving new leads, 80% of marketers now feel they lead customer experience initiatives across their organisation.The good news? Customers are willing to pay a premium for great experiences, and not just great products and services. This means businesses have an opportunity to increase revenue by delighting their customers in a way that no one else can.How to measure customer experienceOffering top-notch customer experience is vital for businesses today. But how do you know you’re delivering what your customers want? The key is to measure and evaluate your activities using not just one, but several methods. Here are some top techniques to get you started.Analyse customer satisfaction survey resultsSurveys are a direct line to your customers’ thoughts and feelings. When you send out a well-crafted survey, you’re essentially asking your customers, ‘How’d we do?’, and their responses can provide a wealth of information. Look for patterns in the feedback. If multiple customers mention a specific aspect of your service that they loved, you know you’re onto a winner. Conversely, if there’s consistent feedback about areas of improvement, it’s a sign there’s work to be done. Not everyone will respond to your survey request. Those that do will tend to have a reason to respond. Either something’s been bugging them, and a survey is a chance for them to air their feelings. Or they’re thrilled with their user experience along with you, and so they’re happy to help you out. People in the middle tend not to bother filling in surveys unless there’s an incentive. Either way, keep your surveys concise and focused to get the most meaningful results.Identify the rate of, and reasons for, customer churnCustomer churn, or the rate at which customers stop doing business with you, can be a telling metric. However, a high churn rate might indicate dissatisfaction with your customer service, or it could result from dissatisfaction with your products or services. Therefore, it’s essential to know your churn rate and understand the reasons behind it. As an example, if you sell infant nappies (diapers), customers will churn when their children are toilet trained, no matter how wonderful your products and customer service are. However, if your churn rate suddenly spikes, you can be pretty sure there’s some other factor at play.Exit surveys can help you gain insights into why customers are leaving. Maybe it’s pricing, maybe it’s a competitor’s new offering, maybe they had a bad experience with one of your customer support team or people, or perhaps it’s something about the product itself. Pinpointing the reason for churn can guide your strategies for reducing it in the future.Ask customers for product or feature requestsSurveys of any kind are always going to give you information, mostly from people who are either really happy or dissatisfied. Suppose you don’t want to experience the disadvantages associated with incentivising survey responses. In that case, one clever way to get feedback from people in the middle of the spectrum is to allow them to submit product, service, or feature requests.It’s simple but effective: ask your customers what they want, and they’ll tell you if anything is missing from your offering. By actively seeking feedback from unhappy customers on potential new products or features, you can ensure you’re meeting (and even exceeding) their expectations. If you notice certain requests popping up repeatedly, it clearly indicates a market demand. Delivering on these requests can enhance the customer experience and foster loyalty, as customers feel heard and valued.Analyse customer support ticket trendsA treasure trove of information can be found in customer support tickets. Examining the trends and recurring issues in these tickets gives you a clearer picture of where customers might be stumbling. Is there a particular stage in the buying process that causes confusion? Or maybe a product feature that’s not intuitive? Keeping a close eye on these tickets can provide actionable insights to smooth out any wrinkles in the customer’s perspective journey.What is customer experience management?Measuring customer satisfaction score and experience and analysing the effectiveness of your CX strategies are both important parts of customer experience management (CXM or CEM). CXM isn’t a new concept, but it’s not particularly well known. However, as shoppers demand ever-increasing levels of customer service, customer experience management is also increasing in popularity.At its core, customer experience management is about ensuring customer interactions lead to positive and memorable experiences. It’s the practice of designing, understanding, and optimising every interaction and touchpoint in a customer’s journey to foster satisfaction and loyalty. It’s not just about mitigating negative experiences, but actively creating positive ones. In a world where consumers have endless choices at their fingertips, a single, poor customer experience frequently leads customers to explore competing options. Conversely, a consistently good experience can turn a one-time buyer into a lifelong advocate. Add the power of online reviews and social media into the mix, and such advocates can influence countless potential customers. This interconnected landscape makes CXM crucial for modern businesses.The components of effective CXMCustomer service management is a whole topic unto itself; however, these are the basic pieces of the puzzle:Listening to your customers: This sounds obvious, but it’s more than just hearing words. It’s about understanding the sentiments behind the feedback, be it through surveys, reviews, or direct communications.Analysing data: With technological advancements, we’re swimming in data. But raw data isn’t helpful on its own. Effective CXM involves diving deep into this data to glean actionable insights about customer preferences, behaviours, and pain points.Engagement and personalisation: Today’s customers don’t just want products; they want experiences tailored to their unique needs and preferences. Using tools like customer relationship management (CRM) software can help businesses offer personalised recommendations, content, and interactions.Continuous improvement: The world isn’t static, and neither are customer expectations. CXM isn’t a one-off task but an ongoing effort, so it’s important to regularly revisit and refine strategies based on new insights and feedback.As you can see, customer experience management is more than just a buzzword. It’s a comprehensive approach to understanding, engaging with, and delighting customers at every step of their journey. In a world where customer-centricity is the name of the game, businesses can’t afford to overlook the power of effective CXM. If you’d like to kick-start your CXM efforts, check out our guide to improving customer experience management.Why customer relationships matterIf a friend ignores a call, text, or email, it probably doesn’t bode well for the relationship. As with friendships, customer relationships bloom when individuals feel understood. Relationships weaken when customers feel that businesses don’t appreciate their personal preferences, whether that’s remembering they enjoy romantic comedies, or that they would rather be contacted by email.Lack of trust can also derail a customer’s experience before it even starts. While customer data is an essential part of delivering personalised experiences, customers need to know that if they hand their data over, it will be safe, used legitimately, and beneficial to them.As questionable business practices make headlines, customers grow ever more selective about the brands they trust. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say most companies aren’t transparent about how they use personal information at a time when trust comes at a premium: 74% of customers say communicating honestly and transparently is more important now than before the pandemic. Businesses that clearly articulate how they use their customers’ data can gain and keep their trust.How can companies better know and connect to their customers and build more trust? Listen to Seth Godin, marketing guru and founding editor of The Carbon Almanac, and Brian Solis, vice president of Global Innovation at LIKE.TG, discuss.window.addEventListener("message", function(message){ // Ensure event is coming from Casted if(message.origin === "https://podcasts.LIKE.TG" ) { if( message.data.event) { // Handle events if(message.data.event === "castedSizeUpdate") { var casted_episode_player = document.getElementById('casted-episode-player-a88e5233'); if(casted_episode_player) { casted_episode_player.height = message.data.payload.height; } } } } }, false) A company’s trustworthiness also represents its values. Increasingly, customers consider what a company stands for when deciding whether or not to buy from it. According to the State of the Connected Customer report, 66% of customers stopped buying from a company whose values didn’t align with theirs — up from 62% in 2020.How do you create a good customer experience?One challenge for companies trying to get this right is that customer expectations keep soaring. Increasingly, customers want experiences that are connected, memorable, and differentiated. We’ll talk through examples of each.;Our research shows that 85% of customers now expect consistent interactions across departments when they engage with a company. For example, in a customer’s mind, a service agent should know the details of any recent ecommerce transaction they made, and engage accordingly. Not doing so risks losing customer trust: 55% of customers lose trust in companies when there’s a lack of consistency across touchpoints.U.S. Bank connects all of its employees with a single, unified database of customer information. The solution also allows the bank to turn raw data into high-value insights, which can be used to drive decision-making, and personalise its financial offerings for customers.Customer relationships had previously been built within individual business units such as banking, mortgages, investments, and payments. This led to a disjointed and often unsatisfactory customer experience. By approaching customer relationships as a single business, employees now have an aligned and complete view of their customers’ interactions with the entire organisation. This creates a unified customer experience across all business lines and strengthens relationships with customers.Customers now have an easier time accessing financial services across all channels, including mobile devices, personal computers, ATMs, and 3,000 branches across 25 states.A customer experience strategy builds relationshipsIt’s not enough for businesses to provide a personalised customer experience. They need to stand out from other companies setting a high bar. And they need to organise around the customer. While research from more than a thousand global senior leaders in a study from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services found that customer experience is a top-five business priority, few feel they’re presently doing it well. One European brand seeing results is Brunello Cucinelli, which quadrupled its ecommerce revenue after it adopted its customer experience strategy, culture, and solutions. The high-end clothing brand found maintaining its personal touch challenging for digital shoppers. It needed to bring the personalised experiences it was known for in its stores to online commerce.The company’s solution was to implement what its leaders have dubbed “graceful technology.” This centralised system builds stronger, more personal relationships with customers. Featuring easily accessible customer order histories and automated workflows, the system helps store managers expedite online customer service needs. Employees can spend more time building relationships with shoppers. Customers can receive in-store service regardless of where they connect.Brunello Cucinelli has successfully translated the luxury experience to the digital realm. And in the process, set new customer experience standards for the mass market.The benefits of long-term customer relationshipsCustomers want businesses to treat them like individuals. They want tailored engagement based on their unique needs. While niche brands were the first to offer differentiated customer experiences, this is now the expectation people have of mass-market companies as well.Take Piedmont Healthcare, for example. With the U.S. healthcare industry shifting to a value-based model, the healthcare provider was under pressure to improve patient outcomes and meet growing patient expectations with more personalised medicine. Piedmont Healthcare realised it needed to embrace technology to help it engage with patients and assist them to get easier access to care. They needed to personalise how the company connects with them.The organisation’s solution was to implement an integrated cloud-based system to capture patients’ information and create comprehensive patient profiles. It gives the company better insight into its relationships with both patients and physicians. They can use data-driven information to create high-quality, personalised marketing communications for both groups. Sales staff can also use the system to deliver personalised messages to physicians at scale, track engagement, nurture leads, and follow up with greater speed.How to make an amazing customer experienceWith success stories such as these making the market acutely aware of what’s possible, 56% of customers expect offers to always be personalised. LIKE.TG’s Peter Schwartz believes businesses will eventually use artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve a better customer experience. He wrote that it can turn a “comprehensive trove of data into insights that can anticipate customers’ needs and act as their digital assistant.” He uses the example of a frequent business traveler. They walk into a hotel room to be greeted by their favourite song playing, photos of their family in digital frames, and an email asking if they’d like the Caesar salad, without croutons, they last ordered from room service. The temperature and lighting are set to their preferred levels. And when they turn on the television, it suggests a movie they’ve yet to see, starring their favourite actress. A rental car of the model they’re considering buying is available at the hotel.“This isn’t marketing to a category of consumers,” Schwartz said. “It’s applying AI and all the customer data to cater to the needs of a single individual, which is much more powerful.”Glen Hartman, global lead of commerce and ecosystems partners at Accenture Song, has also described the potential for unprecedented levels of customer immersion. “Say you usually do your grocery shopping on a Saturday morning. You use the store’s app, you belong to its loyalty program, and perhaps you’ve even attended a do-it-yourself cooking class there. So, they know you well,” he said in an interview.“When you walk in the door, the store knows you’re there through location technology. Delivering a real-time personalised experience in this context could mean the store suggesting a recipe based on your shopping list you created using the store app.“They could even show you a video of what the recipe looks like, right on your phone. Then they might upsell you on some other things to have a great dinner that night. That’s a successful shopping trip.”Hartman stresses that people also expect the brands they love to understand their wants and needs in context. Otherwise, it’s easy to miss the point and end up alienating customers. As he pointed out, if that same customer came back with the goal of quickly picking up some medicine for a sick child, for instance, and was offered all kinds of coupons and additional ingredient suggestions, their experience would clearly be less than optimal.How to improve customer experienceShelves of books are devoted to answering this question. However, the advice can be distilled to two pieces of wisdom:Give your business a customer-first mindset. Put the customer at the heart of your business — from marketing to point-of-sale procedures and after-sales follow-ups. Make customer obsession principles part of executive conversations and business planning during pipeline reviews, inside shareholder meetings, and throughout business development. Ask what their needs are, what’s driving their decision-making, what their goals are, and what they’re feeling.Get started with automation and AI. Get clear on the specific business problems you want automation and AI to solve. Once you’ve defined a specific use case, consider how existing workflows would be impacted and who would need to be reskilled.Customers are open to companies using AI to improve the experience they receive, including chatbots, text and voice analytics, and more. In fact, AI adoption is surging from service teams and beyond.Connected customers are knowledgeable and technology-aware — and they have limited patience for brands that can’t keep up. Delivering outstanding experiences isn’t a luxury; it’s an expectation. And those that do it well will be rewarded with customer loyalty and repeat business.

For consumer goods (CG) companies, selling through retail partners will likely always play a major role in business strategy. But more and more CG companies are realising they need to build their own relationships with consumers. That’s because retailers are in a powerful position: they own your consumer data sets and can mine them to develop private-label offerings. And when that happens, the true differentiator that stops a shopper from choosing a competitor or store brand over yours? Personalisation — powered by consumer goods first-party data. What, exactly, is first-party data? It’s the information a business collects directly from its customers — and owns. Here’s how consumer goods companies can collect it and gain value. Start with a D2C strategy D2C channels offer an opportunity to collect first-party data and use it to improve customer satisfaction and experience. There’s no doubt CG executives know how important this is. In fact, 99% report prioritising direct-to-consumer (D2C) initiatives. A D2C strategy is not merely about creating a new channel to sell products. It’s creating the infrastructure that will power intelligent decision-making for the business. Why? Because companies that have a direct relationship with consumers understand what shoppers want. Access to consumer goods first-party data can inform everything from product decisions to retailer relationships, and even unlock new consumer segments. D2C channels provide opportunities for brands to offer more personalised experiences to consumers. However, only 43% of CG leaders are completely satisfied with their ability to leverage customer insights from retailers. That’s disappointing in an industry where access to end-consumer data helps accelerate innovation and time to market. What’s more, the data can fuel artificial intelligence efforts that help brands build personalisation, convenience and automation capabilities. Still, D2C is just one way CG brands can build relationships with consumers. Their service centres and loyalty programs also help them collect data at both scale and a more granular level. Let’s walk through setting the foundation to gain value from consumer goods first-party data. Get to know your end consumer Health food company KIND Snacks built meaningful relationships with loyal customers while uncovering new segments through a D2C ecommerce site. Their recipe for success? Use the new channel to learn what consumers want, then adapt to meet those needs. With their test-and-learn mindset, they launched a subscription box service that allowed them to introduce new products and gain valuable consumer feedback. Before you begin, ask consumers what they want, what they need, and how they feel. To do so, use a mix of direct queries — for example, consumer surveys — and indirect queries, such as online browsing and search behaviour or customer service data. Combine this with data from retail partners for a deeper understanding of your consumers. You can also analyse your media data to uncover insights. What types of products are consumers looking for? How are they searching for them? Keep an eye out for patterns you may not have seen before. For example, maybe consumers are talking about how they wish you had spicy flavours. Or that they love your brand, but need a gluten- or dairy-free option to meet their changing lifestyle. Based on your learning, you can build a communication plan for further consumer goods first-party data collection. Digital advertising and social media targeting can help here. Test your plan first on internal employees, which is a low-stakes option to gather feedback. Then, fine-tune your approach and launch it to different consumer segments. Personalise your relationships with consumer goods first-party data Consumers expect a give-and-get from the brands that they interact with. In fact, 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations. Immediately relevant experiences that resonate and drive sales all start with data. Yeti did this with a single point of consumer information and order history. The brand was then able to personalise interactions that drove conversion 27%. To turn individual preferences into opportunities, a single source of truth for data is key. To help you gather data and uncover insights from across your business, consider a customer data platform. This makes it easy to link marketing, commerce, and service data so you can connect, automate, and personalise every single interaction. Artificial intelligence (AI) also comes into play. AI can help you measure each action, use intelligent analytics to understand program efficacy, and uncover avenues for continued improvement. Based on these insights, you can adapt your channel, your message, and your content to personalise the experience and build trusted relationships for consumers at scale. Engage consumers on their terms There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to consumer engagement — your team’s creativity and business needs will lead the way. But there are some basic principles to keep in mind. Aggregating consumer goods first-party data across all your touchpoints, including service centres, D2C interactions, and loyalty programs, you’ll find your most valuable consumers are repeat loyalists — they score high on average order value, purchase frequency, and ROI in marketing. It’s essential to turn your one-time buyers into repeat customers by creating a long-term, personalised experience over time. Pull people into loyalty programs with the insights you’ve gathered across the consumer journey, then re-market to them according to their preferences and behaviours. Each micro-moment — from the start of a consumer’s search all the way through purchase — should lead to a different call to action. Regularly review your personas. Look for engagement statistics that indicate if your personas are relevant. Does your communication plan account for each step in the consumer journey? Test, repeat, test, repeat, then go back to the drawing board if need be. Identify if there are any points in the journey that can make or break the experience. A/B test content and offers regularly, and use tools to personalise the consumer journey at scale. The more you know about your consumers, the more you’re able to offer an experience that meets them where they are. That’s the true benefit of a D2C channel — and how you gain that competitive advantage. When you invest in the consumer relationship, you build brand equity and value, all with your owned data.