Self-service. Gas. Movie rentals. Restaurant reservations. Shopping. Ordering. Shipping. Self-service plays an active role all across our consumer lives, however, some businesses are slow to catch on, leaving client and buyers’ expectations shattered. If you understand this but need help getting that stakeholder buy-in, use these tips from our experts on techniques to gain their attention and deliver the information they need to be persuaded. (TL;DR: Be massively prepared.)
Come With the Facts
Before getting started, have the information you need to back up your recommendations. You can reference these in your pitch, and do your own research, however, ensure they are from qualified resources.
“The trend of digitalization is driving demand for analytics across all areas of modern business and government,” said Carlie J. Idoine, research director at Gartner. “Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and SaaS (cloud) analytics and BI platforms are making it easier and more cost-effective than ever before for nonspecialists to perform effective analysis and better inform their decision-making.” (Gartner)
According to Forrester, 72% of businesses say that improving the customer experience is their top priority.
Additionally, Kate Leggett, Vice President, Principal Analyst at Forrester explains the reason self-service has become necessary in our busy world: it saves us time. “Customers demand fast service anywhere, anytime. Today, customers have more choice: more products to buy, more information to influence purchasing decisions, and more devices and channels over which to seek customer service. What they don’t have is more time. It’s no wonder that self-service interactions have overtaken all other channels for the third year running. We predict that companies will explore chatbots and voice user interfaces to enhance the self-service experience, as well as investigate visual engagement technologies to cut through the conversational clutter and preserve a customer’s time.” (Forrester)
Losing customers to service means losing money. $62 billion, according to a study from NewVoiceMedia.
Educate Yourself with This Customer Experience Trailmix
Use your available resources. Direct business users and colleagues to complete Community Experience trails on Trailhead.
Our Recommended Trailmix:
Expand Your Reach With Communities
Get a Jumpstart to “Wow” Your Team
Gain an understanding of what to expect with a new self-service community. Presenting your own research will help you feel better prepared, so do’nt be afraid to get in and ask questions. Help your team feel knowledgeable in the situation by proving them enablement tools to improve your chances of getting through.
- Create an enablement piece for community-specific terminology
- Align your benefits with the challenges or goals of key stakeholders
- Contact a Salesforce AE to provide pre-defined demos
- Talk to members in the Trailblazer community to get examples of great communities
- Build a sandbox community and have test users play around and get feedback
Do you need help building your self-service pitch? Let us know at @PRFTSalesforce and we will supply you with some resources you might find useful.
