siliconindia | | July 20199the same organogram, and leave customers with standard-ized email IDs for standard set of queries.3. Offer them Simplified Platforms/Ease of CorrespondenceUsing technology to interact is a win-win, both for the marketer as well as the customer, as most technologies are tailored to simplify both ends of the spectrum. Today, with a good CRM tool, it is possible to automate the complete sales process. A robust CRM tool could help customers transact via a single window throughout the sales journey. Transactions include being able to order online, visibility to stage wise progress of order through auto email/sms alerts, referring any historical data if required, transport tracking, online pay-ments, documentation, account statements, and feedback or complaint resolution, if any. Apart from these basic trans-actions, there could be value added functions incorporated in the system like customers' education through product ex-plainer videos, technical columns, webinars, live chat, new product development discussions and others.Also, Chatbots are being extensively used to help cus-tomers connect with the company round the clock.4. Use Technology to offer PersonalizationWith marketing automation tools, it is possible for marketers to manage databases, do customer profiling, and send them personalised and sequential communication/offerings which in other terms is referred to as account-based marketing. This communication could be customized on the basis of geogra-phy or language. It can go as far as customer getting to see versions of the website that they are interested in.And needless to say, all this starts with knowing your customers really well, understanding their demographics and psychographics, and this is where data management plat-forms come-in handy. 5. Be their Adviser/Be Subject ExpertsThe most successful B2B marketers are the ones who do not believe in pushing their agendas onto their customers. They are ones who keep checking with their customers on their growth-based challenges and look for options to best address them. This can work in two ways; either establish yourself as an industry expert providing valuable content, or provide one-on-one service to make key product recommendations.The first option is today practiced with the help of con-tent marketing. Here, the marketer would generate thought leadership content from time-to-time and attempt to keep the audience engaged through this content. It could be their own content or content/research papers which have been sponsored by the marketer to keep customer's information-al needs ahead of their own promotional messages. Like in B2C industry, it is important to be a brand with a purpose. In B2B, it is important to be seen as a brand with authority.Second option works by wearing the advisory hat. Advi-sory helps in allaying customers purchase led fears & anxi-ety, and helps in creating a long-term, trusting relationship.6. Offer Post-Delivery Support/After Sales ServicePost-delivery support is something that no marketer can af-ford to ignore, be it B2B or B2C space. The sales cycle does not end at the delivery of the product at the customers end. It is important that marketers take feedback on the product delivery experience witnessed by the customer, as well as check on his comfort of coming back for repeat business. It also means providing troubleshooting assistance as and when required, and continued education to use the products to their full potential. To sum it up, it is important for marketers to not just reach-out to their customers when it is opportune for the business, it is important that they make sure that the orga-nization is connected to the customer throughout the sales process and tuned to their different needs along the way. Sukriti Mendiratta
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