The business world has changed a lot over the past few decades, and never more so than in the last year. Customers are more scrupulous than ever and won’t hesitate to switch brands in the blink of an eye if a competitor seems to offer a better price, better service or more enticing deals.
Adapting to this environment is about going above and beyond to exceed the expectations of your customers, stakeholders or end users to give them a reason to want to come back and continually improve retention rates. A huge part of this is having people on your team who are dedicated to creating great experiences throughout every touchpoint and interaction you have with them. From Customer Experience (CX), Digital and Sales & Marketing to Customer Services, each team member plays a vital role in attracting and holding onto customers.
The ability to stay ahead of the competition and become leaders in the market ultimately comes down to the way you leverage the customer lifecycle. Below, we break down each step of the customer journey, highlighting the vital team members who can help you build, manage and maintain customers’ relationship with your business by focusing on what makes them happy.
1. Reach
As you’ll know, this first stage is about developing awareness of your brand in the market by reaching potential customers. Of course, not everyone you reach will end up converting to paying customers, but the aim is to attract their attention and begin developing relationships.
To get the best results from this stage, it’s obviously important to ensure your marketing material is in the places where the right people will find it, whether that is through social media campaigns or advertising via more traditional mediums. And don’t forget to utilise metrics so you can track the reach and engagement of your efforts.
Key roles in this stage:
Sales & Marketing
Sales & Marketing roles are central to developing and executing campaigns that allow you to build awareness and get your business in front of potential customers. Positions we recruit in this specialisation include:
Business Development Manager
Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Specialist
Marketing Manager
Social Media Specialists
Social Media Advisor
Digital Channels Advisor
Outbound Sales
Stakeholder Engagement Advisor
Sales Representative
Sales Consultant
Sales Manager
2. Acquisition
The goal of the Acquisition stage is to nurture interested prospects into subscribers or customers, often via your website. Remember, people are coming to your website with certain needs or desires, so understanding what motivates potential customers and looking for ways to show them exactly how your business can meet their requirements is key.
To succeed at this stage, you need a process for guiding people towards the solutions that will most benefit them. At this point, people will be quick to switch to a competitor if you don’t meet their expectations or provide good service, so it’s vital that key information is easily accessible and that you’re quick to respond to any communication in a helpful and positive way.
The process will look different depending on the channel the customer has used. If they enquired over the phone, you'll respond to their questions and concerns, find out more about their needs, and then educate them on the solution that is right for them. If they found you through your website, it should be easy for them to locate informative content (e.g. a products/services page, a price guide or a blog post) that will help them make a purchasing decision.
Key roles in this stage:
Customer Services
The Customer Services team provides a vital first point of contact for potential customers, answering questions, providing any information they need and delivering a strong pre-purchase experience. Positions we recruit in this specialisation include:
CSR - Customer Services Representative
Customer Services
Customer Agent
Inbound Customer Services
Team Leader Call Centre
Call Centre Manager
Service Desk
Sales & Marketing
Content Marketing specialists help to create content for the website, including landing pages, blogs and user guides to promote the product/service and help potential customers make informed choices. Positions we recruit in this specialisation include:
Inbound Sales
Content Managers
Content Editors / Writers
3. Conversion
Having obtained all the necessary information and been delighted by your business's customer service, the lead makes a purchase and turns into a paying customer. At this stage, focus on developing rapport, adding value and building confidence in your brand, rather than simply selling a product or service.
To have the greatest impact, you want to approach it from the mindset that the prospect isn’t just making a purchase, they are entering a (hopefully) long-term relationship with your brand.
Key roles in this stage:
Customer Services
Customer Services roles come into play again at the purchasing stage, fielding any further enquiries and guiding them through the buying process. Positions we recruit in this specialisation include:
Outbound Customer Services
Digital
Digital roles are important for providing a smooth purchasing experience, particularly via websites and ecommerce platforms. Positions we recruit in this specialisation include:
Product Manager
Ecommerce / Digital Manager
UX / UI Designer
4. Retention
The work doesn’t end once a customer has made their first purchase – now you have to figure out how to keep them so that they repeatedly come back to your business. In many ways, cultivating loyal customers is even more important and profitable than attracting new ones (after all, the cost of acquisition is greater than that of retention!).
Retention is about building upon and maintaining your relationship with the customer by keeping in contact, providing exclusive perks and continuing to add value. Essentially, you want your brand to be the front of mind any time they need your product or service, discouraging them from exploring other options with different companies.
Customer feedback is crucial to this stage. By regularly checking in and utilising customer satisfaction surveys, you can identify opportunities to make improvements to your products/services, as well as to the customer experience.
Key roles in this stage:
Customer Experience
While customer experience is important throughout the lifecycle, it becomes even more crucial when it comes to retention and maintaining a positive relationship with customers. Positions we recruit in this specialisation include:
CX Manager
CX Analyst
Retention Specialist
Sales & Marketing
Communications and Account Management specialists help to keep that all-important dialogue going between a business and its customers, ensuring they are engaged and more likely to make repeat purchases. Positions we recruit in this specialisation include:
Communications Advisor
Communications Specialist
Communications Manager
Head of Communications
Key Account Manager
Account Manager
5. Loyalty
The ultimate goal of the customer lifecycle is to turn your customer into advocates for your brand. This is where they become invaluable assets to your business, as people are much more likely to buy from a company that has been recommended by someone they know. Customers can become advocates for your business through word of mouth, posting on social media or leaving reviews on Google or your website that can give confidence to new prospects in the Reach and Acquisition stages.
Keep in mind that customers get to this point through the combined influence of the previous four stages. With a great customer experience and a product or service that satisfies their needs, you can boost the chances that people will not only return time and time again, but become brand champions that help to bring new prospects to your company.
Key roles in this stage:
Sales & Marketing
Sales & Marketing roles come in once again at the Loyalty stage, leveraging the positive experiences of satisfied customers to promote the brand, gain referrals and collect reviews that promote the business to new prospects. Positions we recruit in this specialisation include:
Loyalty Manager
Brand Manager
Summary
At the end of the day, every business has the opportunity to guide the customer journey and change it for the better. By having the right team members in place at every stage, you can provide an amazing experience from start to finish that will boost your profitability and keep people coming back for more.
For further advice and insights on this topic, check out our blog on building teams that enable a better customer experience, as well as our Q&A on how to successfully overhaul your CX strategy. And if you’re looking to hire quality CX, Digital, Sales & Marketing or Customer Services talent, speak to our CX Specialists Carren Walker-Raos (Auckland) and Sandy Eaton (Wellington) to find out how we can help you transform your company’s customer journey.
