Customer-Centric Digital Transformation

As customer expectations evolve, so too must the ways in which sales teams connect with consumers. Just ask Jason Lumsden, Director of IT for the Boston Red Sox. Lumsden says the major league baseball team relies on a wide array of innovative technologies to satisfy fans’ increasing demands.

“Customers have higher expectations now,” says Lumsden. “Their time is valuable and they spend a lot of money with us – so we want to make sure that they’re having an unbelievable experience and that we’re delivering on whatever it is they want.”

Technology in action 

Fortunately, Lumsden is just one of a growing number of IT leaders eager to work with sales to deploy digital technologies that can  centralize data, monitor customer activities, and automate time-consuming processes for enhanced customer experiences. 

Consider, for example, the power of a CRM system to create a single view of a customer for more personalized interactions. “If a season ticket holder fills out a request for more information on our products, it’s important for an agent to know who they’re interacting with,” says Lumsden.

A CRM can offer this visibility, enabling an agent to upsell the customer on complimentary products or ask targeted questions about previous purchases for more personal engagement.

Data analytics solutions can also drive sales and enhance customer interactions by monitoring customer behavior and predicting purchasing patterns. Chatbots and self-service apps ensure rapid responses to customer queries while at the same time enabling sales teams to focus on core competencies.

And today’s collaboration platforms can open the lines of communication among disparate teams including sales, marketing, and finance. For example, social collaboration tools let sales teams update orders, assess employee opinions on any topic, and quickly garner approval on expense reports for greater productivity and consumer insight.

Best practices for better results

COVID-19 has only emphasized the importance of digital transformation. Companies with robust networks and collaboration platforms, for instance, have quickly migrated their sales teams to remote work arrangements. And omni-channel platforms and mobile apps continue to help sales teams reach consumers anytime, anywhere in today’s contactless economy.

But it takes more than technology to empower sales teams and stimulate growth in a challenging environment. CIOs and other IT leaders need to follow these best practices for lasting collaboration.

• For starters, IT leaders can drive adoption by evangelizing the benefits of CRM and encouraging best practices. Says Keith Onchuck, chief information officer for Ozinga: “I’m constantly trying to ignite a fire underneath our executive team to emphasize the value of sales professionals entering information into a CRM system.” By logging details such as recent product demonstrations or promotional offers, sales teams can enable other departments, such as service, to deliver a more informed, customized experience.

• Second, make mobile a priority – and enable work on the go. Today’s sales teams aren’t in front of their desktops. Rather, they’re out in the field selling. Tapping into the mobile capabilities of a CRM system ensures easy access to important business data no matter where sales teams are working.

• Finally, sales teams must receive the proper training to make the most of digital technologies and take advantage of key capabilities, from drag-and-drop actions to automated alerts for deals over a certain size. IT leaders can work with sales execs to ensure robust training helps deliver on the potential for their CRM solution.

Together, these best practices allow sales teams to glean greater value from digital technologies and prepare them for ever-evolving customer demands while also tapping strong collaboration with IT.

Unite your departments around your customer with the Salesforce Customer 360 Playbook. Or, visit the Salesforce Resource Center to get what you need to drive a customer-first digital transformation.