Developing Continutiy of Contact Program

8/14/2019 Developing Continutiy of Contact Program

1/32

Developing a Continuity of

Contact ProgramA Step-by-Step Approach to

Improving Customer (and Prospect) Communication

NCDM Summer 2002 | July 22, 2002


2/32

Continuity of Contact (COC)

A standard and consistent manner in which tocommunicate with customer and prospects

across multiple channels and interaction points.


3/32

Copyright 2002, Taylor-Harkins Group. All Rights Reserved.2

What it can do for you

! Increase sales

New customers, up-sell and cross-sellopportunities

! Improve loyalty and satisfaction

! Improve brand identity

Consistency in message across multiple channels


4/32


How its different from CRM

! Doesnt require wholesale change to

corporate strategyLets you take smaller steps to provide quick

wins

! Is manageable

Narrows the focus to marketing and/or

marketing/salesNo large financial commitments

!

Short-term results that grow value


5/32


Examples of COC programs

! Calendar Driven

Good for standard contacts! Urgency/Time Driven

Multi-channel prospecting/sales programs

! Activity DrivenGood for managing prospect programs and

customer loyalty programs

! Life-Cycle DrivenWhen products/services have short lifecycles

!

Life-Stage DrivenGood for enhancing relationships


6/32


Calendar Driven


7/32


Urgency/Time Driven


8/32


Activity Driven


9/32


Lifecycle/Value Driven


10/32


Life-Stage Driven


11/32

COC in Action

Blue Cross Blue Shield of FLProspect Continuity of Contact Program

Under 65 Market


12/32


Under 65 TV Campaign

! COC is based on response preference

Phone ResponseWeb Response


13/32


Phone Responder

! Postcard letting responder know

We received the request for information Call # now to speak to a sales rep

Go to the Internet to see products and rates now

Local agents are available to meet with you


14/32


Web Responder

! Instant quotes

Allows a person to save information and registeron site

Purchase product on site

Has chatty Cathy

Mail box

Sales agent phone number Physician directory

Face to face agent locator


15/32


Response Activity Based


16/32


Next Steps

! Follow-up based on responder activity

Internet registration, no purchase If a person registers and does not purchase 2 activities

are triggered immediately.

Auto e-back thanking them for going to the site and a link inthe e-mail to make it easy to back and finish theactivity.

They will receive the monthly e-newsletter with health

information anda link back to the site. The newsletter also

has some information about products.


17/32


Next Steps

Telemarketing conversation, no purchase

Direct mail follow up with information about the fact that

BCBSF has multiple products available.

After 3 months Face to Face agents are sent the leads if not

sales from sales kit to determine if theyneeded additional

support understandinghealth insurance products.


18/32


Next Steps

Face-to-face agent contact, no purchase

If the lead was originally generated by BCBSF, the

name is added to the prospect file, and direct mail

efforts are made against the name.

Purchase Contract package sent or delivered and other products

and services are promoted. For example, Automatic

Payment Option with a discount on rates if

selected. Dental discount services offered for purchase

and other discounts included and explained for BCBSF

customers.


19/32


Some Follow-up Methods

! Internet e-mail with link message

! E-newsletters! Direct Mail

!Telemarketing


20/32


Future Developments

! *669 wireless lead generation (sign up service)

! Internet tracking


21/32

How to build a COC Program


22/32


Getting Started

! Determine what kind of COC plan youre going

to develop for each segment! What are the goals and objectives of each

COC plan

Drive new sales, increase up-sell/cross-sell, create

customer loyalty, etc.?


23/32


Step 1: Define Target Groups

! Who are your targets groups?

How many do you have? Pick the top 3-4 for tostart

! What are the Needs, Values and Expectations

(NVEs) of each segment?


24/32


NVEs Defined

Needs: How well a product or service meets thebasic customer needs. Obvious examples are

food, clothing and shelter, but less obviousexamples may include safety, security, approval,and affiliation.

Values: How well a product or service aligns, or atleast does not conflict with customer values.Values may include: trust, courtesy and respect.

Expectations: How well a product or servicemeets customer expectations, considering needsand values. Examples may include: quality,

dependability, and timeliness.


25/32


Step 2: Key Drivers

! Determine the key drivers for each COC plan:

Build it based on what is meaningful to thecustomer, not to your company

Calendar?

Urgency/Time? Actions?

Product/Service Lifecycle?

Life-stage?


26/32


Step 3: Contact Frequency

! Frequency of contact should be based on

customer preference first, organizational needsecond

Think about permission

Particularly true of e-mail

What communication permission have your

customers/prospects given?

In direct mail, it permission is less a factor


27/32


Step 4: Channel Communication

! Considering your specific target groups:

How do they currently interact with your firm? Which channels do they use?

Why do they use these channels?

How frequently do they use a specific channel? Do they use more than one channel?

Are we using all of the communications channels

effectively?


28/32


Step 5: Messaging Strategy

! Based on the NVEs of your target group, what

do they want to know about yourfirm/product/service? How do you communicate the message?

Do you change this message by channel? If you do, are the messages consistent by channel?

Are your messages consistent across all channels?

Increasingly important when engaging in regularcommunications


29/32

Step 6:

Continuity of Contact Map


30/32


Step 7: Implementation

! What do you need to make your plan a reality?

Supporting systems? Doesnt have to be technology-focus

Additional resources?

Other?


31/32


Things to consider

! Technology can help you automate the flow of

the interaction, but is not required to seeresults with the COC programs

! Customer information and analysis is helpful

but not a requirement for COC to work

! Customer desire should factor heavily in

program design. Give customers (andprospects) the opportunity to opt-out of

communication at each channel


32/32

Thank you!Dave Harkins Cindy Tanton

Co-CEO Director, Database Marketing

Taylor- Harkins Group Blue Cross Blue Shield of FL

[email protected] [email protected]

www.taylorharkins.com www.bcbsfl.com

Documents

Developing Continutiy of Contact Program