Feb 15, 2016

The customer experience has fundamentally changed the

way prospects and customers engage with your company and

consume your story. It has also changed the way companies

acquire, retain and create loyal customers. These changes

are sweeping and impact almost every facet of business. Just

take a look at yesterday’s B2B buying process and customer

journey — and what it looks like today…

YESTERDAY: Marketing pushed the message out into the

marketplace through defined channels.

TODAY: Your message is available on-demand, 24 / 7 from

any and all channels.

YESTERDAY: Sales reps were the primary way customers got

to know your company.

TODAY: Customers consume your story without human

intervention — when, where and how they wish.

YESTERDAY: Marketing’s priority was acquiring leads.

TODAY: Marketing must not only play a role in acquiring

customers but a more significant part in how companies

retain, grow and increase loyalty among customers.

YESTERDAY: Brands were built through controlled campaigns,

channels and messages.

TODAY: Brands are defined by the story customers consume

and the experience they have with your company through an

unlimited number of touchpoints.

YESTERDAY: Employee communication and engagement

with the customer was limited, contained and controlled.

TODAY: Customers can communicate and engage with your

employees through endless channels and communication

vehicles.

YESTERDAY: Product features and functionality were the basis

of differentiation.

TODAY: Products are being commoditized — the experience

customers have with your company is now the battlefield of

differentiation.

YESTERDAY: Sales reps controlled the pipeline and

qualification process.

TODAY: The self-service buying process allows the customer

to opt-in or opt-out before the sales process even starts.

YESTERDAY: Business model changes were not immediately

visible to customers.

TODAY: Changes in the business model are now transparent

throughout the customer experience.

YESTERDAY: Employees had to know just enough about your

business strategy to be effective in their jobs.

TODAY: Employees communicate more frequently and directly

with customers — strategic misalignment between leadership

and the frontline damages acquisition, retention and loyalty.

YESTERDAY: Executives served as thought leaders and the voice

of the brand.

TODAY: Every employee has a voice on the web and impacts

brand perception and loyalty.

YESTERDAY: Message consistency was controlled through

branding campaigns.

TODAY: Explosion of online and offline channels make

inconsistencies in your story immediately noticeable to

the customer.

Have Changes in the B2B Customer Experience Impacted Your Business? Judge for Yourself.

James O’GaraCEO / Founder, OnMessage

YESTERDAY: Sales and marketing messaging alignment was

the biggest challenge.

TODAY: Messaging alignment must be managed across the

entire employee population, sales and marketing partner

ecosystem, as well as critical online and offline

communication channels.

YESTERDAY:: Employee engagement was a given — they got

a paycheck.

TODAY: Employees want to work for a higher purpose and

understand the role they play in the company’s promise

and story.

YESTERDAY: Customer loyalty was achieved based on the

strength of very few, individual relationships.

TODAY: Customer loyalty is based on the minute-by-minute,

day-by-day experience and the interactions with your entire

employee population.

YESTERDAY: Poor customer experiences and stories about

your business were contained.

TODAY: Negative messages and stories can be shared with

the world 24 / 7.

YESTERDAY: Alignment of the story and strategy were most

important at the leadership level.

TODAY: Now every customer-facing employee must understand

and be able to communicate how the strategy and story align.

The ability to adapt to these changes will define market leaders in the future.With all of these changes, CMOs and executives must

recognize that customer engagement and communication

strategies from the past — are a recipe for disaster in the

future. Tomorrow’s market leaders will stop down, re-evaluate

and fundamentally change the way they bring their story to

life — today — so they can thrive for years to come. To make

this happen, leaders must embrace a new, enterprise-wide

approach to developing and infusing a clear, compelling

and consistent corporate message throughout the customer

experience.

The customer experience has fundamentally changed the way companies acquire, retain and create loyal customers.

More Information:To learn more about the critical role corporate messaging

development and infusion lays in the customer experience

visit: www.itsonmessage.com/pov

To contact James O’Gara: jogara@itsonmessage.com