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Over the last 20 years I was fortunate enough to take leading roles in 4 large CX-focused digital transformations at several manufacturing giants in Australia. The ten strategies I highlight in this article are based on my experience and have proven to increase company revenue by improving customer satisfaction, retention, and the lifetime value.
1. Personalization
Personalization is a key component of a strong B2B CX. Manufacturing companies can personalize the customer experience by understanding the specific needs and preferences of each customer. This can be achieved through customer data analysis and customer feedback. By personalizing the experience, manufacturing companies can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
2. Self-Service Options
Contacting a call center or sending an email to place an order to request a pending invoice is no longer acceptable. One of the best and the most straightforward strategies to substantially improve B2B CX is introducing self-service portals to your B2B customers and distributors. While you may see resistance, it will substantially improve your customer experience in the long run. And will also help you to reduce the workload from your order-taking and other customer support teams.Â
3. Omni Channel Experience
With services offered through multiple channels, organizations must deliver a consistent experience across all channels. The best example of what not to do is the introduction of support chatbots. While they were promoted and introduced to improve customer experience, the impact was the opposite. While some found them helpful, the majority did not deliver the expected outcome.
4. Improve Employee Experiences
Improving employee experience plays a major role in any customer experience transformation. Manufacturing companies have employees distributed in various environments, from the back office to field sales. These team members need to be aligned and supported with access to the right tools, workforce management and optimization tools, and service desks to attend to customer needs.
Related Article: How B2B Customer Experience Improve Revenue
5. Streamlining the Sales Process
The sales process can be a major pain point for B2B customers. Manufacturing companies can improve the B2B CX by streamlining the sales process. This can be achieved by providing clear and concise product information, simplifying the ordering process, and providing exceptional customer support throughout the sales process.
6. Enhancing Post-Sales Support
Post-sales support is another key component of a strong B2B CX. Manufacturing companies can enhance post-sales support by providing easy access to support resources, such as a customer portal or a dedicated support team. By providing exceptional post-sales support, manufacturing companies can improve customer satisfaction and retention.
7. New Sales Channels
Introducing new sales channels is a common practice for B2C but for B2B it is still a foreign concept for most manufacturing companies. Today order taking is primarily done via phone, by email, or through a sales rep or an account manager. While these generally work, these are very inefficient methods to generate sales. Through B2B order portals, order-taking AI bots, and predictive ordering technologies, the process and experience can be vastly improved and open up more opportunities.
8. Transparency Across the Value Chain
Transparency across the value chain is crucial for B2B CX in manufacturing as it promotes trust, accountability, and visibility. It helps to create an efficient and effective supply chain, improves communication and collaboration, and builds trust between the buyer and supplier. By understanding the roles and responsibilities of each party, it becomes easier to identify and resolve any issues, preventing delays and mistakes that can impact the customer experience. Ultimately, transparency across the value chain leads to high-quality products that meet the customer’s needs.
Related Article: Why Creating a CX Strategy is Important for Manufacturing Companies
9. Data Analytics and AI
Manufacturing companies can improve the B2B CX by leveraging technology. This can include using customer data analysis to personalize the experience, providing self-service options for customers, and implementing chatbots or other AI-powered tools to improve customer support. By leveraging technology, manufacturing companies can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the customer experience.
10. Automotion
Finally, speed is essential in any interaction with a manufacturing company, but it’s vital in the B2B landscape. When companies have an issue with a manufacturing product or service, they need a solution fast. Automation can help to accelerate resolutions and deliver the expected outcome. Automation can be considered the foundation for any mature and efficient manufacturing business. Without automated processes, they will also struggle to execute most of the strategies I’ve highlighted above as well.
In conclusion, there are several strategies that manufacturing companies can use to improve the B2B CX. By focusing on personalization, streamlining the sales process, enhancing post-sales support, providing customized products and services, and leveraging technology, manufacturing companies can create exceptional experiences for their business customers and drive increased loyalty, retention, and revenue.
About Author
Dasun Premadasa is the Founder and CEO of DASCX, the premiere B2B CX consulting firm for manufacturers in Australia. With over two decades of experience including four large CX and digital transformation programs at 4 different manufacturing and automotive firms in Australia, he's one of the best business technology experts for B2B customer experience.
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