The smallest interaction can have the biggest effect.
While a positive brand experience can result in a lifelong customer, the same can be said of the opposite. For example:
- An inattentive, dismissive salesperson on Live Chat may turn away a prospective client with their attitude.
- This lost lead could post about their negative experience on social media and Google reviews, spreading bad word of mouth among their friends and colleagues.
- That initial, seemingly innocuous online exchange — which probably lasted no more than a minute — can thus snowball into a lasting stain on your reputation that harms the brand in the long-term.
The client–brand relationship has evolved
With digital connectivity, businesses are closer to their customers than ever before. This is a great opportunity for savvy businesses to develop lifelong relationships with their clients. You just have to look at brands like Apple, and their dedicated, passionate community, to see what’s possible if you play your CX cards right.
Today, customers are actively seeking out brands to engage with; be it for advice on what running shoes to buy, or which recipe to make for their vegan friends at a dinner engagement. There is real proof that genuine — some would go as far as to say intimate — relationships are being forged between customer and brand.
Take control of your CX ripple effect
So can you apply the Butterfly Effect to your long-term client nurturing?
Imagine each interaction as a drop that falls into the pool of Customer Experience. See how each drop disturbs the surface and radiates outwards, how these ripples either combine with others to form larger waves and crests, or clash and cancel one another out? Now, slow these movements down in your mind and replay them, imagining every possible outcome or scenario.
This is the Butterfly Effect’s influence on CX strategy.
And to turn the ripples of influence to your advantage, each client interaction with your business — no matter how small or seemingly insignificant — needs to be configured to deliver the best experience possible for the person on the other end. These engagements are far from trivial, and they have the power to build meaningful rapport over time.
CRM automation is a great way to turn the engagement tide by aligning these ripples in a way that benefits your company in the long term. For example, your CRM can deliver the right messaging to a potential customer after their initial interaction with the business. This well-timed deployment of relevant messaging will build on the momentum of that first point of contact.
If you’re after more information on CRM, and how to get the most value from this powerful technology, we go into greater detail in CRM: A Unicorn or White Elephant? This guide will enhance your understanding of CRM in the modern business environment and the impact it can have on your company. Download it here.
Customer experience starts with company culture
Remember that Live Chat salesperson with a bad attitude from earlier? Well, they’re actually something of a star, and at any other time, they would have hooked the lead and nudged them closer to a sale. On that particular day, however, they were feeling despondent after a clash with a hot-headed colleague known for overstepping the boundaries.
You see, the effects of that encounter didn’t vanish after the altercation. Instead, that negativity was transferred from the employee to the customer, becoming an issue that could cause long-term, detrimental harm to the business.
In an office, the small things really do matter. From the way people interact with each other, to the example management sets during meetings or in casual conversation in the kitchen. A working environment directly affects the quality of output. This is why it’s crucial businesses place value in their employees’ experience, and endeavour to act on suggestions, both negative and positive.
At Huble Digital, customer experience starts where we work. From after-hour staff dinners to HUGs (HubSpot User Groups) where learning is encouraged, we endeavour to infuse the Huble Digital working experience with positivity. The Butterfly Effect begins here, and we want to make sure the ripples we create are the ones that generate meaningful experiences for our clients and their customers.
For more information on how we build CX from the ground-up using strategy, creative, data, and MarTech, please get in touch with us.
