We know, it sounds like a contradiction. How can you improve post-sale engagement and customer experience while you’re losing touch with your customers and working under these extreme circumstances? We get a lot of questions on how Customer Marketers are changing their programs to align with the current reality. Due to the COVID-19 global crisis, B2B companies are changing their way of doing business, with a dramatic impact on their 2020 go to market / go to customer. Events have been canceled or made virtual, business flights won’t be happening for several months, and customer meetings or interviews will occur remotely. Recently Ari Hoffman, Director of Customer Advocacy at Coveo told me “We are in the process of re-imagining our entire digital experience”, which eloquently sums up the mindset and actions that B2B companies should adopt.
Let me add to that by saying that I’m seeing two rising trends in B2B:
- Do More With Less: Marketing departments are required to cut down and improve ROI on paid marketing/demand generation, with creative solutions.
- Retention Over New Customers: Many companies are shifting their focus to customer retention and cost-saving.
So how do you navigate this storm? How can companies and marketers maintain engagement, foster relationships, reduce marketing spend and influence retention?
I’ve outlined 10 principles and actions based on what we’ve seen to be effective methods for customer-base ongoing engagement and measurable growth.
