In the age of the customer, B2C and B2B buyers alike expect transparency and consistency at every stage of the buying journey. Whether engaging with your organization online in the self-service phase, which includes content development for thought leadership and lead generation, the sales process, which includes in-depth conversations, sales tools, presentations and proposals, or in the post-purchase customer experience through onboarding and consulting services, your prospects and customers require consistency at every touchpoint.
The traditional sales funnel is dead. Marketing and sales are no longer able to control when and how prospects enter the buying journey. When it comes to developing and nurturing trust with customers and potential customers and delivering a consistent and compelling customer experience, the need for real transparency has never been more critical.
Transparency begins and ends with the development and deployment of a clear, compelling and consistent corporate message — a message that clearly defines who you are, what you do and the value you deliver, as well as your key points of difference.
The following four questions will help you determine how transparent your company is at every stage of the buying journey, and ultimately, how well you compete for business and secure new customers.
- Have you dedicated the proper time and resources to formulating a clear and differentiated corporate message?
- Do your employees have the knowledge and training necessary to clearly explain who you are, what you do and the value your company delivers?
- Do you have a process in place to manage a consistent and compelling story across all channels and customer touchpoints?
- Are you delivering messaging continuity throughout the customer experience?
Companies that deliver a clear, compelling and consistent corporate message during the self-service, sales and post-purchase stages of the customer experience are the companies that will outperform their competitors in this age of transparency.
