From lead to a loyal customer or how to engage a customer

From the article you will learn:

• What is customer lifecycle management;
• All stages of the customer's lifecycle;
• About the benefits of the tools Salesforce CRM and Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
  

Research firm Gartner reported that the CRM industry reached $48.2 billion in 2018. Such impressive growth can be attributed to the change in companies' attitude to digital customer service. The view about the key role of the client is not new.

The slogan "the customer is always right" appeared at the beginning of the 20th century and has been widely used since its very beginning. In the era of the wide availability of digital technology solutions, consumers have a huge impact on how they are served. In turn, companies that listen to the voice of their customers are successful.

Modern CRM systems put the customer at the center of the company's operations. They allow you to track and collect information related to customer needs, history of his activity and preferences, and then use such data to improve service. Of course, providing the customer with the best experience is not a one-time option that can be proposed and then forgotten. Customer service is a continuous process that needs to be analyzed at every step, and for this you need to manage the customer's lifecycle.

What is customer lifecycle management?

Customer lifecycle management is a tool or set of tools that provide personalized customer service. As a marketing strategy, customer lifecycle management ensures effective and personalized service, increasing the chances of customer loyalty and improving brand reputation. This type of management uses motivations that make a lead become the most loyal customer.

Although companies define this process in different ways, most agree that the Customer Lifecycle Management model can be divided into several key stages:

Approach

Companies locate potential leads, present the value of products or services offered and show leads how they can become customers.

Indigenous

Leads become part of the sales funnel. From now on, at every step, companies must constantly present the value of the product and dispel all (even potential) customers’ concerns.

Development

Leads that reach the end of the funnel make a purchase and become customers. From that point on, companies are engaged in further development of the customer relationship, continuing contacts with them and asking for feedback.

Maintenance

Customers provide feedback, and companies analyze it to provide more personalized service. The effect of such actions may be further sales, often in the form of tying or selling a higher value product.

Loyalty

The ultimate goal of the customer's lifecycle is to create a customer loyal to the brand. Such a client will not only continue to use the products or services offered by the company, but will also effectively promote it to others.

Greater efficiency thanks to CRM technology

To ensure high-level service, companies must use specific technologies. It's best to start with an advanced CRM system that not only allows companies to focus their activities on customers, but also to improve the way companies use their data and sent messages. Just as the best CRM systems are solutions that work entirely in web technology, the best customer relationship management techniques use the cloud to provide sales employees with access to all information. No matter what device they use, what time and place.

Companies can use CRM systems to create a more accurate picture of their target audience by using precise marketing activities on many different channels. Thanks to this, there are more qualified leads in the sales funnel, and salespeople can more effectively direct their activities towards leads, which are likely to become customers in the future.

From lead to customer

From the moment a lead falls into a sales funnel, CRM technology can collect, analyze and store huge amounts of relevant data. Companies use them to create a highly precise customer profile and provide sales employees with information that leads them to what they expect. This is also where lead tracking begins, thanks to which the sales department gains an advantage by always knowing at what stage the lead is and what further actions should be taken.

Lead that makes sales and becomes a customer is extremely valuable. Research shows that selling products or services to existing customers is four to ten times cheaper than acquiring a new customer, and that returning customers generate up to ten times more revenue. Thanks to effective solutions in the area of customer lifecycle management, companies maintain valuable, returning customers. They use personalized contact forms, special offers and loyalty programs, and strengthen relationships through direct communication and reliable data.

The birth of the brand ambassador

Using CRM technology to provide the customer with personalized service, sales departments care about constant interest in the returning customer, strengthening his loyalty, gathering information about him and taking actions based on it. Thanks to this, they help to create a real brand ambassador in the existing client.

Regardless of whether our activities involve a lead or a loyal customer, best practices in customer lifecycle management can help sales departments offer the personalized service that customers need. There is no doubt that with such a large number of CRM systems and customer lifecycle management system providers offered, many companies are wondering how they can find a solution that is right for them. Salesforce comes with the answer.

Salesforce CRM system

Since the CRM system is the driving force of customer lifecycle management, it is not surprising that the main global CRM system provider is also the most reliable partner in the field of customer lifecycle management. Salesforce CRM , as the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, enables companies to accompany their clients at every stage of their relationship. Thanks to this, fewer customers get lost somewhere along the way, sales are at a higher level, profitability increases, and customer relationships last longer.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Each customer is unique. In the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, the uniqueness of the customer is understandable, and companies and customers have the opportunity to jointly pass the purchasing path. Marketing Cloud tracks customer behavior, directs personalized messages to it, uses multiple advertising channels, sends the customer messages on mobile devices and provides consistent and personalized service throughout the process. Thanks to this, the company in its activities can focus completely on the most important element which is the customer.

For this purpose, Salesforce Marketing Cloud uses data analysis, automation, and even artificial intelligence and predictive analysis, so that every company can present the right offer to the client at any time. Salesforce Marketing Cloud is a complete cloud solution and compatible with mobile devices. This means that sales staff can use valuable customer information in a variety of channels, platforms and devices, without having to have expensive landline devices. Salesforce Marketing Cloud is easy to use and can be fully integrated with existing systems. It is also equipped with comprehensive user support.

The customer is always the center of attention

It is up to the customers how they want to be served, and companies that listen to their customers' voices find that personalized service is exactly what they want. 89% of customers stopped using the company's services or products after the service failed to meet their expectations. Companies that take action to demonstrate their commitment, care about the customer's constant interest and loyalty. All they need is an effective customer lifecycle management tool.
With the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, an individual is in the information center so that companies never forget what matters the most. The customer on the shopping path should not be alone. The individual relationship that the Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides and its effective solutions in the area of customer lifecycle management means that the customer and the company are traveling together.