DIGITAL SALES INNOVATION

DIGITAL contact routes – From b2b Sales to after sales services

How to make it perfect …

Customer needs are changing faster than ever. Digital technologies and new innovations create a “mobile-first and digital mindset”. Today, we use our smartphones for more and more daily routines: Mobile online shopping with just a few clicks, paying our bills digitally, or chatting with our “digital insurance broker”. Digital and fast customer experiences are omnipresent. Thus, also B2B businesses must review their contact routes and customer journeys – a positive customer experience leads to decisions whether to purchase or not to purchase products and services – not only in B2C, but also in B2B.

Our EARLY BRANDS Innovation & Technology Consultants set up four best practices for digital B2B customer journeys from our digitization consulting: From digital first contact, sales to after sales. To achieve more customer interaction, enthusiasm, and satisfaction. And even efficiency, productivity, and cost reduction.

VIRTUAL SHOWROOMS – Offer services and advice regardless of location

Experience WMF professional coffee machines digitally, visit the virtual showroom of elobau or get virtual advice on which Coca Cola products suit your company. Virtual showrooms make it possible to experience products and services easily, quickly, and cost-effectively. This gives customers a precise idea of products and services – without much effort or appointments for live demonstrations. And not only that. They are location- and time-independent and can therefore be visited around the clock from anywhere in the world. So, they offer a high degree of flexibility for sellers on the one hand and buyers on the other.

DIGITAL LIVE SELLING – From digital contracts to live purchasing of products and services

From digital live chats like Snapview, digital style advice like Burberry or digital live shopping with Onlive, nothing is impossible when it comes to “Digital Live Selling”. Surely you have already put on a pair of glasses digitally at Mr Spex or virtually placed the Ikea Billy shelf in your living room? What we experience and learn as consumers, we also expect in business. Digital Live Selling is therefore also playing an increasingly important role in the B2B sector. Where can machines best be accommodated in the production hall? Which vehicles complement our fleet in a meaningful way? These and many more questions can be answered easily, quickly, and cost-effectively with Digital Live Selling. And not only that. Live contracts, including digital signatures and digital payment, make it possible not only to receive advice, but also to process the sales process completely digitally, with just a few clicks.

DIGITAL-SELF-SALES – when customers do everything themselves

Online shopping 2.0 means purchasing products and services and concluding contracts – from any location and without any media disruption. Why not configure and sell new heating systems online via self-services, as Thermondo does? Or select an Audi in the configurator and purchase it completely digitally? Or a Scania? This is not only very easy for consumer goods in the B2C sector. More and more products in the B2B business can also be purchased by customers via “digital self-services”. This makes it easy for customers to do everything digitally, from selection and configuration to signing the contract. This reduces sales costs and at the same time increases customer experience and satisfaction.If help is needed in “self-service”, live chats / video or a chatbot can support – also digitally. To get assistance simply, quickly, and easily.

VIRTUALIZING TECHNICAL SERVICES – maintenance time- and location-independent

Digital sales innovations can also be used to add value to “aftersales”, e.g., for service, assembly and repair work. For example, when service and assembly workers do not travel to each customer themselves but offer assistance and support remotely using innovative technologies. Examples are repair instructions with AR, technical maintenance and self-help or AR remote support. At this point, digital sales innovation supports a more efficient aftersales service – for both you and your customers. Costs and efforts are minimized, and high flexibility is enabled. Want to get more insight on this topic? Find out more in our insight “GET AHEAD WITH REMOTE AND AR“.

In conclusion, there are many ways to digitally shape your own customer journey. The examples in this insight are just a few of many. Which path is the right one is always individual – from company to company + from customer to customer. However, successful technologies and best practices are already waiting in the wings and can be easily and precisely integrated into your customer journey as a “quick win”.

Catch the Future…!