In traditional telemarketing, contact center sales are based on outbound campaigns with cold calls to a contact base of potential customers, regardless of their level of interest, their previous relationship with the brand or their consumer preferences. With the evolution of digital marketing, today we find new models of contact with prospects, based on personalized, non-invasive tactics.
From inConcert’s experience, the most efficient sales model in the digital era is the one that generates leads through digital campaigns and closes the sale in the contact center, prioritizing the customer experience throughout each of the contact points.
This does not mean that outbound sales campaigns no longer work; it means that before reaching the commercial interaction in the contact center there is a previous process of attraction and nurturing of each lead, which allows a greater chance of closing compared to cold calls. The sales process is no longer based only on outbound calls, sales are omnichannel, and are made through the consumer’s preferred channel.
How do you put this model into practice? What are the key factors for omnichannel sales in the contact center?
I invite you to discover them!
5 key factors to optimize omnichannel sales
1) Automation of the attention
Success in customer management is based on intelligence added to software. Along with VPN (virtual private network) solutions, VDI (virtual desktop) or cloud technology, automation tools based on artificial intelligence, mainly IVR systems and chatbots, are essential to respond to the exponential increase in interactions.
2) Accessibility
Companies must be even more accessible and closer to customers. Video calls humanize interactions to generate a bond of empathy, something crucial in these times where non-face-to-face communications still prevail.
Without having to invest too much in development resources and infrastructure, companies can use APIs and SDKs from vendors to add video chat services in web browsers or mobile applications. It is advisable to implement “click-to-videocall” links in chats to offer the passage to video call at the moment the interaction warrants it or the customer requires it.
3) Combination of multiple channels
The customer experience has been redesigned to create close avenues of contact anytime, anywhere through multiple channels (calls, voice, web, video, emails, chat, SMS or apps).
An omnichannel contact center allows you to manage multiple conversations simultaneously to optimize processes without increasing the number of agents. It also allows customers to connect through multiple channels throughout the sales process, maintaining a consistent and unified experience.
4) Asynchronous communication
When we talk about “asynchronous” communication we refer to those contacts in pause, extended in time, that can be resumed at any time. This is typically the case with email communication, but can also occur via messaging.
Therefore, the contact center software used must be able to retain interaction data to provide context to the agent managing the conversation, regardless of the channel or time elapsed.
5) 100% personalized attention
In recent decades, the customer service industry has changed significantly to adapt to the needs and developments of companies in all industries. A completely customer-centric strategy is now being pursued.
A “Responsive Contact Center” prioritizes customer issues and offers them various omnichannel contact options, in addition to 24/7 service. For example, identifying the last interaction with an agent to maintain contact with the agent can improve the customer experience. Knowing their last purchases, their product preferences, or even using Speech Analytics is crucial to drive upselling actions.
