How do you define customer experience in your communication plan?

Lorsqu'on aborde l'expérience client avec le prisme du plan de communication, il est utile de considérer tous les points de contact entre les clients et la marque. L'expérience client étant la somme des ressentis du client, il convient de mettre à plat toutes les sollicitations (publicité, communication directe et indirecte) et tous les échanges avec les clients pour avoir une vision globale (notamment avec les investissements financiers). Trop peu d'entreprises considèrent l'expérience globale de marque et trop peu rapprochent les actions de communication et les échanges avec le client. C'est pourtant ce que vit le client !

Getting your vision right requires a clear and compelling framework that aligns with your overarching business strategy. Start by articulating a clear vision of the experience you want to deliver, ensuring it resonates with your corporate values and addresses customer needs directly. Integrate this vision into every level of your communication strategy, specifying how each interaction should reinforce the customer journey you aim to create. And then set measurable objectives that reflect this vision, such as enhancing customer satisfaction scores, reducing churn or increasing engagement across key touchpoints.

Super interesante este tema ya que si bien en lo que coincido es que efectivamente se tenga claro primero cual es la misión, visión y valores, fortalezas en general, dotar de alma a la empresa. Luego en función/relacionado a ello, construir la experiencia de marca, empleado y cliente que quiero comunicar. Entonces todo "plan de comunicación" en general debe venir con la misma personalidad y eje emocional.

Having worked in companies dedicated to providing customer services (Telcos, especially), the point is to define up to what level of service it is profitable to offer and the cost of not serving a group or segments of customers. It is not possible to satisfy all customers, but you can't afford to let go of everyone you can't please. Achieving that balance is the challenge of any CX direct.

Understand your customer segments is truly important- One time at work, I was tasked with a project to reduce the number of walk-ins into our service centre. A seemingly easy target were customers who came in just to print statements. At the surface, it looks like the problem was just to educate them that they can do by themselves at home, with their own printers. It was deeper analysis and surveys, that the real issues were surfaced - these were computer-illerate and non-english educated customers who do not have printers at home. As such, the followup diversion strategy was very different from what was planned earlier. So, yes, understanding your customer segments and journeys is truly important.

No one's going to question the value of a customer journey map. Whether digital or documented, a customer journey map is a useful artifact for a CX team to outline critical user journey steps. So, here comes the question - where does this living document reside? Who owns it in the organization? How often will it be reviewed and updated? Who is allowed/authorized to make edits to the map? What are the critical factors that will trigger a review of the ideal customer personas? Does everyone in the organization look at the same customer journey maps?

CX managers frequently overlook the importance of crafting and executing a communications plan to support their CX strategy. In my experience, such a plan is a great tool in building support with internal and external stakeholders. While what you say is important, it is just as vital to concentrate on how you say it. That speaks to the style, tone, and level of detail you provide in the plan. The communications plan needs to capture what the goals are that you are trying to accomplish, how the steps you will take will get you there, and why this is the right path forward. Make sure your CX updates don't come across as a project management status report. Keep the focus on the value the initiative will deliver for customers.

I'm a little concerned here that the 'communication plan' is a narrowly-focused proxy for a wider strategic CX initiative that should include Sales, Marketing, Product, Ops, Customer Support, etc. Please add your internal stakeholders/partners to the 'plan'. You (assuming CX leader here) have to be able to harness all the combined intelligence of your colleagues to BUILD a plan together. It should not be presented to them as a fait accompli.

Test and optimize your communication: 1. Test different communication strategies and messages to determine what resonates best with your audience. 2. Use A/B testing, surveys, or focus groups to gather feedback and insights to refine your communication approach.

Monitor and evaluate your communication: 1. Monitor the performance of your communication efforts using relevant metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, and customer feedback. 2. Evaluate how well your communication plan is aligning with your CX vision and objectives and making an impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty.

My tip: Keep it simple, and wrap it up in a "thank you". Say thank you to b2b customers for sharing their experience with you. Don't forget they are acting as unpaid consultants to help improve your business - with positive or negative comments. So reach back with your communication and say "Thanks for your feedback - here is what we learned and these are the actions we are taking". It makes the customer feel valued, and they are more likely to contribute next time you ask. Finally, share the communication with all customers and prospects and say "this is how we respond to customer feedback, hope you will contribute too". Bonus points for publishing your Net Promoter Score and response rate!

In crafting a communication plan, defining customer experience is crucial to ensure clarity and alignment across all messaging and strategies. Customer experience encompasses every interaction a customer has with a brand, product, or service throughout their journey, from initial awareness to post-purchase support. It encompasses both tangible elements, such as product quality and usability, as well as intangible aspects, such as emotions, perceptions, and overall satisfaction. In the communication plan, customer experience should be articulated as the cornerstone of the brand's identity, emphasizing the importance of delivering consistent, personalized, and seamless interactions across all touchpoints.