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This story originally appeared on Readwrite.com
In 2023, technology trends in business increased, especially regarding enhancing client relationships. More than ever, companies are leveraging new technology to reach customers across multiple digital channels. As a result, more marketers are shifting their budgets from traditional advertisement methods to mobile applications, social media, videos, and podcasts.
Although these tools are a great way to find new customers and share content with existing ones, companies in all industries must continue to build better client relationships for retention. It’s been proven repeatedly that purchasing behaviors can be driven by the emotional connections created by establishing more fulfilling client relationships, after all.
The Importance of Bringing Emotion to Business Relationships
Any business’s success depends on its customers’ loyalty and satisfaction. Without loyal brand advocates who routinely come back for services or products offered, the business will require costly acquisition methods to find new buyers continuously.
Related: 3 Ways to Lean into Tech Without Losing the Human Touch
In a world dominated by algorithms and screens, finding the right audience and converting can be challenging. That’s why it’s imperative to continue to focus on retention efforts — it’s less expensive to get returning customers to purchase again, and they are likely to spend more when purchasing a new customer.
Building Successful Business Relationships
Using technology to automate and enhance the buying cycle can make connecting with customers scalable. Many unique tools can be used to create a memorable and emotional connection with customers.
First and foremost, you must acknowledge the whole person and not just what they do for your business. Building a relationship with a customer and not another order number takes sending additional touchpoints outside of the sales cycle. Emotions tend to drive purchasing behavior, so work to find important life and special occasion moments to build upon the business relationship and improve retention rates in the process.
Pitfalls to Avoid When Automating Technology
While many companies are showing ways that the use of technology can enhance business operations and customer experiences, many brands are falling into the trap of relying too heavily on tech tools without considering the human touch.
Related: 5 Ways to Build Killer Relationships With Customers
One common mistake brands make is treating technology as a replacement for human interaction. This can lead to impersonal customer experiences and a lack of trust. Customers value genuine connections and personalized interactions with businesses, which makes it essential for brands to remember that technology should complement, not replace, these human interactions.
The Importance of Continuous Training and Support
Another area where brands go wrong is by implementing complex tech tools without providing proper training or support. Technology can overwhelm employees and customers if they do not fully understand how to use it effectively.
Unfortunately, no new technology will function correctly without a usage guide. This makes it vital for companies to implement comprehensive training programs and provide ongoing support to ensure that everyone feels comfortable using these tools.
Without a doubt, companies are building successful business relationships through the use of technology. However, they need to remain focused on providing the human factor at every interaction to make sure customers are getting the most out of the technology as well.
How a Business Technology Strategy Can Ensure Future Success
Technology trends in business are ever-evolving. Recently, we have seen many companies focus on ways to implement artificial technologies into their practices. Although AI and other forms of technology come with an array of benefits, it is critically important to determine where each new piece belongs.
There is never a one-size-fits-all solution for developing a business technology strategy. However, there are a few things that you can do to ensure success with technology today and in the coming years:
1. Create a roadmap to success.
Building a roadmap can help you remain focused along the journey. You should identify your business goals, the timeline in which you want to meet your goals, and the resources that are needed to implement your business technology strategy. This step will help you remain focused on the road ahead.
2. Increase efficiency with automation.
Try to automate everything that you can. Automation is key for saving time and increasing efficiency. Look for areas in your business practices where manual processes can be replaced with automation. This can help you focus more on urgent tasks while ensuring your team is able to focus on customers and use their time more effectively.
3. Test now to avoid disaster later.
Determining which forms of technology will work for your business and help you reach your goals is crucial. That’s why testing is a critical part of finding out what works. Take ample time to test your technology in various scenarios to ensure it works as intended. Catching bugs and other issues early on can save you time and money in the long haul.
4. Tailor your technology to customer needs.
Your stakeholders and customers play a vital role in your success. Listening to them and understanding their specific needs and concerns is imperative. This can help you tailor your technology to meet their needs while ensuring it remains efficient and effective. Reviewing client lifecycle management information, speaking with customers, and talking with customer service reps can help you find out what is working and, even more importantly, what’s not working so that you can keep your customers happy.
5. Keep genuine connections in your technology stack.
Identify which parts of the process your customers want something more than technology can provide and work that into the flow. Embracing the importance of human touch at every step enables brands to tap into our innate desire for connection in an increasingly disconnected world. It adds authenticity, warmth, and understanding at every step of the customer journey while building relationships beyond mere transactions.
By providing a personal touch and utilizing effective tools, businesses can easily retain their customers and ensure long-term loyalty. Instead of constantly jumping on to the latest trend or using too many tools, it is essential for businesses to carefully select the right ones that fit their needs and use them strategically. With a strong customer retention business technology strategy, businesses can thrive and continue to provide excellent products or services to their loyal customers.
