If you are a B2B company trying to sell a solution to leaders, you've got to speak to their concerns and earn their trust before you pitch your product. That's obvious. What's not as obvious is how to say something of value when leaders are inundated with articles and information. Knowing that organizations are getting stuck in decision-making, I wanted to deliver some practical guidance to leaders in this piece written for CX Effect, a customer experience technology outfitter that ultimately wants its readers to purchase technology solutions.
You need to dramatically improve your customer experience, but you’re struggling to make the case for action now because the sign over your organization is the same one your customers see: WAIT.
Wait until the economy improves. Wait until the pandemic is over. Wait until the new normal of hybrid work shakes out. Wait until business is more predictable. Wait until there is clarity about the way forward.
But are you actually getting clearer as you wait?
Waiting may be wise or fearful. It depends on how you use the time in between.
Wise waiting is about using the time for inquiry and experimentation.
Use the time to better understand your customers’ journeys. Find out what helps and hinders them along the way.
Run a pilot with a technology solution that gives you greater visibility into those journeys. The business case for a small investment in a short-term experiment is the organization’s need for data and insights that will enable it to plan for the long term.
Use the time to study your processes and figure out how much effort you spend on mundane tasks that could be automated.
Pick one task and run a pilot that automates the workflow. The business case is that you’ll learn how automation improves customer experience and frees your team for more meaningful customer interactions. You’ll also identify other tasks that can be automated, saving the organization time and money.
This is a time of transition. So, use the time to figure out how your organization can adapt.
This is a time of uncertainty. So, use the time to gain confidence.
When all the signs say WAIT, offer your organization another option: Be wise in waiting.