Is your business ready to embrace the digital age and transform its customer rapport, engagement strategies, or is it clinging to traditional approaches that may no longer be effective in today's fast-paced, tech-driven world?

In Salesforce's latest 'State of the Connected Customer' study (May 3 - July 14, 2023), spanning 25 countries and 6 continents with 11,000 consumers and 3,300 business buyers, a significant evolution in customer engagement emerged.

Let's uncover the game-changing insights from this survey, as presented in the customer engagement playbook, and see how they can supercharge your business!

Balancing Online and Offline Shopping in Changing Times

Customers are riding the digital wave into 2024, where online interactions are set to tick up from 50% in 2023 to an anticipated 52%.

A whopping 74% of customers are now waving goodbye to in-person and phone tasks, with high expectations for getting it all done online.

Redefining In-Store Retail: Creating Memorable Experiences

Retailers are stepping up their game by adding value through cutting-edge strategies like appointment scheduling, dedicated event spaces, augmented reality experiences, and virtual stylists.

50% of retailers  already offer high-tech services like Augmented Reality (AR) to enhance their stores and gain competitive advantage.

Navigating Customer Interaction Across Channels

In the digital age, trust in customer-company interactions soars with a remarkable 93% of customers relying on the power of email! 📧

• Over 88% of interactions happen through the power of phone communication 📞

• Approximately 86% of engagements unfold in good old face-to-face settings 👥

Globally, Facebook ranks as the top social platform for brand engagement, closely followed by WhatsApp and YouTube.

Sales cycle elevating B2B Engagement Standards

69% of sales professionals find selling difficult.

A concerning 73% find most sales interactions transactional.

Half (50%) of business buyers have decreased their purchasing compared to previous levels.

A significant majority (78%) are now more vigilant and discerning about how their company allocates its spending.

Balancing Customer Support (Self-Service vs. Assistance)

72% of customers have used self-service portals.

55%of customers have engaged with self-service chatbots.

61% of customers opt for self-service for simpler tasks.

Human Support is a Disntinguisher

Instant responses set businesses apart competitively, as favorite brands often struggle with quick customer-agent connections.

59% of millennials and 35% of baby boomers are willing to pay extra for an improved consumer experience.

Exceptional Service

A Catalyst for Purchases and Advocacy

88% of customers are more inclined to become repeat buyers when they've had a positive customer service experience. 🛍️

77% of business buyers and 74% of consumers are quick to forgive company mistakes when they experience outstanding customer service.

Proactive Service is Highly Valued

A significant 53% of customers expect companies to anticipate their needs.

Only 33% feel that most companies truly excel at addressing service issues proactively. 📊

Challenges in Achieving Connected Customer Experiences

79% of customers expect seamless interactions across all company departments.

Despite this, 56% often find themselves repeating or re-explaining information to different representatives.

The grand expectation?

70% of customers anticipate that every company representative should possess the same information about them. 🔄

Quick Overview of Customer Engagement

Evolving customer expectations call for diverse support options, with a digital interaction preference.

Prioritizing personalization, efficiency, and consistency is essential in customer engagement.

Proactive service stands out as a valuable differentiator in today's market.

References

Dive deeper into the “State of Connected Customer” survey at:- https://www.salesforce.com/content/dam/web/en_us/www/documents/research/State-of-the-Connected-Customer.pdf