Madrid, 12th January 2023 – We are in the age of information overload. Nowadays, it is not difficult to find out about the best products on the market, but it is to know how to screen that information. Consumers do not have it easy; they are overwhelmed, bombarded with advertising and offers… it is hard for them to see the wood in the middle of so many trees. And this applies to any purchasing situation, so potential customers of Customer Communications Management, or in short, CCM platforms, face the same question: Which CCM software is the most suitable for my business?
Then they start playing “(s)he loves me, (s)he loves me not” without knowing if they will keep the best petal. That is why it is vitally important to know the key factors that can help make this decision. Beyond traditional factors such as supplier reliability or cost, it is worth considering other functionalities that can render excellent results in the short term when researching a suitable Customer Communications Management platform.
One of them is the ability to integrate the CCM platform with other systems already up and running in the company, such as, for example, CRM. Such powerful business data can be used in various channels to improve customer experience, so they must be connected. In addition, immediacy in the analysis of this data is also essential, as it allows identifying real-time trends and areas for improvement in customer communications.
Another aspect to consider when looking for a Customer Communications Management solution is the ability to customize messages across channels. The CCM platform must allow adapting communication automatically to introduce changes according to the target and reach customers through their preferred channel. Potential customers cannot forget about the adaptability of the CCM solution either, since this type of software is constantly changing (like all software products) and attention must be paid not only to the current functionalities, but also to its future ability to integrate with or migrate to new technologies.
Companies interested in acquiring CCM solutions should look for platforms that can run both in the cloud as well as on premise, that help customer service managers regardless of the communication channel they use (in person, by phone, etc.), that adapt to all types of content, be it a simple SMS or a long contract, and that allow the size of messages to be read well regardless of the format in which they are issued (PC, tablet, mobile). All this will help contextualize communication in real time, rigorously track interactions and take immediate corrective action if necessary.
And it all adds up to a better customer experience. A company’s success in communicating with its customers should not only be measured in the short term, but also in the long term. In fact, this is exactly what success is all about. Among software companies in particular, the value generated by customers is multiplied by double digits over their lifetime. In other words, customers are much more valuable over time than the day they were acquired.
It is therefore clear to the CEOs of these companies that success is about building long-term customer loyalty and longstanding relationships. It is much more profitable to retain and expand the relationship with existing customers than to acquire a new one. Of course, it is also much more difficult. So, in this market context, CCM solutions are more important than ever and choosing the best solution becomes critical to the business.
That is why these companies are shifting their focus away from one-off sales and embracing processes that allow them to retain and build customer loyalty, such as subscriptions and memberships. The most advanced Customer Communications Management software companies no longer devote all their resources and efforts to making new sales, but to selling subscriptions that allow customers to use their products and services for specific periods of time. And for this purpose, they need a powerful and versatile CCM platform.
Two substantial changes occur when CCM companies sell software subscriptions rather than perpetual licenses. First, the risk of adopting the product shifts from the buyer to the seller. After making a one-time sale, only customers lose out if their employees do not use a product for which they have paid. However, with a subscription, it is the seller who loses out if the customer does not renew its CCM software subscription, since the cost of acquisition is generally higher than the revenues earned for the initial subscription period.
It is in the seller’s interest that the customer renews and places value on the product, and to do so they must maintain constant quality communication with the buyer. The CCM platform again makes the difference between renewal (e.g., success) and failure.
The second momentous change is that the subscription and membership models exponentially increase the opportunities to sell more to the existing customer base. In fact, in a matter of a few years, it is possible to even triple the revenues earned from a customer by cross-selling and up-selling. All of this has changed the business mindset of CCM software companies, which have clearly gone for a “land and expand” approach, i.e., they “land” and engage customers, make sure they adopt the product, retain customers so that they renew after the initial subscription, and build up the relationship by expanding the company’s footprint, thus increasing product usage, and selling new offerings.
Therefore, it is easy to see why the success of any Customer Communications Management software company depends on offering a flexible, advanced CCM solution that allows their CRM clients to build a relationship with their customers that makes them perceive that the communication is aimed specifically at them, and not at the entire planet; they must feel that their experience is unique and contextualized.
The words that reach customers determine the image of a company. This is not just about number crunching, but about finding the right words at the right time, and CCM solutions are a magnificent ally in this task.
By providing such solid Customer Communications Management solutions, CCM customers can rest assured that they are cared for, looked after that the CRM provider knows them and, in short, is a trusted partner for their business. That trusted partner can be DocPath, whose experienced team already helps many companies model, personalize, spread, and analyze customer communications.
About DocPath
DocPath is a leading enterprise document software company that offers its international customers the technology that allows them to complement their ERP and implement advanced Document Output Management, Customer Communications Management and document software pooling processes.
Founded in 1993, DocPath is based in Europe, USA and Latin America and is present with its Solutions in companies around the world. Among its customers there are prestigious banks and top-tier corporations, facilitating the difficult and complex task of designing, generating and distributing their business-critical documents. DocPath keeps a strong commitment to R+D+i, an area to which it allocates a large part of its revenues, and in which lies one of the keys to its success.
For more information, visit: www.docpath.com.
Legal Notice: DocPath is a registered trademark of DocPath Document Solutions. All rights reserved. Other trademarks mentioned herein might be the property of their respective owners.
.